I Did Not Expect This: 3 Years in Rust Remover

An accidental experiment leading to a serendipitous discovery.
I left a wrench in Evapo-Rust for 3 years because after about a year, I honestly just forgot about it. Did I accidentally create life? Maybe.
Wrenches, screwdrivers, and socket drivers are now for sale at www.handtoolrescue.com
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Podcast (with @jimmydiresta and Andrew Alexander) - anchor.fm/fitzall

[@HandToolRescue]

I have contacted CRC (current owners of Evapo-Rust) and the original inventor of Evapo-Rust. I have been running this experiment longer than CRC have owned Evapo-Rust, so they did not know what caused this but "will be looking into it". The original inventor has yet to get back to me. I will keep this pinned post updated if something new develops. More detailed updates will be on Instagram @handtoolrescue.

[@BrianRust89]

You had it in a stainless steel bowl. I wouldn’t doubt if some kind of plating happened. Sometimes with brass tools in evaporust it will put a layer or brass on everything.

[@andyfreeman660]

does it taste any better for maturing for three years?

[@gfrankum63]

So CRC purchased Evaporust? Is that why they haven't sponsored your more recent videos?

[@sprprops1]

I did this years ago in a plastic container. Same result. And its still in the solid goo.

[@alexdrockhound9497]

Reduced iron oxides frequently make green colors

[@capnsparky2436]

Hi, corrosion technician here! My guess is the shiny metal is a result of ALL of the oxide layer being removed, leaving perfectly bare, unblemished steel. This of course is normally hard to do, as contact with oxygen starts rusting it again almost immediately. In my industry we call this " active corrosion", but most of us have only read about it happening. The discoloration is where the steel was not entirely encased , thus allowing oxygen to get to the steel. Either that or alienz.

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

I had the same guess when he said that the dull finish is mill scale/a type of oxide. Would find it rather remarkable if a chemical were able to distinguish between rust (unwanted oxide) from surface finish (wanted oxide). But of course aliens is always a possibility. 😉

[@junetatum2530]

I would further speculate that the hardness, coarseness, and anti-corrosive nature of the surrounding compound combined with frequent exposure to potential extremes of temperature (e.g. shop heated during working hours in winter, then left to cool at night after closing) might have had a molecular sanding effect on the wrench on top of the oxide layer getting blasted off. The places on the wrench where corrosion built after the fact were either where the wrench physically contacted the stainless steel bowl, or where some fault in the compound extended down to the wrenches surface. Super neat, though!

[@ruaine83]

With where the dark spots of corrosion are on the wrench, it seems that it could be a (obviously very slow/weak) reaction between the rust remover, the iron, and the metal that the bowl is made of (or its plating).

[@kennethjanczak4900]

absolutly right.....

[@HotelPapa100]

@@ruaine83 I suspected this as well, but looking how the components lay in the bowl it seems that the spots are actually at corners that were not touching the bowl, but were most exposed to air.

[@MegaModManic]

This is probably the best sales pitch for a rust remover I've ever seen, and it was completely accidental. The fact that the steel is still pristine shows just how gentle it is on the base metal, and that it still works after being redisolved is amazing to me. My brother works in steel fabrication and I'll definitely send this video his way!

[@dashcroft1892]

“For best results, allow product to harden and leave sitting for three years”

[@KibitoAkuya]

​@@dashcroft1892Chisel and hammer recommended for removal of cleaned parts

[@TheBalconyWorkspace]

XD dude@@dashcroft1892

[@tuphatz7119]

Nobody got time for that

[@miguelcastaneda7257]

Well don't leave metal in vinegar that long would disappear literally

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

I was a Chemist in a past life. One old trick to better understand the composition of Evaporust is to contact them for an MSDS. It will contain information on the chemical makeup. Easy to justify since you operate a shop with a 55 gal open drum and are often elbow deep in the stuff. I’m curious about the chelating agent (used to be my area aka ligands). The most common by far is EDTA and is found in many many products. It could be that or a similar compound. It also sounds like it has a strong reducing agent (the sulfur compounds). Just remember LEO goes GER - Lose Electrons Oxidation, Gain Electrons Reduction. The shiny surface is likely the removal of an oxide layer.

[@ermias75ermis2]

As for the latter part i am guessing the black oxide finish.

[@SianaGearz]

Funny you should say, there's a US SDS and an ISO MSDS public on their website. However they do not declare any ingredients; they merely declare that none of their ingredients are recognised as hazardous material, which is perhaps why they didn't feel they need to declare them. Perhaps you can draw some conclusions from other data in there, if you'd like to take a look. One of their importers Ströbel publishes its own EU MSDS which reads Water >83%; Non-hazardous chelating agent, proprietary,

[@Grateful.For.Everything]

@@SianaGearz🧐🤔……… how interesting!!!! Thank You for this insight into how such games are played. ✌️😊

[@Nilhilustfrederi]

every commercial user (except individuals?) needs to have a paper copy of the SDS (they changed the name for no reason) of every chemical they use in a visible location, so they're extremely easy to find online. the manufacturer can obscure trade secrets and list complex mixes of chemicals under a general name and evap-o-rust does both.

