Gel Rust Removers: Evapo-Rust vs Metal Rescue 

The Evapo-Rust instructions specifically said to leave it for 1-2 hours and avoid sunlight. I'm sure the intent is to wipe it off before it dries. Also, your concerns about using large quantities of the liquid form have some validity, but remember that you can keep reusing the same liquid over and over. Just store it in a large container that you can cover (to keep it from evaporating).

Reality versus expectation, the result left something to be desired. Sandblasting is still the best option.

I have 2 bottles of EvapoRust Gel. The instructions on the small one are the same as what you read in the video, but the larger bottle has additional instructions for large objects. It says to keep the surface most by wetting paper towels with the gel, then wrapping with plastic wrap. Perhaps another attempt using those instructions is in order.

Keep in mind that the Metal Rescue instructions say that you may need to leave it up to 24 hours, whereas the Evaporust probably stops working once it's dry.

I have had great luck with both products when I leave them on for more than 24hrs.

Try covering the EvapoRust with plastic wrap

I agree that you should probably cover the Evaporust, too. Since this is chemical rust removal, the reaction is probably faster in liquid state than dry. Also I don't think that cutting off oxygen matters, as there is already plenty of oxygen in the rust (i.e. ferrous/ferric oxides) and the process is trying to get rid of this oxygen. When using paint strippers, I had great success with covering the parts as well.

Thank you Keith for an truthful review on the products, regards Frank

Liquid Metal Rescue does a good job. Haven't tried the EvapoRust version. Think I'll avoid the gels altogether. Thanks for all you do Keith!

Excellent side by side comparison and very timely for me. Thanks !!!

Hi Keith, For parts that can be submerged, we use a 25% Molasses to 75% water. Actual ratio is not critical, water is used to reduce cost. Leave your pulley submerged in the Molasses solution for a month. When you remove it you will be impressed! For the ways on the lathe, I would try painting on straight Molasses on an inconspicuous trial area and leaving for a week, then wash off with a wet cloth. Molasses is very cheap and available in rural areas. Not sure of the chemical reaction with Fe203 (rust) but it works.

Nice to see a side by side as it really makes the comparison very evident to see. Thanks Keith

Granted I had a small rust issue with a couple files, with some scaling, I soaked them in straight vinegar for 3 days, all rust was dissolved and had useable files once again, during that time I did give them a quick wire brushing. I believe you would benefit from placing that pully in a vinegar a few days. Best regards, Terrance

I will say that both of these companies' liquid products are better than their gel products. I've put almost every part from my '67 Tbird into a big bath of Metal Rescue at one point or another, and they all come out pretty much perfect (minus pitting and such that's present in the metal). I've even run my carburetor through it, and it came out almost gleaming silver (soaked for 16 hours). Metal Rescue gel works pretty well if you let it sit for long periods of time - more often than not, you'll find yourself needing the 12-24 hours, not the 30-90 minutes unfortunately. The Evapo-rust liquid works very well, but the gel is...not great. Just overall, it's not a worth-while product as far as time-vs-reward. Also, good on you for following the instructions exactly as they're written on the product instead of using your own method - this shows how the products work when they're used *exactly* as defined, which should be the best way to do it. Nice video, and honest review.

Thanks Keith, I have not seen either of these and I need to remove the rust on a delta wood shaper table. I have used evaporust in a bucket with good success, but have no way to submerge the whole table, so I was hoping for great result with these products. I was a bit disappointed with the results also and will keep and eye out for subsequent comparisons, Thanks again!

I've used Evapo-Rust A LOT and can tell you that it specifically says not to allow it to dry. All of them say that. If it is soaked on a part, or if you were to dip that pulley and soak it in a tub of Evapo-Rust it would be clean as a whistle.

I think there are many "what if's" in this kind of testing (that's why there are testing labs). But this side by side raised a number of valid points, enough that in similar situations I would go with the Metal Rescue. I see a number of suggestions about various acids. I have used muriatic with good results but ... You have to watch it because when it runs out of rust to dissolve it goes after the iron next and with cast iron, it can infiltrate the pores and weaken the structure. You have to use it sparingly and neutralize thoroughly. I pick my battles carefully with any acid.

