Steel bell end rusty after dishwasher run

[OombaGatoonga]

Hi Everyone,

I got my kit yesterday and rubbed mineral spirits over the top end of the steel bell end. I didn't clean the inside with mineral spirits. After running it through the dishwasher, it came out looking like the pictures I've included. I've been able to get some of the gross looking stuff off by scrubbing with a paper towel / soap and hot water plus a sponge.

I've seen in the forums that Barkeeper's Friend is suggested to get rid of light rust. Can that help here? Since the bell end is just raw steel, I should still be able to use it, correct?

Thanks for any help,
Cornelius

[OombaGatoonga]

I had tried to search for this in the forums earlier and didn't find anything, but google search came up with this post: https://forum.bottlehead.com/index.php?topic=8178.0
Seems likely the dishwasher pod that I used corroded the steel a bit. I'm going to go get some steel wool and buff out what I can, then continue my build.

[Paul Birkeland]

Why did you put the cover in the dishwasher? 

I would sand it down inside and out until there is absolutely no rust on it, then clear coat it with lacquer. 

[Natural Sound]

You should get as much of the rust off as you can and give it a couple of coats of spray paint. If you don't it will rust again.

FYI - I usually use some Dawn (the blue dish soap) and a scotch-brite pad to clean the bell end prior to paint.

[Deluk]

Cover it in a dish of white vinegar over night to remove the rust. Wash under the tap and dry it. Not in the oven or it will flash rust again. If you are going to paint it give it a couple coats of primer to protect it. Hammer paint can go straight on and there are also other paints that don't need primer. Have a look at the Rust-Oleum range.

[OombaGatoonga]

Thanks everyone for the replies! Much appreciated.

I read that a run in the dishwasher was suggested for the steel bell end in a pinned post under General Discussion titled "bell end preparation." I've included a screenshot of the post here so no one has to go searching and clicking. I'm not blaming anyone for the minor scare - after all, I was the one who put it in the dishwasher.

I'm planning on first using steel wool and 400-600 grit sandpaper to get the rust off, then spraying clear coat lacquer on both the inside and outside of the steel bell end to prevent future rusting. Should the steel wool and sandpaper not work, I'll submerge it in white vinegar overnight as suggested. One more question for now: I don't need to worry about a clear coat on the inside of the bell end cover affecting the grounding of the transformer because the bell end is still basically naked steel, is this correct?

[Paul Birkeland]

If the hardware used to mount the transformer is nice and tight, clear coating the inside of the cover isn't a problem.

[OombaGatoonga]

Update: Grade #3 Coarse steel wool did the trick! Scrubbed off the rust. Now it's infinitely better than what came out of the dishwasher this morning. Will soon spray both sides with the clear coat lacquer and continue with the build. Thanks so much for all the responses!

[Natural Sound]

Good job! It looks great.

[jtori]

On my last three builds, I have gone over the bell with steel wool, followed by wiping it down with acetone.  Then, I have simply finished the bell in my choice of paint.  Keep in mind, many steel wools contain oil.  Acetone removes any oil residue and leaves a surface suitable for finishing.

[Doc B.]

I am with Joe on the easiest and most effective way to clean up the bell end. A little steel wool and some acetone will usually get rid of the oil that has soaked in to the metal surface. Re the dishwasher, it can be problematic. The heated dry cycle can accelerate the rust process. And we found out the hard way that some detergents can really mess up raw steel and aluminum.