[@JohnChuprun]

The MSDS is worthless for Evapo-Rust. Makes me so frustrated as I want to know what's in it. They have only ever said it's not EDTA, but a chelating agent, a sulfur compound, and a detergent/antiox. But that could be anything.

[@aserta]

This is now, the rarest and most valuable HTR wrench in existence. Everything about it is special. The story, the defect, the 3 years in forbidden liquid nutella worth of newly, mysteriously gathered patina...

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

"Hi, my name is Ian McCollum and in today's Forgotten Tools video I'm going to show you the rarest prototype of the EvapoCrust Wrench developed by the famous HTR Company of Canada."

[@roadshowautosports]

Whoa! Could you stop it! I was going to offer to buy it!!! Now you ruined it for me!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Philagoodberry]

A missed opportunity for another dad joke after the Lactose: "But I digest"

[@misterhat5823]

Or fail to digest...

[@WarPoet-In-Training]

I almost spit out my steak.

[@Reddotzebra]

That's what Evapo-rust said...

[@StarSwarm.]

@HandToolRescue What’s really interesting is that when you got a reaction on the black layer with the magnet, it acted like a magnet itself with a North/South polarisation rather than just a piece of iron. It makes me wonder if the microscopic iron particles all aligned in a certain way due to being suspended in solution for such a long period and potentially even aligned with Earth’s magnetic field. It would be fascinating to see if that layer all behaves in a similar way (i.e. has the same North/South polarisation)

[@Nevir202]

Yeah, that’s probably actually what happened, the tiny particles were aligned in suspension either by the earth’s magnetic field, or perhaps some other field nearby, EG wrench may have accidentally become slightly magnetic, and remained so as the solution reduced until there was nothing, leaving it very slight magnetic.

[@OktoPutsch]

ahah, i was about to write a comment on this black crust, which seems to be magnetite (Fe3O4). Would be a good idea to test it indeed.

[@john-ic5pz]

​​@@Nevir202my money is on earth. there wouldn't be any sources of a sufficiently strong 24/7 magnetic field in his shop. that's how the lode stones formed that the Vikings used as compasses. molten iron ore slowly solidifying with the iron being aligned by the Earth's field. 🤓👍

[@CensoredUsername_]

Black iron oxide (as used as coating) is just magnetite. Which well, is easily magnetized, which is where its name comes from.

[@TomTomosan]

Bingo! Iron atoms have N/S - the earth’s magnetic field aligned them and then ‘froze’ in place during evaporation.

[@oh8wingman]

Regarding the parts being shiny, I think it is quite possible that the sulphur contained in Evapo-Rust formed a mid sulfuric acid and removed all the mill scale to give you that shiny surface. Sulfuric acid is one of several acids that are used to remove all mill scale from ferrous metal surfaces in preparation for welding. Another thing I noticed which I found rather puzzling was the use of your super magnet to test the solids left from the Evapo-Rust. The one particle that was attracted appeared to be magnetic itself as it kept trying to invert its position which would tend to indicate it was magnetic and had polarity.

[@skeetsmcgrew3282]

With a magnet that strong, it's possible it was causing induced magnetism which might seem to cause polarity. Things are generally either attracted or not attracted, that appeared to be just barely attracted. I'm not sure what to make of that fact tbh

[@MartysRandomStuff]

@@skeetsmcgrew3282 It's called paramagnetic, something that only becomes magnetic in the presence of a strong magnetic field. Liquid oxygen on an electromagnet is the cool lab demo usually done to show it.

[@jaxjackson4100]

I love the line "I don't understand the shiny." You need that on a t-shirt, mate.

[@HandToolRescue]

Hahahaha

[@mohawkman2888]

@@HandToolRescue I would totally buy that shirt!

[@Thehoelogdog]

@@mohawkman2888 me too!

[@willjosephson]

If there's a sulfur compound, it seems like what you'd end up with is largely ferrous sulfide, after all the reduction had happened, if my 10th grade chemistry doesn't fail me entirely. You should send that to NileRed for analysis...he's got a benchtop NMR machine.

[@MichaelSteeves]

Send him some goo! It doesn't even have to cross any international borders! But is it considered a hazardous material?

[@HandToolRescue]

I've actually sent him some emails before, but he never responded, possibly because he hates Nutella. Maybe if we all email him it can get noticed?

