My Shop is on Acid

Well, I'm just glad the acid did not hit something really nasty and react with it, you could have been overcome in moments! :eek:

I'd want to look at any electrical connections, switches and such, I would hope that as they are in switch boxes etc that they would be fine, but a quick look might be well worth the look.

Did you compressor run while this was happening? :(
 
Very sorry about the mess and problems.
I know you are in California, the state with a law for everything. Disposing legally is probably harder than some more practical methods.
Even in a town, I would just take that out to a corner of the yard and pour on the ground. It would be neutralized very quickly and present no hazard to anything more than an earthworm or two.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, all. It looks like the WD-40 and elbow grease will be the best approach for most of the rust removal. Fortunately, it's a light coating. I've got a good supply of gray and green Scotch-Brite pads and a few cans of WD. The lathe bed and bandsaw table should be pretty easy since they're flat. It's all the small things and nooks and crannies that I expect will be a pain. I'll probably pick up some Evapo-Rust for the small or odd-shaped things that don't lend themselves to scrubbing. I've got some Naval Jelly, but it discolors things like cast iron, so I plan to steer away from that. I won't have a chance until this evening to try anything out.

Stu, good points on checking conditions inside a few electric things. I'll have a look inside a few things. The compressor did run once as I recall while I was working on the bowl (before I spotted the leak). Hopefully any exposed metal in the inside of the pump is oiled well enough to avoid problems. [fingers crossed]

And Larry, I really appreciate your willingness to help me out with the big yellow thing, but with you being such a frail, delicate flower and all, I'm afraid you might get hurt unpacking it when it arrived. I could never do that to such a fine friend. :D
 
Man I would have been completely confused and don't know if I would have put the two together had they happened to me. I can't imagine the work, frustration, concern and all other adjectives that could be used. Good luck on getting it cleaned up, family members to the rescue with good hints again.
 
I'd drain the compressor tank completely just to be safe :thumb:

That sounds like a great idea.

Picked up a gallon of Evapo-Rust this afternoon and I'm well-stocked on WD-40 and Scotch-Brite pads, so I'll get started on the cleanup tonight. I need to also get the remains of the shelf cut out since it's still partly saturated with acid and probably still letting fumes into the shop.

I'll post a progress report later. ;)
 
Thought I had posted this already, but I must have clicked the wrong button last night...

I managed to get everything cleaned up with about 4 hours worth of scrubbing. I used the WD-40 and gray Scotch-Brite for most of it, and soaked a few things in the Evapo-Rust for 30 to 40 minutes, and it worked like a charm. There are still a few barely-noticeable dark spots on the lathe bed and bandsaw table, but nothing that's going to affect the performance or longevity of the tools. The Evapo-Rust also darkened or dulled a few of the things I soaked in it, but here again, no biggie, since everything will still work just fine. Thanks to everyone here for the suggestions and offers to help.

As an aside, how many of you have ever actually emptied a can of WD-40? I don't think I've ever had a can that didn't clog or otherwise stop spraying long before it was out of liquid. Last night was no exception. I started out with a partly-used tall can, and after the first few tools were cleaned, it stopped spraying. I messed with it for a bit and got it to spray for a minute or two, then it quit, even though the can is still halfway full. So I grabbed another partial can, and by the time I got done, it was also spraying only about half the time, even though it was still 1/4 full. Heck, even the little toolbox sized cans stop working before I can get them empty. :doh: It is just me? The only time I've gotten a can of WD-40 completely empty is with a .22 caliber projectile. :D
 
This is late and your probably done Vaughn, but on flat surfaces I've had good luck using a single edge razor blade as a scraper to scrape rust off. Sorry about the mess, that stinks!
 
I've emptied a lot of WD40 cans, I used to buy it by the case, I would use it to lube/clean my motorcycle chains. I could get it on sale here for around $2.50 a can (not a big can, I'd say about the same size, physically, as a can of beer) a similar size can of "Chain Cleaner" cost about $8 and a can of "Chain lube" cost $12. I am sure that the real chain lube was much better than WD40, especially if you only got around to lubing and cleaning your chain twice a year, but I did it monthly, or if I was putting on a lot of miles, weekly :thumb: Take about 10 minutes, put the bike on the maintenance stand, spray chain with WD40, scrub with chain cleaning brush, spray again with WD40 and I was done.

Emptied a lot of cans that way! :wave:
 
also i have taken and used another top nozzle for paint cans or another sprayable product and stuck them in to use the rest of the can vaughn,, sometimes its just the nozzle and they can be cleaned as well if nessacary
 
I have never had a can of WD-40 clog up and have used lots and lots over the decades.
I don't think it is you, Vaughn. It's a California thing. :rolleyes:
I am really sick thinking about your acid corrosion problem. Very unfortunate. Lesson learned, check out your storage places. Really, if someone moved into my house and did not handle some things properly, the place would be leveled.
 
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