My stepson acquired a Cicinnati #3 horizontal mill. I used the liquid Evapo Rust on the vertical ways on the collum by soaking paper shop towels. I laid them on pressing them as smooth as I could. I sprayed the towels again to keep them wet. when I wiped it off I found it did an exellent Job.Sorry about the spelling. Don from Oregon

Like the side by side! Please finish the job on the pulley with your previously demonstrated tub, washing soda?, battery charger technique. Maybe finish the lathe ways with recommended 24 hours of metal rescue, it looks quite promising to this Model T Ford buff.. Keep up the great work!

On old equipment most of all machine cutting tools there is a dried oil plastic type coating get rid of that first and these products work great, some type of ammonia cleaner will get rid of the wax grease or whatever they used for lubrication will also get rid of a lot of rust then put the rust remover, vinegar CLR and it works good.

The 24 hour test might have shown better results, on the pulley at least, on both items. Definitely use the cling film on both too, for a fair result.

The smell you described like something burnt or drying was probably iron citrate. I do a lot of immersion de-rusting and it's my cleaner of choice. Mixed correctly it can keep an appropriate pH to minimise dissolution of the substrate iron. In this respect it's quite a restrained choice, and doesn't typically overshoot. Some would find that appealing.

This is a very well-done video. Thank you for making it!

Great video Keith, I have used Evapo-Rust for awhile. I can just see the chairman of each of the board scratching their collective heads trying to do damage control. First claiming foul, then s..t rolls downhill, so they will throw someone under the bus after seeing these honest results. I get great results with Evapo-Rust as I am sure many other users have. I can just see both of these companies contacting you with a 55 gallon container of each asking for a replay :-) . This is the kind of trial, I look for and respect the results whatever they are. You have become a trusted name in this industry. Whenever you see the pitch man from the respective product, a viewer will often say, hymmmmnnn I don't know about that, looks too good to be true or I'll wait and see what the other guys are using. With this video the viewer can see exactly what's going on and better yet trust your valued opinion. Again thanks for this great video....Ken ..the old guy from Marina CA

I tend to use Rover, distributed by Hach. Or Rust Mort, an SEM product. Both of these you need to use VOC, hand and eye protection. The Rover is definitely a professional grade rust remover. Water and industrial techs all over the country use it. Comes as a powder. Mix what you want. About $18 per container. It dissolves rust. Leaves a "clear" surface. The Rust Mort is a gel converter, about $30 a quart. Changes the rust to a black paintable "primer". Is aircraft certified, I believe. The dissolver makes material go away. The converter attempts to keep that material. Be ready to paint over the black residue though! Great vid! I just bought some Evapo-Rust, the economy 3.5 gal tub, to try out on the Canedy-Otto drill press that I'm restoring.

It’s my supposition that when the evaporust dries the chemical reaction slows/stops. The evaporust behaves differently in liquid form. See abomb 79 whose evaporust comes out pretty clean. Next time turn vertical and soak portions of pulley in a tub, need less evaporust. Clean up each section as it comes out. Keith please try this.

This was a great review. Thank you!

I used the liquid and just sprayed it on my motorcycle wheel that had terribly rusted spokes and wheels. The manufacturer says you can’t just pray it on and let it sit without covering it. That was not my experience. I just re-applied 2 more times without wiping off or scrubbing. I still had a few spots where there was heavy rust buildup so I took a wire brush to it lightly and sprayed again. Now the wheel is clean as a whistle. The whole process just took me about two hours but on about 30 minutes of work. I have some gel on order but my results with the spray will probably be just as good or better.

Cleaning steel is a very common industrial operation. This is most often done with an HCl based hot pickling solution. The retail products that you've tested are too mild to do the job, the reason being that product liability law advises strongly not to make highly aggressive chemicals available retail to the public. So the companies making these too mild products just take advantage of one time buyers, as few will bother to buy them again. That big rusty pulley would come out of a 180 F deg picking bath very clean, but such a bath would have to be attended by chemical and safety experts. Keep well.......................thanks................

To be fair, you didn't use either product per the directions. EvapoRust says 1-2 hours and if you had removed it then it wouldn't have been dried and wouldn't have the darker hue. The other product directed to stay on 12-24 hours, and may have worked better if it had been left on that long.

Nice, comparison and more realistic than just rusty bolts. :) But you should try Evaporust with cellophane to keep it moist. And let both products sit overnight - 24-48 hrs.

Keith, love ur videos and intro music; such a peaceful way to end a busy day! As a chemistry graduate- covering with plastic makes sense to prevent evaporation of ALL liquids that can dry out in air. At 21:13 you imply it might not be good to cut off O². The converter or remover usually has phosphoric acid etc. to remove rust- which as iron oxide(Fe2O3) is RICH in oxygen! So- No O² required, for sure (unless you want to RE-rust the surface) LOL!

