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HELP! Bizarre Rust On Machine and Tools

progeny

Plastic
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
New user here, just starting out in the amazing world of machining.

Background

-We create proof-of-concept prototype hardware and have a small, but very capable shop that we keep meticulous not only for good housekeeping practices, but because of risk of cross-contamination.

-We never had any issues with rust of any kind.

Challenge

Recently, we had to create sleeve bearings using C932 Bearing Bronze and used the lathe, mill, drill, and bandsaw in their creation.

Almost instantly, we noticed rust where we handled previously non-rusting surfaces (see attachments)

Nothing seems to remove it- we have tried Acetone, Alcohol, WD40, Silicon, lubricating oil, to no effect. The Silicon spray works temporarily, but ultimately the rust comes back.

I do not know where to go, have researched on the "interwebs" for hours, and have found nothing to help.

Any/all assistance or guidance would be much appreciated.

Thank you!
 

Attachments

  • Lathe Chuck.jpg
    Lathe Chuck.jpg
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  • Table.jpg
    Table.jpg
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  • Vise.jpg
    Vise.jpg
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  • LS Drill Press.jpg
    LS Drill Press.jpg
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  • RS Drill Press.jpg
    RS Drill Press.jpg
    12.3 KB · Views: 365
looks like the same rust I get on machine tools in my unheated, insulated shop. steel wool and wd40 should take it off, just wipe a light film of oil of the tools after you clean them up
 
I think the brown is bronze powder.....incidentally ,bronze "needles" have a reputation of creating havoc in your laundry ....legendary tales of wives and children being "stung" by bronze needles in the washing.......copper and bronze dust will also electroplate brown onto iron just by the moisture in the air....Machines from the bronze shop always had a marvellous brown patina .
 
Somebody there has piss hands. Body chemistry makes steel rust. Use more oil, keep everything oiled. Cleaning with acetone makes it worse, as it removes the oil.
 
"Instantly" meaning like overnight? Any new chemical processes going on near by?

We had a machine shop next to a plating area. Occasionally when machine shop 1st shift came in all the machines, tools, etc would have a light coating of rust. We determined the plating area was doing something over night that caused some kind of acid gas to form that was getting blown thru the machine shop by the shop fans.
 
I see this on some of my iron and suspect acid chemical contamination from some of the things I do in the same area. I use scotchbrite and oil to clean it up, but I don't go back to bright and only remove the loose stuff. This leaves a mildly protective surface like the old rust blueing used before chemical blues became available.
 
CorrosionX. I get it in the aerosol cans so it sprays as you'd expect. If you get jugs of the stuff you'll need one of their spray systems, because it's viscosity / makeup is formulated for pressure spraying.

We found taperlocks sealed in plastic product bags that had splotches of rust on them. No one could explain how that happened. Bottom line: Taper Locks get a fast & light spray of CorrosionX before sealing in a bag.
 
Try any new cutting oil or tapping lube lately? I tried a new brand of lube and was drilling holes on my bridgeport, the next morning when I came in, the face of the brideport quill, the collet, vise, and parallels all had a brown rust on them. I'm sure this is a well known occurrence with certain lubricant properties but it was my first time seeing it happen.
 
Looks like some of the Machines in my shop after an employee decided to sanitize them, judging by the location of the rust, it looks more like where someone would put there hands.
 
The company where I work started having an outside janitorial service
start spraying some chemical the CDC came up with (no msds sheet, gee
thanks). It is supposed to kill covid virus. They walk around after hours like a bug exterminator, spraying work benches, machines, desks in the office, everything. So now all the steel benches and machine tools
are rusting. Best I can tell it is some kind of bleach, what is that,
sodium hydroxide?? I can't do any more asking about a msds sheet, because then I will be labeled as a non team player with the cooperate culture we have around here. Even parts on the engineers desks are rusting. I think they are spraying my coffee cup. Probably my nuts are going to fall off. But at least I won't get covid. Are you spraying for covid at night???? Or like mentioned before, someone has piss hands.

--Doozer
 
We had a draftsman at the company I worked at 50 years ago with hands that left rust on anything he touched. He was a good draftsman but wasn't allowed in the shop. :-)
...lewie...
 
Mix light oil with solvent about 10 to 1 solvent to oil.

Spray this on your bare metal and wipe down with clean rag to insure everything coated.

Solvent evaporates and leaves a thin oil film.

Oil dependent on limitations of your work area.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 
Is there anyone now there that enjoys and adds a lot of salt to their foods. Back when I would add salt to almost everything I would refuse to handle other peoples metal items. They would rust after I touched them.

Thank you,
Mr.Smith
 
WOW-thank you so much for all the replies!

To answer some of the questions:

- We have various, but limited people in the lab area

- Other than the bronze material itself, no new/different fluids or vapors have been introduced, nor are there any other processes nearby

- The area is insulated and environmentally stable (constant temperature and humidity control)

I will post update(s) as/when found.

Again, thank you so much for your suggestions and feedback.

Scott
 








 
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