[@JonManProductions]

@@HandToolRescue Devious Plan. But it's gotta work, right? Or maybe we can have This Old Tony do a taste test.

[@z31drifterlf]

everyone spam @NileRed in the comments and ruin his mentions.

[@itatane]

If all else fails, send it to AvE to see if old Uncle Bumblef**k can make heads or tails of it.

[@AppliedCryogenics]

Based on the color and ferromagnetism, I'm guessing that some of the sludge has turned into Fe2O3 (hematite). Also, that "Stay Negative" shirt is magnificient.

[@cecilgore495]

I really enjoy your work and you as a person. You completely take apart and rebuild items, I am amazed at how you know how every little part is to be put.

[@davidgreen40]

Mill scale is a form of iron oxide, so its unsurprising that Evap-o-ironoxide removed it from your tool.

[@thatotherguy27]

Commenting to boost parent comment. Mr. Incredible pointing at the table saying "oxide is oxide!"

[@thedorninator9509]

Also boosting... rust is rust even if you do call it mill scale :)

[@3gunslingers]

My first thought, too.

[@ronskopitz2360]

Same!

[@Khrrck]

I know gun folks have complained about people who use Evaporust on blued steel finishes since it also removes the oxides that make up that finish. So I think this is very likely.

[@MrYobun]

If you have any solid pieces left, I operate several labs with elemental analysis equipment. Be happy to analyze them.

[@HandToolRescue]

Thank you! I have the whole bowl left! Email me. [e-mail]

[@novaglow1466]

Awesome offer, can't wait for the results

[@keithfarrell7638]

This chap is a hero.

[@DrBetelgeuse]

I'm excited to learn the results!

[@lastborn8s]

“Never underestimate the power of the Schwartz” It had to be said! I hope lab results confirm this substance would have achieved plaid in another light year of being in sublimation!

[@thomas7529]

This is one of the most interesting videos I’ve seen in a while, coupled with your sense of humor made it even better

[@ptonpc]

Considering how much Evapo-Rust costs here in the UK, I'm just amazed you had enough that you forgot about a bowl full.

[@PeregrineBF]

He's got what looks like a 55-gallon drum of it elsewhere in the shop. About $1000, which is pretty reasonable if you're removing rust from lots of parts as part of a job (like this channel). Particularly because of how re-usable it is.

[@WhenDoesTheVideoActuallyStart]

nice pfp

[@ptonpc]

@@PeregrineBF Yes, it's a lot more expensive here in the UK. Or it can be (the price fluctuates). For instance, at present a 55 US gallon drum of it would cost about £1,486.485 or around $1,840.71.

[@GeneSimonalle]

Eric, the discoloration of the steel wrench parts seem to be at potential contact points with the stainless bowl, and I wonder if some galvanic process took place there over time? Have you cleaned the bowl to the point of seeing any corresponding marks on the bowl? I wonder if there was a very slow transfer of chromium or nickel to the wrench, from the bowl? We must find out!

[@HandToolRescue]

Hmmmmm, I have not cleaned the bowl out yet, but maybe there is something there...

[@xhamulnazgul]

So, yeah, this seems like a really good possibility. I know with a copper plated item I put in evaporust and forgot about, that there were some galvanic results. I suspect that you pulled some portion of nickel and/or chromium out of the bowl.

[@PabloDamon]

spot on, saw a similar thing in a detroit factory way before said dude created rust. i wonder if this caused the owners of the laborers to move all the jay-oh-B~S to a place with virgin labor candidates.

[@Stikker021]

The stainless steel of the bowl contains chromium so maybe there is chrome deposition taking place too.

[@patrickancona1193]

ITS THE DEBOWL!!!!

[@JoeTheGons]

"I invented rust in 1993." - Dr. Hand Tool Rescue

[@somethingsnowing]

He actually does have a PhD in biochemistry I think

[@JoeTheGons]

@@somethingsnowing Yes, indeed. They talk about it on FitZall podcast.

[@mikegLXIVMM]

So that's why my car is falling apart.

[@archibaldthearcher]

Inventing and spreading rust all around the world was actually good for tool restoration business

[@RodrigoKazuma]

I would like to know why he did this. Before 1993 we were so much happier without rust in our stuff.

[@andrewhill2570]

A couple of ideas about the green coloration could be nickel leached or chemically reacted from the bowl it is in. Also the black spots on the wrench could be associated with an oxidation-reduction reaction also with the stainless steel bowl. Maybe some one who knows more about chemistry and metallic interactions can figure this out.

[@texas6065]

This is Awesome. I don't understand what you did except to let these tools sit in a rust solution. They turned out pretty dang cool.

[@danielprivate7442]

Here's one for the "Best of Hand Tool Rescue" collection. Put this one right in between "Yule Log to Toothpick" and "Best Smelling Penetrating Oil".

