Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Have you ever said, OH NO after buying a can?

I am on a limited budget, like a lot of you.

I would like to be able to afford the nicer looking cans. But being nicer looking usually comes with a larger price tag than my budget can handle. So sometimes I take a chance on what could be called "marginal" cans. Such is the case this last weekend.

I have been buying the occasional Tydol and Veedol can as AL, allows. Him and I have been talking about a certain 5 gal can. Ebay photos were rough but the starting price was very good. After a long debate with myself, I went ahead and jumped at it.


I won it for the starting bid and it arrived today.

I must admit after receiving it, I looked in the mirror and told myself: YOU'RE AN IDIOT!!!!

Remember I said it was a "little" rough looking:

















Thankfully it cleaned up even better than I could have hoped for:







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So sometimes it pays to take a chance, not bad for a $15 can.

NICE JOB !!!! THAT LOOKS GREAT....

Looks nice for $15 bucks. How did you clean it up
Jeff

I want to know too.

I used WD-40, Aero-Kroil (used the last of my can that was over 30 years old) and Sta-Lube hand cleaner on the painted portions. (after checking to ensure the paint didn't come off)

On the unpainted portions, I used the combination of WD-40 and Kroil. Wiped it down with clean rags and then used alum foil on the rust. It took about 1-1/2 hours to get it to look like it does.

Bob, I was going to comment on the first images as I have seen a lot worse (and have a lot worse) and didn't think you did too bad. Then I saw the cleaned up can. WOW....what a great job you did. I also would like to know how you did it. Sandpaper and wax? Nice job.

Bob, you did one OUTSTANDING job ! Ed Shaver

No sandpaper, no wax. Alum foil attacks rust and as the photos show really does a number on it. (the foil trick, is one my dad taught me. He use to have us kids out on the blacktop rubbing alum foil on the bumpers of the old Lincolns, he restored. If it hasn't begun to flake, the foil will brighten it up, or atleast it always has for me)

Foil will take paint off just like sandpaper, so one has to pick and choose where to use it.

I meant to ask, do you guy use wax on your cans to keep moisture away?

Can I send you some cans to do? LOL. Great job.

WHOLY SCHNIKIES! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT'S THE SAME CAN! YOU GOTTA BE PROUD OF THAT FOR THE MONEY AND EFFORT!

That can looks great. I had the opposite effect on an old can I cleaned this past weekend with WD-40. It went from a 7.5 to a 6. Wish I would have waited till I saw this post.

Sorry to read that your effects didn't pan out. I must admit that I have "wiped clean" a couple cans before I learned what worked on this one. My techniques may not work out so well the next time, but I hope so. If others have methods they use please, if you don't mind, share them.

great job Bob....Its amazing how a little elbow grease will make a such a difference & increase the value .....

Looks great! How does the aluminum foil work? The
reason i ask, is that i do blacksmithing and you can take a brass wire brush to a hot piece of steel and it will leave some of the brass on the steel, giving it a antique brass finish. So does it just remove the rust like sand paper or does it leave some of the aluminum on the surface? What ever the case, it works great! Nice job!

Not sure about the metallurgical reaction between the different metals, I took metallurgy classes back in the 70s and don't remember much.

To me it seems to remove the rust just like it was sandpaper, except it doesn't roughen up or scratch the surface like sandpaper. It might leave a light "top-coat" of alum, as after a treatment rust doesn't seem to form near as fast as "untreated" metal.

Bob;
Are you using the foil flat or crumpled into a ball?
Great Work!

There may be hope for a few of my old cans after all.
Chuck

Bob,
I looked that that can, I would have passed on it. Why, too much labor; I don't do cans, etc.
This doesn't mean I don't appreciate the work you have put into it.
I have been an antique car nut since I was 15. At the age of 26 I was judgging cars at the local AACA meets, but I would always congradulate the hot rod guys on the great jobs they had done on their cars. I was into restoration, but I have always appreciate what others have done.
So now, you should know what I mean by why I would have passed on it.
We all seem to have the thing we like to do, and if you were to ask me what mine is, Air Meters.
This is what is keeping this hobby going.

Jack Sim

Good cleanup Bob!

Brian

Looks great Bob!
My Son, David, was the one that showed me how to use a ball of crumpled up aluminum foil and COKE to polish chrome but I never thought about it on a rusty old can.
Mike

Great tips..nice work!

Bob that looks like a hour & a half well spent. That can looks great

GREAT JOB BOB!!!! I`M GLAD I LET YOU BUY IT !!!!! LOL AL

Alan, Being that Bob IS A GREAT GUY & he doesn't have much room for displaying, maybe he was cleaning it up for you! LOL

35 YEARS AGO, WHILE OUT IN THE FARM FIELDS IF AN IMPLEMENT WAS RUSTED AND WE HAD NO WD-40, WE'D POUR SOME COKE OR PEPSI ON IT AND COME BACK IN A HALF HOUR. 9X OUTTA 10 IT WOULD WORK ON THE RUST.

It was the Citric Acid in the coke attacking the rust. Lemon Aide or Sprite might have worked better/faster.

Dick, after reading your post to Alan, I did the only thing I could do. Build a couple new shelves and move some cans around. Too early in the morning to get Alan's hopes up.



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LOL
I'm Really surprised that you can still Squeeze more in, next you'll be posting you moved the bed into a tent in back yard!

looks good bob!!might make me think just a little more on some cans i might not ordinarily buy.

amazing transformation Bob. kudos.

I like gibbs oil for keeping the rust off. They claim you can paint over it also.

I've had some members and a few non members contact me, asking questions about how I clean some of my cans.

I have no problem helping (answering questions, LOL) if I can, so please don't hesitate to ask. If possible please send photos of the can(s) in question. As there are some cans that as crazy as I am, even I would be afraid to tackle because I would be afraid of damaging the graphics.