Rusted parts

[UntitledProject]

If you use an acid you should neutralize it with baking soda after soaking it. I use vinegar to remove scale on steel regularly. After neutralizing the acid you should also clean and use a light oil (3-in-1 or sewing machine oil)on any parts that you want to keep moving.

 

[UntitledProject]

Naphtha also works too remove surface rust.

 

[BobKos]

Aero Kroil - AKA Kroil - is the best product I have ever used for this type of work. I am an auto repair tech so I can say I have tried many. PB Blaster is the runner up. Either will do what you want. Kroil is faster and leaves a cleaner finish IME. I used Kroil to release a frozen truss nut on a G&L neck once. Worked well.

An old mechanic's trick is to mix 50 / 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone ( nail polish remover ). Many swear by it, but I have never used it. Too messy for the type of work I do.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

PBlaster fan here, and of course Vice grips or a proper fitting flat head screwdriver.

 

[JW56789]

Kroil (made right here in Nashville) and PB Blaster would be neck and neck. Put whatever parts in a small paper cup, etc., submerge the parts and give it 24 or 48 hours. I'll tell you I'd use Kroil.

PB would loosen up the faces on Mt. Rushmore where they'd slide right off, but it has a strong, sorta petroleum/fruity smell. . . . that lingers, so you'd need to spray them off with something else to displace the scent. And it migrates. . . . .

I worked for a gas company in Jacksonville, and every so often we'd have to dig up to replace an old valve that had been buried in that sandy, wet, salty soil for who knows how long. You could beat it with sledges, water blast 'em, take a wheel to them, any number of remedies (couldn't take a torch to 'em . . . . !), and nothing would loosen up the valve stem and wheel. So we'd beat / wire-brush the worst of it off, then SOAK them in PB and hit on them again, then leave them till tomorrow. Come back then, turn the valve with one hand. It's SERIOUS stuff, but DO NOT use it as a replacement for 3n1 or WD, etc., as it migrates and you often will wind up unwinding something else completely inadvertantly. Had a firend that freed the rusted-to pistons in a 50-year-old John Deere twin cylinder, after letting an inch of it sit on top of the pistons for three days.

Once that's over with, my go-to for those tiny bridge saddle screws, etc., that are on most guitars and basses, is BreakFreeCLP, one of those firearm wonder-lubes. Harmless to electronics and finishes, put a tiny drop on each of those spots, and you'll never have to worry about them again. THE solution for 'sweat-proofing' Floyds and other tremolo assemblies. Some WalMarts have it, and most places where you can buy firearm supplies sells it, like Bass Pro / Cabela's, Academy, or a good local gun store. Very slight fragrance that doesn't linger.

 

[Bruce Avilla]

You can get a new bridge for $20-25. Done. The plating is coming off those saddles in the picture. Safe yourself some grief!

 

[BassFalcon]

You can get a new bridge for $20-25. Done. The plating is coming off those saddles in the picture. Safe yourself some grief!

I agree. The plating is coming off. It’s not worth saving. A new one is $20. If you wanted to spend a bit more you could get a fancy compensated version that would be an upgrade in terms of intonation.
007-3882-049 Fender Squier Vintage Mod 2-Saddle '51 Tele P Bass Bridge 0073882049


The plate looks fine, you could probably get away with just new saddles. The knobs don’t look too bad either. Those would be worth soaking in something. But in my opinion those saddles need to go.

 

[sxaxsx]

Most of the suggestions have been either products that don't actually do anything to remove rust, WD-40, or products that will dissolve the rust and metal together, vinegar, CLR, etc.
If you live anywhere near a Tractor Supply you could try Evapo-rust, might be able to get it from Walmart also. Soaking will remove the rust but not touch the metal.

 

[Slidlow]

Most of the suggestions have been either products that don't actually do anything to remove rust, WD-40, or products that will dissolve the rust and metal together, vinegar, CLR, etc.
If you live anywhere near a Tractor Supply you could try Evapo-rust, might be able to get it from Walmart also. Soaking will remove the rust but not touch the metal.

Evapo-rust ate some cast iron parts on me. It will attack some metals.

 

[micguy]

The old school method (still works fine) is penetrating oil - soak it a day or more, and get things freed up. Once the parts are separate from each other, naval jelly (phosphoric acid in a gel form) is what you use to remove surface rust. It also coats the parts with iron phosphate, which slows down the next rust attack a bunch.