[@TASTYTREATSPLS]

Yule log to toothpick was insane.

[@LegoDork]

@@TASTYTREATSPLS My wife was PISSED that I watched the whole thing.

[@danielprivate7442]

@@LegoDork I had it on in the background while I did other shit.

[@tahliel]

Best smelling penetrating oil is one of my all time favourite movies.

[@LegoDork]

@@tahliel I literally died when the brake clean came out.

[@MrBblhed]

You actually said the solution to why it is shiny, the coating is an oxide layer, just like rust is an oxide layer, the rust remover removes oxide layers. I recall when I used rust remover last there is a warning that it will remove bluing because that is an oxide layer.

[@minasegazi4000]

normally when you pull stuff out of evaporust its blackish in color. I used it to clean a bunch of old screwdriver bits and they where black as night after 6 hours. Mind you this was in the stuff for 3 years, so its a wonky amount of time anyways.

[@Hephera]

yup. blueing something is just rusting it. but in a controlled way so the oxide layer is even and consistent.

[@RoscoPColetraneIII]

What is left over (if applied to rusted steel) is: Ferrous sulfide, water (which evaporated in your case), and some salt (ferrous phosphate-assuming you used a phosphoric acid rust remover). The reason it is so shiny: The steel was, more or less, completely reduced at the surface to expose non-corroded steel, and it was encased in a VERY strong hydrophobic crust (ferrous sulfide-sulfides are always black-that is a dead give away for what the black stuff is). So, water was not able to get to the steel until you removed it from the encasement.

[@markpinther9296]

After many years of putting it off, I finally ordered a little wrench. I have always loved the design… even printed one out of plastic for fun. Anyway, really enjoy the channel. Even though I am subscribed, this is the first I have seen the channel pop up in my feed in almost a year.

[@StephenPowers1]

As the inventor of rust, can you reveal your reasons and the backstory?

[@HandToolRescue]

In West Philadelphia born and raised In the scrapyard was where I spent most of my days Chillin' out, waxin', relaxin', all cool And throwin' some wrenches outside in the pool Past a couple of days, which was really no good Wrenches turning red right where they stood I got one little look and they felt all crusty I said, "These solid steel wrenches look like they are rusty!"

[@Bolli1983]

@@HandToolRescue now that sounds like the worst excuse I've heard in my life.

[@picax8398]

@@HandToolRescue this is the second reason why I love this channel

[@sp523]

That is a very good explanation! 🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@MushookieMan]

He did it to drive economic progress and innovation through planned obsolescence.

[@DJMankiewicz]

If you give the time it took to achieve this finish the modest price of $15 / hr, you could sell this on the store for $394470. Own a rare evapo-crust skinned wrench!

[@BlackSoap361]

For that price, I’d make my own.

[@DJMankiewicz]

@@BlackSoap361 all of us DIYers end up saying things like that and then take 4 years and $400000 to make our own

[@Summer512]

I appreciate the selection of grunts provided during the wrench extraction process.

[@jimlondon1]

This was so interesting I had to force myself to stay awake once I started watching this after a 17 hour shift. Simply compelling. 🤯

[@SunkCostGarage]

You've done the science that I don't think even the makers of Evaporust have done. Now... 3 more years!

[@herrskeletal3994]

3 more years in a sealed container

[@lephtovermeet]

Literally top 5 sources of comedy for me. It's hard doing mechanical hardware standup sitcom.

[@HandToolRescue]

Hahahaha

[@351cleavland]

He he he he, you said hard.

[@johan6983]

without even knowing that much about chemistry, it makes sense to me. you actually told what happened; the millscale is an oxide layer, earlier you told the rustremover would pull out the oxide from the rust.. oxide is oxide, so it makes sense that the rustremover also removed the millscale oxidation. furthermore I think the dark oxide stains are basicly impurities in the steel, drawn out over time. Love your channel!

[@davidduffy9806]

You’re a very funny chap, loved the struggle with the chair. Btw I’ve been with you since the start, it’s been perilous

[@michaeldeloatch7461]

We mortals sit in astonishment that HTR has not yet upgraded his chair with utlra-precision bearings or at least a LOT of babbitt. And/or a two-stroke gas engine to rotate effortlessly on the part of the occupant.

[@andymair7992]

Interesting video. It shows evaporust is pretty much safe, no matter how long you leave it in! Also great to hear your voice for free! Please talk more on KZbin! 😃

[@NikeaTiber]

"Why is it shiny?" C'mon man. You know that an oxide layer makes steel dull. Your wrench just spent years in a chemical that removes and sequesters oxides. I think you know why. Love your channel man.

