I have an old travel trunk which has surface rust on the external metal tin, how do I get rid or reduce this?

Question

I have an old travel trunk which has surface rust on the external metal tin, how do I get rid or reduce this?

Answer 1

Use a rust converter like 'Ferapro'.

Answer 2

steel wool

Answer 3

Try using "Brasso" or "Silvo" and some steel wool, both of which you can buy at any hardware store or supermarket . Shake the Brasso (or Silvo) well, pour a little of the liquid either onto the steel wool or onto the rust and rub gently to avoid scratching. Try to rub in one direction only (as opposed to a circular motion) otherwise you'll get a swirl pattern on your tin. It'll take some time but will remove the rust. If you succeed in removing the rust, try some automotive "Cut & Polish" paste (auto stores or Bunnings etc). Follow the directions on the tin or bottle, and again rub very lightly. The polish will add a protective film to help prevent the rust reappearing.

If you can, first test this method on an inconspicuous part of the trunk to get your technique right.

Answer 4

CLR

You can get it at any grocery store/convenience store.

Answer 5

CLR is not a rust treatment product. Use Spazzapa's steel wool approach to first physically remove the worst of rust build up.  If it is really rough you may need a wet and dry sandpaper working down from coarser to finer grades. Buy a phosphoric acid based rust killer/rust converter  (available cheaply from hardware or auto shops) to stabilise the rust and prepare it for finishing.  Follow directions carefully. These rust converters leave you with a paintable surface. If you don't want to paint, just leaving it looking original, an automative polish product will leave the surface looking much as it does now but with some protection.