Very helpful video Keith. Thanks.

I have had better luck with Metal Rescue products in general. In my area, it is less expensive than the competing products. I am not a huge fan of gel products, but on large surfaces, they seem to be the best option. Thanks for a great comparison video keith.

Very good comparison based on manf application and clean up instructions! Metal rescue does seem to be the clear winner.

I have had fairly good results with liquid EvapoRust by placing a saturated paper towel on the workpiece. EvapoRust seems to stop working when it dries out. I don't think my rust was as bad as yours. I had to put paste wax on the cleaned surface to keep it from flash rusting. I'm guessing that the Houston climate is similar to what you have.

great review and very useful

I've been watching for years This is my first comment. Thank you for super job

There is an old product called ospho that I use on old rusty farm equipment to get it ready for paint. It turns rust into iron oxide which is paintable and inhibits further rust. I buy it from an old ace hardware store for about $25 a gallon. It may or may not be good for machined surfaces however it is great for rusty metal that your want to paint. It has a water like consistency that you paint on and let it dry, usually over night, clean it just a little and paint. It might be a good tool for your tool belt.

We shall continue our quest for that miracle solution that replaces elbow grease. You do have much better luck with Saran Wrap than do I. It hates me.

I have cleaned vertical and horizontal surfaces using evaporust soaked papertowels and cling wrap. You may have to change a few times but it is passive and minimal damage.

For the ways I would suggest spray fluid film on leave a week then scrub with fine scotch brite leaving the fluid film on. When it gets too rusty goo to see what you are doing flush with wd40. I did that cleaning up my tailstock and it removed the rust but the scraping marks are still visible.

Keith, I only use white vinegar, it's not harsh and works great on rust.

You should get in contact with Evapo-rust and see if they’d sponsor you to the tune of 40-50 gallons. Then you can put it into a 55gallon barrel for big pieces.

You can use your liquid product by putting the pulley into a tank ( like a cut down 50 gallon drum), then use about 1-2 gallons liquid and then pour in clean gravel to take up the excess space- this will raise the level up to cover the part and still give you full contact on the part.

love the idea of a side by side review

Thanks for the effort, i have been somewhat disappointed with evaporust compared to a product "Safest Rust Remover" I have found the latter though pricey very effective.

Both products use chelated acids to convert the rust into a different type of oxides and phosphates. For the pulley, one could have used 11% acetic acid and some time to obtain superior results. Molasses and water would also be a viable solution(9:1 water to molasses). It works quite well. Do Not Allow Non-ferrous Metals to sit in this solution: They will be dissolved. Paint is unaffected. Thank you.

strong solution of citric acid works very well too, and much cheaper than alot of off the shelf products.

The best rust remover in gel form is Jenolite . Most jels have to be left on for at least Forty-Eight Hours under plastic to keep them from drying out after 24 hours lift plastic up and reapply more gel keep ,it wet rinse it off and water and then use metal conditioner.

Great video . . . Professionally executed product performance comparisons . . . Thank You

It looks like that was a good real world test of the products! I have use metal rescue liquid!

Watched this entire video before starting on a project to restore my great-grandfather's antique metal and wood tools. I'm thinking of getting Krud Cutter or Navel Jelly.

Too bad electrolysis could not be used. On a previous video, the electrolysis method was used and it worked very well. Will there be a followup video on the rest of the pulley cleanup? What product(s) will you use?

Nice comparison video. I dont have much cause for either product but I’d be miffed if I opened the tub (6:42) to find it only half full!

I don't know why they still make the Evaporust Gel because it does not work at all. I have tried it over and over with terrible results. And a friend also bought a bottle of it and said the same thing. The liquid works great. I use it all the time.

Thanks Keith.

Although not relevant to a product comparison, I used to operate a Pickle tank in a factory. With safety glasses, full face sheild,rubber apron and rubber boots, also rubber gauntlet gloves with the gauntlet edges rolled up about 1 inch to prevent acid from running down to your elbow when you pick up a part. The tank/acid was heated to probably 150 degrees and we used the red course scotch brite pads and along with the soak scrubbing and back to soak. If you are trying to just get a good result, dont remove the de-rusting agent before you scrub, protect yourself and other surfaces and after scrubbing check a spot you know was worse, check it, then let the agent work longer.(maybe while doing other work nearby enough that you can monitor the site-( no kitty, no dogs allowed). Machine operators are good at watching multiple processes. - Sideline note, I had an Edison type discovery while running my Punch and offset machine many years ago I spilled Kool Aid on the table top, came back from break, and found a bright shiney spot where the puddle was spilled. On something you dont want to hurt, a more saturated solution of kool-aid,(skip the sugar), will brighten up some metal, also a tiny drop of dish detergent as a surfactant may help.