[@mikesbarn1858]

Thank you for the rustful memories. Rust never sleeps.

[@monkeyart813]

About 5years ago I won one of your mini wrenches in a give away and I still use it to this day. Have always loved your videos

[@robertmcgee6853]

I love the comedy that is your channel! I know there are many out there with restoration videos but I started with you and yours is still the best, funniest, and coolest restorations around. I don't film myself... yet but I restore cast iron pans, axes, blades, shovels, hoes, and other hand farm tools thanks to your inspiration.

[@barbarakennedy2667]

Would the black layer have some properties of hematite?

[@AnthonyNovelli3rd]

I believe there is this channel, and one dude running 5 others.... there is definitely something fishy about all those German ones.

[@maplaboratories]

I've got an SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscope with x-ray elemental analysis), happy to toss the wrench in the SEM and send you some images/composition results.

[@leeroyholloway4277]

That thing got a Hemi?

[@darylcav6285]

@@leeroyholloway4277 you win!

[@sypoth]

Some iron alloys, mostly those that are iron and sulfur tend to either be non magnetic or weakly magnetic like Pyrite. So testing the layers for iron with a magnet may make sense if it uses Sulphur to bond with the iron it may loose that magnetism. I would suggest having each layer tested for iron content. You may be surprised with the green layer as green is one of the colors of certain Iron Oxide compounds.

[@tallokie67]

I'm curious if the new "finish" has any rust preventative properties to it? Or does it rust just as fast as the standard mill scale.

[@garethbaus5471]

It probably will rust faster than mill scale, it doesn't have any sort of passivation layer.

[@radeakins]

I think the white stuff was mould from the extra detritus in the bowl. An Evaporust 'stock cube' would be great. I need to de-rust some stuff, dissolve a cube in water, boom. I want that.

[@tuckcuttertuck6802]

3:05 "How do I get this off ?" Suggest taking it out for a meal and play it from there.😊

[@user-ne4yp6yx6q]

Я рад что твои инструменты почти не пострадали, после такого "пирога"!👍 Очень красивые осколки, похожи на минералы)

[@aarondavis8433]

My grandfather was a chemist in R&D with several companies, that created rust removers, reformers etc. Years ago he suggested to deal with rust spots on my first car, a rust remover. he explained this particular one bound to the oxygen molecules freeing them so the rust would lift off. this would explain the black oxide being lifted from the metal and the discoloration of the metal. (air trapped with in the forging or stamping of the item. ) evapo rust more than likely uses the same principles, the only difference being "reformers" tend to leave a carbon finish to the item (black) so it wont rust again or can be painted over. This may not be the exact process CRC uses but along the basics of it

[@albanerobert]

I filled a motorbike tank ( Yb100 ) of evaporust, after a couple of weeks it looked great inside, most if not all of the rust was gone, I though I will leave it in there until I finish the bike, 2 or 3 months later when I emptied it, it was like a thick silver glue and left volcanic surface all over the inside with a new kind of rust. I managed to seal it in the end with some tank sealant and it was ok but scarred. Evaporust can turn on you !

[@MakeEverything]

This was the weirdest live birth video I've ever watched. And I've watched a lot of live births.

[@HandToolRescue]

Same! Do you watch Episiotomy on Netflix?

[@Martin52863]

Geez. I’ve had to watch two first hand. Apparently it’s supposed to be one of the best things you’ll ever witness. I’d honestly rather a stalk had just left a baby on the doorstep. Why you’d want to watch that on TV for pleasure I’ll never know.

[@maxmotors9497]

This is your best video hands down, just based on pure intrigue

[@TonyHammitt]

Might be interesting to see how much the reclaimed wrench weighs compared to others of the same size.

[@ColonelSandersLite]

Unfortunately, it was defective in some way so it probably won't be a decent comparison.

[@JasonRSpenny]

The right way to do this would be to mass the wrench before putting it in the evaporust for 3 years, and then after.

[@alternamasaki429]

all right then, lets head back in time and find out!

[@JasonRSpenny]

Thank you. Short of a time machine, the only way we could REALLY know is to do the experiment again. I would bet cash money the mass difference between "identical wrenches" is on the order of the amount of mass removed from the wrench by the evaporust. That makes it very difficult to use a different wrench to determine how much mass was leached by the original. For instance, this Particular wrench should be heavier than any other he grabs off the shelf, since he highlights the hole for the screw was not drilled out deep enough to close the jaws. That mass is probably more than the amount of evaporust-removed material. If we massed a new wrench and the old wrench we would likely draw the false conclusion that the old wrench GAINED mass from sitting in the evaporust.

[@johnwheeler3023]

Shirt, FANTABULOUS! Bowl of mystery material, found in every college dorm refrigerator across the world. Great video!

