how to remove rust from steel/alu?

[Eszett]

I have some rust on my steel plate, and even a piece of alu seems to have rust stains. What works better, macerate it
... in H²O²?
... in Coca cola?
... in baking natron?
... in citric acid?
or else?

[WhyYouLikeDis]

I vote for the first 2 options.

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[Findecanor]

If it is a lot: white vinegar. But it will hurt the steel so don't soak it. Rinse it afterwards and then dry.

Alu does not rust so the rust must have come from something else.

[Tactile]

Because the blue finish on guns is a form of iron oxide, some of the best rust remover is disguised as gun blue remover.

[Findecanor]

BTW. I once wrapped a scope replica of blued steel (that I had got blued at a gun smith...) in paper towels that had been soaked in white vinegar because I wanted to make it look old and distressed ... and the vinegar removed almost all the bluing on the outside. Not my proudest moment ...

[DaanRademaker]

I agree with the above that you can use white-vinegar to remove rust. However I tend to only use this when you have a lot of small parts for which scrubbing is just too time consuming. For very good results without having to worry about damaging the steel (or having to sand it down completely) I suggest scotchbrite pads, and I think for your purpose this type is most suitable:

http://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/Scotch-Brite-Hand-Pad-7447?N=5002385+8709320+8710530+3293241244&rt=rud

For the rust stains on the aluminum you can use a strong citrus degreases or alcohol, or if that won't do the job the scotch brite pad. It will however scuff the surface of the aluminum, so if you want it to be shiny again you are going to have to polish it afterwards.

[dorkvader]

the alu must be dirty because it doesn't rust in the same way steel does. It quickly (seconds) builds up a layer of Al2O3 on the outside, which is commonly increased in depth via anodyzing. The oxidation is normal aluminium in color unless pigment has been mixed in with the anodyzing (as is common). You should be able to clean it with citric acid (Orange cleaners) pretty easily.

If its rust on a model F plate be careful as they are comprised of a few layers.