Good comparison. When applying to the ways of the machine, I think I would leave the Metal Rescue set a lot longer, possibly a full 24 hrs. before removing. Like you, I have used the Evaporust liquid before, and the pieces turned out good, but they were smaller, and easier to submerge.

Thank you for the research

Why would go past the instructions of EvapoRust 1-2 hours not 5

Thanks for the honest eval.

The Evaporust is sold by volume while the Metal Rescue is sold by weight.

Thank you for the comparison video. I do believe I would have to try the evaporust with it wrapped up. Have you ever tried the cleaner made by the same company as Boeshield? The name of it slips my mind, but it was a rust remover/surface cleaner for tools that I believe is a phosphoric acid solution. I bought mine in a kit from T-9 it had the surface cleaner, blade & bit cleaner and then a can of Boeshield in it. Or, my question to you, is that a bit to harsh of a cleaner to use on a surface like machine ways?

Evapo-rust (noun): a substance that evaporates and dries when applied to rust. :-P

in the past I have used a product called Navel jell . it seemed to work better than those two you just used.

You didn't try a plastic electrolysis tank with a battery charger? Should work well on the pulley, but not the machine.

A cheap way to get rid of rust is to soak your metal in molasses and water in a plastic cattle trough. It takes a couple of weeks but it comes up new . Go to the produce store. Or for a small project just buy a jar of molasses from the store. Make a strong mix and make sure your items are covered and shift them around so the bottom pieces get turned up in the solution. And hose the slurry off and when dry paint with primer.

I use Evapo Rust on motorcycle gas tanks and it has worked well. I had a lightly rusted machinist square and decided to put it in the tray that comes with the 3 1/2 gal. pail and set it aside to de-rust it. Well like a dummy I forgot about it for about 2 weeks, after realizing it I removed it and was shocked to see it had been severely etched and the finish on the square was ruined. You could actually see the waffle grid pattern on the side it was laying on in the tray! So please take this as a cautionary warning and don't make the mistake I made and always check after 12 hrs!

Keith, always a pleasure. You can use a container that the pulley will rotate vertically so that you only need 6 inches or so of liquid and turn as needed. But in reality, take it to a professional stripping company and be done with it! LOL.

I like using Evaporust for small tools, but would never consider using it on something as large as that. To me, that is better suited to sandblast.

Per the SDS sheet for the Evapo-Rust GEL it should be clear to yellowish. It also states that it should be kept from temperature extremes. Maybe your container was accidentally frozen in the shipping process and it turned it into a white goo that has decreased it's rust removal properties?

This was GREAT! Thanks!

I left a pipe wrench in Evapo-rust and forgot it. Mean while 3 weeks latter, I removed the wrench from the tank and washed it off in the sink. No rust scale and it was black and slimy. I then painted the handle red and wire brushed the jaws. It could easily pass for brand new.

The best gel product I have found is by Permatex. It's not cheap but it works.

Maybe for larger parts, but not lathe sized, you could setup some kind of a covered bin with a pump and sprayer or mister to rinse the parts in the liquid rust remover.

Thanks Keith. I just picked up a slightly rusty Gorton Mastermil and I'm looking for good options to clean it up. I'm sure this will help me.

I'm thinking that for the aggravation, I'd try to set up electrolysis - cost - negligible comparatively. Won't work on the ways but anything else that you can get in a tub/tank... But then again we are talking undunkables so ...Pre-soak in WD-40 and prescrub???

Seems like one or both of the directions said for heavy rust 12-24 hours, so perhaps more time would make a difference. With the Metal Rescue being wrapped in plastic seems like that might work. For surface rust like on the lathe bed ways, I find plain old elbow grease, Scotchbrite and kerosene gets the job done.

Keith. It is great to have a side by side comparison BUT ................... You know there will be a butt (but) out there somewhere. One thing I will say though is a reminder to be extremely careful using different chemicals (ie: chlorine and ammonia) where there is the possibility of cross contamination. It appears that you used the same scrub pad on the pulley to clean of both rust removers. Stay safe Keith.