[@jesusestrada5543]

I usually dump my evaporust in a galvanized steel bucket (that's also been used to hold dirt, chicken feed, used motor/ hydraulic oil, etc.) for derusting tools. After about 2-3 months of use, it began leaving this black layer of finish on tools. It straight up looked like black oxide coating from the factory. It'd rub off easy, leaving my hands kinda sooty, and there were flakes of the stuff on the inside and bottom of the bucket. The liquid's color also changed to a more darker green, nearly black. I still got that evaporust, and keep it seperate from a newer jug. It's cool to see what 3 years of the stuff just sitting does.

[@J.Burrough]

Man, I like that wrench. It looks extremely stout like it would have some longevity to it. That’s 1 thing we want with tools. 👍🏼

[@j.r.millstone]

You've reinvented the La Brea tar pits.

[@jdretiree2433]

When you said you invented Rust in the back seat of Cadillac Coupe de Ville I half expected you to introduce the child you named Rust!!!

[@veryberrykeri]

from what i understand, though i'm happy to be corrected if this is incorrect, tannic (gallic) acid is one of the components, and kept at the right pH it will slow it's reduction of iron (to "selectively" attack the oxide) and form iron tannate as a corrosion resistance coating for a short while, but in solution the iron very easily falls out and may lead to sedimentation of a magnetic layer like you experienced. no iron-sulfur chemical is magnetic, and i don't believe iron tannate is either, so while there may be layers of sediment from things left in the solution, the only thing i believe would end up magnetic would be precipitated iron from the chelated acid.

[@SolarGranulation]

Of course it's shiny! It was in a compound that removes iron oxide. The black oxide is tougher than red oxide so it takes longer to remove, but I guess it had long enough :D I'd imagine there was also a galvanic reaction causing corrosion, between the steel of the tool and the bowl it was in, if that wasn't steel. Although I would've expected much more corrosion around the brass thumb wheel, so maybe I'm completely wrong!

[@TheRealSmithFamily]

The dry heaving! 😂😂❤

[@Map71Vette]

Would be interesting to see a similar experiment in a sealed container that would potentially keep it from evaporating so much.

[@karenmurray3098]

had you used that batch or evporust before you left the wrench in for 3 years ? could it bee non ferrous residue from prevous metal . another great video

[@martinhafner2201]

You know you're in for a good time in a chemistry situation when it is time to break out the hammer.

[@ridethroughlifertl]

I use ER in jars in my ultrasonic cleaner, and it will definitely strip black coatings off of bolts. I think it even de-zincs galvanized bolts as well. It's pretty amazing stuff.

[@86fifty]

Super satisfying to listen to the THUNK, CRACK of you finally getting the piece outta the bowl! I'd be mega interested to find out what the chemical compounds of that black obsidian-like crust contained!

[@Illkilla1984]

Your subtle humor gets me every time 😂

[@davidgold5961]

I honestly think that the Evapo Rust company would love to see this video. They would probably have some insight as to the chemical reactions that have taken place over the last three years.

[@dertobbe1176]

You know companies like this have chemicans, technicans, ingenieurs and so on. They definitly already know it

[@JohnChuprun]

No, Evapo Rust is extremely tight lipped about what their product is. Frustrating.

[@markgoddard2560]

What you did not mention was that if you had left the wrench in the solidified rust remover, it would still be there.

[@Matthew-ju3nk]

But then we would have a Schrodinger's Wrench situation... The wrench would eternally be in a quantum superposition situation...

[@GlennFrazeeYT]

A long time ago I read that watered-down sulfured blackstrap molasses can be used to remove rust, with chelation being the method of action. It did work when I used it to derust a spokeshave about 10 years ago. I think your shiny black magnetic bits are iron (II) sulfide (FeS), just comparing how they look to the Wikipedia entry. The other precipitates would (I think) be some sort of oxide from the other active ingredients in the Evaporust. That slimy goo that gets stuck to tools left too long in Evaporust is just gross. Found that out the hard way when I remembered a hand plane in a bucket of the stuff that had been in there at least a year.

[@scottmorse9403]

You can polish tool steel really bright shine. So I have a thought of why it polished it. Leaving it in the liquid as the mill scale came off the vibrations from whatever you do in the area it was left created a sonic cleaning bath. So the mill scale and whatever else fell in scrubbed it to a shiny brightness. You just left it sit in a sonic cleaner. I image you use milling machine? Drill press? Saws? All create frequencies that resonate through the shop physicals and air. Sonic cleanser till the liquid dried up.

