30
votes
Accepted
What is the right tool for old, rusty, flat cross head bolts?
Looking at the condition of the nut and the minimal profile of the head, I'm afraid the better question may be "how do I get these out with minimal damage to the wood?"
I'd take a drill to ...
21
votes
What is causing these water heater pipes to rust/corrode?
Looks like minor leaks, compounded by mixing galvanized pipe and copper/bronze valve without using dielectric couplings between dissimilar metals.
Honestly, any plumber installing NEW galvanized pipes ...
18
votes
Accepted
rust-proof solution for attaching 2x4 to 4x4?
People use the wrong screws outside quite a lot, but thankfully there are good alternatives. Outdoor decking and fencing are commonly assembled with coated screws advertised for such. They typically ...
18
votes
What is the right tool for old, rusty, flat cross head bolts?
I would use a small grinder ( Dremel) with a cut-off wheel and cut the nuts off.
11
votes
What is the right tool for old, rusty, flat cross head bolts?
Normal flathead screwdriver in theory
I believe these are simply used to make it easier to apply a flathead screwdriver with at most 90 degrees of turn adjustment needed. So in theory you can just ...
10
votes
rust-proof solution for attaching 2x4 to 4x4?
Stainless steel deck screws will not rust. I've used them many times on all types of lumber with great results.
But screwing into end grain never works well, put a piece of 2x4 into each corner and ...
9
votes
What is causing these water heater pipes to rust/corrode?
100% galvanic corrosion, "Pipes in the house are a mix of copper, galvanized, and pex", different metals cause corrosion. You should stick to one type of metal in your pipes or use pex.
**...
6
votes
Accepted
Getting stuck nut from engine shaft
You have not applied enough force in the correct direction. So, good fitting socket and a knuckle bar 18" is usually more than enough (that's the one I have and it either comes undone or breaks......
5
votes
Accepted
Is a soap and water gas leak detecting solution more likely to cause rust than the store's version?
Neither should cause any problem if the solution is dried off after.
5
votes
Green rust on water heater discharge pipe, what cause it?
Copper oxides = Green "rust"
Water causes that, can be aggravated by failure to clean acid flux from soldered fittings, but since yours starts right up by the threads I'd guess you have some ...
5
votes
What is causing these water heater pipes to rust/corrode?
Yes, you have small leaks causing rust. See how the rust practically flows like water in this picture?
Overall, galvanized pipe should be avoided nowadays as there are much better options such as pex....
5
votes
Accepted
Rust on Bathroom Radiator (Towel Rail)
Yes, there is but I doubt you will like the answer:
Strip the existing paint off of this thing.
Remove all the rust down to clean metal.
Refinish this properly so that it doesn't rust again.
...
5
votes
Accepted
Is there any cost-effective fix for this damaged bathtub drain plug, or should I just find a new one?
The answer depends on how much work you want to do. In reality it probably isn't worth the time to try to recoat it. however if you wish to do that there are epoxy paints that may be suitable. Time ...
5
votes
Accepted
Rapid and extreme oxidation of steel in chemical cabinet
A plastic jug of muriatic acid in the cabinet will rust any exposed steel in the vicinity due to offgassing of hydrogen chloride gas. If you transfer the acid to a glass jug with a bakelite cap, it ...
4
votes
Removing rusted screw and wingnuts from toilet tank
When I had the same problem, I took a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder to the bolt heads. Just be careful and try not to touch the grinder to the porcelain. Also dont grind so long that you heat up the bolts ...
4
votes
Removing rusted screws from a gate-post attached to a wall
What has worked for me in the past is grinding the heads off with a Dremel tool and cutoff wheel or any other type of portable grinder.A hack saw might do the trick too. Then pry the posts away from ...
4
votes
Rust in stainless steel?
The rust on the stainless eye came from the steel rope. The zinc galvanizing on the wire rope has corroded away leaving bare steel to rust. Using a stainless wire rope will greatly improve the ...
4
votes
Accepted
Rust in stainless steel?
The screw eyes are not rusting. That's staining from the steel rope which i doubt is galvanized. The rust stains will come off with a little emery paper rub.
4
votes
How can I treat and prevent rust in steel wire rope?
That horse has already left the barn.
You striped off the protective rubberized coating and exposed the cable underneath which is not galvanized and the rust has already started to eat the cable. Had ...
4
votes
Will steel continue rusting if it's completely covered in concrete?
No.It will continue rusting and the volume of the corrosion products will crack the concrete. New unrusted rebar will rust ( in concrete) but at a lower rate than your "prerusted" sample. Best ...
4
votes
What is causing these water heater pipes to rust/corrode?
The galvanized pipe is what is corroding and rusting. As noted,there may be other factors at play here like leaky connections but the galvanized pipe is definitely a problem.
You should re-plumb with ...
4
votes
Who replaces a heavily rusted gas governor in new home meter box?
Who should I contact to replace the gas governor?
Is it upstream or downstream of the gas meter? It is normally upstream (between the shutoff valve and the gas meter).
Preferably, place the regulator ...
4
votes
What is this strange orange fluid corroding painted jack posts in basement?
What you see is most certainly rust.
It is a concern because it is compromising a component that is giving major support to that beam above it.
You should have consultations with a few contractors ...
4
votes
Accepted
What is this strange orange fluid corroding painted jack posts in basement?
The orange fluid is rusty water. The corrosion started inside the column and has finally eaten through to the column's visible side. Searching the internet for lally column oozing yields many ...
4
votes
Accepted
Can a rust hole in a bath tub be repaired?
I successfully repaired a hole in my mother-in-laws tub at the drain using an epoxy putty purchased in an autoparts store.
It is made to repair metals and can be formed to fill in the rusted area and ...
4
votes
Inexpensive way to protect outdoor metal table from rust?
Powder coating, done well, not scratched, chipped or flaked - actually works.
So, if it meets those standards, you don't need to apply anything - the cheapest and most transparent of coatings.
...
4
votes
Steel basement beam rusting
This is a problem with two issues.
The location is high moisture content, as stated by the owner.
You have only primer on the steel beam. Left alone, in time primer will draw in moisture and cause ...
3
votes
Avoid rust where railing anchors into concrete
There are no magic tricks but I do have a couple of suggestions:
Make sure the steel is hotdip galvanized to a coating thickness of
100µm zinc or greater. You can use paint as well but compared to a ...
3
votes
Avoid rust where railing anchors into concrete
Honestly, I don't think you can. The problem is railings such as this rust from the inside out. The outside gets primed and painted while the inside never gets any kind of treatment.
Aside from using ...
3
votes
Accepted
New submersible water pump has rust
Perfectly normal for non-stainless steel pumps to rust.
Even stainless steel ones may rust, slightly.
The white corrosion may indicate some cast aluminum components, and if so, the combination of ...
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