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner is best rust remover I’ve found

Liquod evaporust is a good product. It looks like the evaporust gel was thrown out on the market before they did enough testing, sad!

At times Ollies in Waycross has the gallons of evaporrust for about 1/2 the price of Lowes in Tifton.

Maybe you left the evaporust on too long, it said 1 or 2 hrs not 6! Maybe after 2 hrs, before it's dried too much, it'll come off easier!

I would wonder what some more experimenting would make it look like. For example as mentioned by others, covering the evapo rust as well, so it will not dry out. Also for the surface plate for example, I would maybe cover it with the gel and then just loosely put some cling film on top so you don´t push out the gel and minimize evaporation. Furthermore I would go ahead and kind of bag the whole thing one more time, just to keep it as moist as possible. Last but not least, I would give it indeed up to 24 hours, as the instructions on the Metal Rescue product said, and see what difference it makes.

If the liquid stuff is the way to go, you might try to find 1/2" diameter glass beads or 1/2" diameter high polished stones (what is cheaper and that would not float) and put the wheel inside a container and fill all the voids with the inert material, and then fill with the active liquid. I would assume evaporust will have a very low interaction with the filler material. The container should have a way to remove the evaporust through a hole in the bottom and there will be a mess cleaning the inert material, that I assume could be reused. This will not work for the lathe though :-)

Kieth I watched closely as you read the directions on these products and then you completely ignored the 12-24 hour time recommended by Metal Rescue. You are usually so detail oriented. I would like to see it in action after 24 hours it did better than Evaporust with less than 1/4;the recommended time.

Have you ever tried citric acid? I've seen that used by other tubers for large parts. Seems effective. Not fast, as it can take a few days, but very economical.

A really interesting video Keith! I have no end of thoroughly rusted tools that reached me from my father and grandfather. I have often thought of trying one of these liquid rust removers on them. From your test I'd honestly say neither of the gels were all that brilliant, although I do appreciate when you mean about having little choice when its a huge chunk of steel you need cleaning up. When it comes to small parts the very best rust remover I have ever used is an ultrasonic bath--and you can get them in a variety of sizes. I would be interested to try filling a bath with one of the the liquid formulations and running the ultrasonics for a while. I'll wager that would be amazingly clean after a pretty short time. Otherwise, so far as chemicals go I recall my father always used to swear by the acid-based products. Obviously that would be a very poor choice for preservation and museum work though!!!

Would be nice if evaporust turned into a coating you'd peal off and have the rust come with it!

If you have large items you need to immerse then the cheapest and most effective chemicals to use are are citric acid or ethanoic acid (aka vinegar when around 5%-10% concentration). Both are cheaply and readily available from eBay and 100% effective.

i like your video....i learned a few things from it! Thanks.

You forgot to put a link for where to buy the elbow grease 🤣 On a more serious note, have you tried the evaporust liquid bucket? You can put the part in a drum or big bucket and leave it for hours, also it is reusable

I recently tried the Metal Rescue liquid concentrate on some cast iron and I thought it worked better than Evaporust. I also am switching over to Metal Rescue because the nearest auto parts store to me stocks it.

I wonder if you covered the Evaporust it would come off more easily?

Why not try the evapo-rust gel on a different part of the wheel and wrap it and see if it does better?

Have used the Evapo-Rust liquid product but have had mixed results with it. If 'dunking' a larger piece that needs rust removing then I just use vinegar as it is very cheap and buying it in quantity isn't an issue. Although the caveat is that you end up having you shop smelling like a British Fish and Chip shop!!

UPDATE- at 1:18 you mentioned the stuff can get rather expensive. Wow, that's an understatement for the Evaporust Gel. The liquid is about $20 a gallon. But I just checked into the gel and it's almost $70 a gallon! I have great luck by immersing parts, but now I want to derust a rear axle housing so I thought I would try the gel this time. Not at $70 a gallon! I know now why stores stock the 8oz version only. Come on Evaporust! You forced me to try the alakaine immersion method using the car battery charger etc.

6 hours? Hard to get satisfactory results when the Evaporust suggests 1-2 hours, and Metal Rescue suggests 30-90 minutes for light rust, 12-24 hours for heavy rust. At least give it a chance per the directions.

I think the way to do that pulley is the way you did the saw table-electrolysis.