[@tasteapiana]

As a kid I lived by 8 sets of railroad tracks in an industrial town in Illinois. Along the tracks were coal trains that would drop chunks of raw coal (not charcoal or coke). Some of the pieces, when broken, had a deep green sheen to them in the layers which looked like a glass onion in a way. I believe that when petroleum is starved of oxygen while experiencing high heat and compression (not so much to combust like air drying finishing products) a similar thing goes on at a molecular level as with glass. Look at the older examples of blown glass in Italy, for instance, that odd green cast is usually there in glass works that weren't very purified or had temperature controls on the cooling end of the works (multiple ovens). My bet is that green came from the oils in the Evapo-Rust hardening much faster that other molecules surrounding it once it was starved of oxygen.

[@billmullins6833]

Here are the results of my online research: 1. I strongly suspect that the hard dark green substance is an iron sulphide - i.e. the result of the sulphur in the EvapoRust solution combining with the iron oxide pulled off of the steel by the chelating agent. 2. I believe that the steel is shiny because it was kept from being exposed to the atmospheric oxygen first by the EvapoRust solution and then by the substances dissolved in the soluttion drying into an impermiable crust. IMS things generally emerge from soaking in EvapoRust in a shiny condition. 3. According to what I could find on the internet, iron sulphate is not magnetic. It has something to do with the iron atoms being happy when combined with sulphur, which is not magnetic. There. I think I have answered your questions.

[@williswalker1294]

Could you replicate it by heating it at low temp until it evaporated?

[@HandToolRescue]

Maybe?

[@KeepCalmSoldierOn]

Hey production engineering (intern) here! Chances are the shiny color comes from the fact that, after sitting in the evaporust for so long the protective oxide also got evaporated

[@marshallnoise3557]

I have been using molasses as my rust removal process. It works really well, but I have yet to leave anything in the solution much longer than 2 weeks as I have heard of issues beyond that. I do have a whole Cummins 6bt short block (rods, pistons and crank still in it) sitting in there. The whole motor was seized so I am just giving it a shot.

[@ZaneBababababab]

Man that Evaporust sure did evapo

[@brendanabdalla756]

Are you going to start producing 1/4 and 1/2 inch nut drivers to round out your third small/medium/large tool line? 😁

[@RNMSC]

I sort of wonder what would happen if the evaporust and tool were in a sealed bag left in the bowl for 3 years, so that none of the volatiles in the Evaporust were to evaporate. Thinking one of those vacume kits for freezing stuffthat seals the bag, most of them have a setting where you can limit what it extracts to the air (and probably a small amount of that wouldn't affect things much) but then seals the bag across the entire opening. Wouldnt surprise me if you had something like that for sealing packages that go into boxes as they head out the door to fulfill orders.

[@stringlarson1247]

Take away the 'evapo' and you'd just have 'rust' . Did I win?

[@robsmith2956]

Looking at it as ya left it in a rust remover solution for years not surprisingly it left bright steel . Steel is not all that reactive over rust in the game over all . Neat reaction to see but not passed what one would expect. Cool things ya did here neat info to us who work to save old iron 😀. Tip hat 🎩 and carry on

[@cluistube]

The petina / finish of the tool looks like some of the 60-70's era tools I have. Maybe it is related to some kind of finishing treatment they used back in the olden days that they abandoned for something faster. This to me seems like something ol Uncle Bumblefuck AvE would have an answer for! I was puzzled by the sediment layers, I would assume the heaviest would end up at the bottom, and that that would be ferrous in nature. But maybe that layer is from the evaporust reacting with the bowl? Is the bowl aluminum? Then you might get some weird reaction with that, a layer of dirt / grime, THEN your ferrous stuff on top as it is leached from the tool? IDK, curiouser and curiouser. Fun stuff tho!

[@HandToolRescue]

The bowl is stainless steel, so maybe?

[@AraCarrano]

Turned into Hardened Cosmoline

[@drucker03]

I think the rust remover converts iron(II)oxide (the red rust ) into iron(III)oxide which is black, doesn't attract moisture, and protects the iron against further rusting. When the layer of iron(III)oxide mixed with loose rust and dried detergent gets thick enough it can peel from the iron and reveals this shiny surface we see in the video.

[@EIbereth]

I absolutely love your sense of humor. Great video you did, as usual. Cheers. 😊👋

[@fharrisstowe]

I wonder what would happen if you repeated the experiment, but sealed the container so the Evaporust couldn't evaporate?

