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Well, my quest to find a set of reasonably priced combat rims for my M hasn't been going so good. I got one from someone here on the forum and that one looks pretty good. It needs to be de-rusted, but it's apart and I think I can save it. I also found two out in Pennsylvania which I bought for $50 each with the expectation that they might just be junk when I get them apart......but I couldn't just walk away and let them sit out in the elements for another 70 years....or get scrapped. I still haven't gotten them apart despite the best efforts of myself and my mechanic buddy, who up to now could fix anything. So at this point I'm going to cut the tires off and go to plan B. But first I have to have a plan B.
So for my plan B I'm going to try something I've read about and seen on YouTube quite a few times.............molasses. They say it'll de-rust anything, just take s a bit of time, so I'm gonna give her a whirl with the rusty rim I have apart. If it works I'll put the other two in and hope it will allow me to get them apart them. So I stopped by the Henyard today, an Amish feed store, and picked up 5 gallons of their best molasses. The cost was $17 and I'll get $5 back tomorrow when I return the container. I did a bunch of reading about the correct water to molasses ratio and as usual.....it's all over the map. Most said about 9 gallons water to 1 gallon molasses, but there were other opinions. I ended up using a 4:1 ratio. I wanted it as strong as possible yet still cover the whole rim with a bit of extra on the top if it evaporates.
You can see in the pics below I just happen to have the perfect sized plastic container to do this in.......got it from work when no one wanted it. Figured I could us it for electrolysis or sink it in the backyard and make a goldfish pond.
So I dumped the 5 gallons of molasses in followed by 10 gallons of water, mixed it up, and put the rusty rim in. Still needed more water to cover it. 10 more gallons did the trick. I must say....it sure smells good and the cats licked every drop I spilled on the driveway. My hands still smell like gingerbread cookies. So the rim I expect to be good is soaking in the sweet stuff. I'll check it in a few days and post some pics. I expect it will take a week or so.......but since my mixture is stronger than most it may be a quicker turnaround. If it doesn't work I guess I'll be baking Christmas cookies early this year.
If anyone has tried this method I'd be curious as to your results. And for those out there who feel that messing with old rusty combat rims is a waste of time and possibly unsafe (and you know who you are)........I fully respect your opinion and will say now that you're probably right. You're reading this post and making that funny face my Dad makes when I choose not to follow his advice. But like my Dad you know perfectly well that some people only learn by making mistakes, and you'll be proven right in the long run without having to tell me "you told me so". I respect that. But half the fun in life is in the experience, not the result. So this may all be a futile effort and a waste of time and molasses, but I know that going in. Worst case I blow $12, end up with junk rims, and have hands that smell like molasses for a few days. Could be worse........remind me to tell you about my previous plan B that involved hydrochloric acid (Muriatic acid), burned skin, and that look from my Dad when I told him I got some in my eye and wasn't wearing eye protection.
So stay tuned.............I'll let you know how this goes! Hopefully the results will be SWEET!
regards,
bob
. by w30bob, on Flickr
. by w30bob, on Flickr
DSC05135 by w30bob, on Flickr
. by w30bob, on Flickr