 

[Tommy V]

replace everything and be done with it.

 

[RichterScale]

Most of the suggestions have been either products that don't actually do anything to remove rust, WD-40, or products that will dissolve the rust and metal together, vinegar, CLR, etc.
If you live anywhere near a Tractor Supply you could try Evapo-rust, might be able to get it from Walmart also. Soaking will remove the rust but not touch the metal.

The products mentioned like kroil and PB blaster are penetrating oils that work their way in-between the parts to help break them free. Nothing was said to suggest they remove rust.
As far as removing material,....the rust IS the metal that's oxidized. If you remove the rust, you're removing material. I've soaked rusty metal parts in vinegar and CLR many times in my life. I don't recall ever soaking a 10/32 screw a little too long and pulling out a 6/32 screw, or a screw with all the threads melted off.
I don't think those 2 methods are a concern. And the vinegar is cheap and can be found anywhere. Not to mention that it's fairly harmless.
How many people reading this thread would actually expend any of the effort being suggested on this bridge?
I'm thinking most of us would order a new bridge, or at least new saddles, springs and screws.
If the OP is asking how to keep this bridge and get it functional again, then I have to assume a simple and cheap solution is the way to go. Unless this is a rare collectable bass that's extremely difficult to get parts for and we're talking about restoring this bridge, I don't see the point in doing much more than a vinegar bath or penetrating oil soak to get it back to functional.

 

[Aidenn7]

vinegar is both a rust agent and a rust remover.. if you weld.. some metal parts have a coating that's toxic when welding.. they use vinegar to remove it.. also vinegar and steel wool put together.. and let set.. makes chemical aging stain for wood.. so put the the bridge in vinegar overnight.. and see what happen.. should fix the problem..

 

[RichterScale]

I read somewhere about using an ultrasonic cleaner with some sort of solvent, but I forget what the solvent was...

This reminded me of playing around with zinc plating 2 summers ago and since I was playing with the battery charger, I decided to try electrolysis rust removal.
I only did it long enough to see if it worked. More likely to see if I could do it. I'm not recommending it because it's involved and messy, but it did work.

 

[Beej]

Just a point of note, his bridge is not identical to the usual commercially available two saddle types. The hole locations of the replacements are not quite the same and end up placing a new bridge around 1/8" behind the location of the original bridge. This works for intonation, but exposes the surface that was below the old bridge. That may or may not be a problem on a refurb, but is worth considering.

There is something to be said for wanting to just get the parts apart and them reuse them. Desire to use original parts, relicing, etc. Nothing wrong with wanting to just get them functional but not pretty.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Hello guys,

I hope you can help.

I've got a bridge that has saddles and screws all stuck in one position. They don't move. I've tried wd40- nothing happens. I think some water got into it or some sort of lubricant. I've given it to a luthier, he couldn't do anything, however mentioned to try and deep the bridge and knobs in coca cola for 24 hours. Luthier said if that doesn't work you need to buy a new bridge and knobs.

Any advise you can give to reincarnate that bridge and screws? Also screws in the knobs?

I've attached the photos.

Just buy a new bridge an some knobs. Or, rock em with the rust on it

 

[jtg]

I love that this thread brought out all the car repair folks. I vote for MAP gas, but only because I don't have an oxyacetylene torch. Hold my beer.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Seafoam Deep Creep

 

[Spectrobassman]

Thanks so much for your suggestions.

I live in the UK so the delivery and customs fees will be another 20 USD so 50 quid for the bridge. I'm also a bid hesitant purchasing Squier bridge, I'm not sure of it differs in quality from the USA one? I think it's not as good as the USA. The one that I got is fender USA bridge.

Just purchased Blaster:[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] Will try this, if not I would probably have to get the fender bridge. And it seems as though they are discontinued.

I don't really mind the rusty look as this bass is a 1968 fender telecaster and it is all original apart from tone, volume pots and tripped paint on the body.

Basically all the screws on the bridge are stuck and not turning. Almost broke a screw driver. In any case - for me it is important for the screws to operate - don't care about the looks honestly. If it was a high-end boutique bass- another story.

 

[boxerrider]

Another vote for automatic transmission fluid. It's readily available, and cheap enough that you can submerge the whole thing and let it soak for a week.