[@v-1nce]

recently dealt with some parts i had left to derust in a sealed container, so i can speak to this on the scale of months, not years... in my case the solution turned very dark/black, and there was a moderate vacuum seal upon opening the container, so clearly a reaction was continually consuming gases. also, there was a very strong sulfur-y/metallic smell upon opening it my first guess was oxygen dissolving into solution, reacting with the bare metal, and then being removed by the evaporust. but i'm not very satisfied with that option on a hunch, i set aside 250mL or so of the dark solution in an uncovered flask, and a couple of weeks later noticed the solution was yellow again, and a thin layer of precipitate had formed at the bottom of the flask (unsure if that was new, or present in the dark solution and took a while to settle out?) based on this, i now wonder if molecular oxygen plays a role between the chelation and "magic sulfur compound" steps, or if the lack of it disrupts some equilibrium sufficiently to cause the whole reaction to follow a different path? (not a chemist, just hypothesizing with the knowledge and observations i have)

[@fharrisstowe]

@@v-1nce Good observations -- And fascinating! Moving into my late 70's I truly regret never taking a chemistry course...

[@phod123]

Wait my wrench has a serial number?! *three minutes later* Oh hey, #290, nice.

[@HandToolRescue]

Damn! The first 500 were hand finished by me.

[@pm5903]

Bro 😂 This whole intro 😄 I'm sitting here laughing my ass completely off! 🤣 Even got the elevator music in the background 😅 😆👍

[@SecularMentat]

If you're using a chelator (my guess acetic acid, because its cheap and works) AND sulfur. It's probably some kind of iron sulfide (or a complex of that and the chelator) once it ran out of reagents to react with. It's non-water soluble, but it's very likely Acid soluble (like hydrochloric acid).

[@iamwubby]

OK, I want to know how it was left. How long ago did the Evaporust evaporate? Looked like it might have been outside, or at least exposed to dandelion seeds. Do dandelion seeds rust?

[@aaronneumeyer5572]

We need AvE to weigh in on this. He knows everything!

[@turk71385]

This is a video I didn't know I needed. I've got a bucket of dried evaporust with a few metal bits in it. Actually it's been dried out even longer than your experiement. Didn't know whether to act like an archeologist and start digging chipping away to retrieve the parts in it, or add water and try to redissolve the evaporust. Wondered if the evaporust was even worth trying to save. After seeing this, it loks like I'll be pouring some water into that bucket and seeing what I can salvage.

[@steadystitch]

And what did you unearth?

[@turk71385]

@@steadystitch Honestly, nothing yet. I poured about a gallon of water a couple weeks ago and have let it soak. (AKA: I've been too busy and/or lazy to get back around to it. )

[@PaulSteMarie]

The stuff sticking to the magnet is probably magnetite, Fe3O4. Most iron compounds aren't magnetic, but it's an exception.

[@kraftzion]

A metal wrench in a stainless bowl with a conductive solution. My guess is you set up a galvanic cell. The dark colored spots is where the wrench was touching the bowl. The green color usually means nickel in solution. So you ended up with a nickel plated wrench.

[@phillipnewton8910]

Looks like a little chunk of Resse's Cup.

[@HandToolRescue]

The forbidden Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

[@CaseyHandmer]

Different oxidation states of iron have different colors (brown, green, black) and differing magnetic properties. It would not surprise me if they also had different solubility, so as the solution evaporated you precipitated them out in sequence. The shiny could be galvanic corrosion of the bowl, or just really clean steel?

[@mikehannigan848]

You know great minds think alike , as you were saying ,"oh, we're unearthing something." I finished thinking , "Dude why didn't you use a hammer?" then, nanoseconds later you have a hammer...my dude...as difficult as it is you earn my respect more every video. Keeeeep it up mate!

[@GlazzedDonut]

Oh my God his sweet sweet voice. Haven't heard it since the excellent freebie. I wish I could afford his patreon his narratives are bar none amazing

[@jesseripley4562]

Good Lord, I love this channel. Keep up with the good work. Can't wait to own some of your tools!

[@subliteral1380]

Another win for Evapo-Rust! That stuff is incredible!

[@YooToobz]

Is it possible where both ends of the wrench are discolored (rust or whatever) is where it was in direct contact with the metal bowl on each end where the bowl curves upward inside on each end of the wrench? If so, maybe the dissimilar metals touching caused the discoloration. Just a thought

[@boriss.861]

Brilliant vlog. Keep us all posted always been interested in the chemical make up of Evap o rust!

[@julianmccallum8812]

this is my all-time favourite channel

[@zhoopdydoo7952]

I would think its congealed grease, rust, and the heat-treated protective layer. The heat treatment is completely removed, hence the shiny residue layer on the pieces that were in contact longest, lifting it off like a stain remover. It started rusting immediately after the solution dried up but all the crap in there protected it from further pitting. Throw it in oil, light it up hot hot hot, and dump in oil to cool. Mind you I really haven't a clue as to how to work with metals lol. I'm more of a metalhead ;)

[@davidanderson1763]

I love that evap-o-rust stuff. And yes even in black goo form it Will still work when reconstituted with water, I'm sure deionized is best. So have we figured out why it will eat magnesium?

[@lsswappedcessna]

man just invented a new type of composite