Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [rust]

93 questions
24
votes
6 answers

What is the right tool for old, rusty, flat cross head bolts?

I'm trying to restore an old park bench, and I am struggling to unscrew the bolts. The heads have this wide (~12-14 mm) "flat cross" pattern that I have never seen before (see photo), and I don't have any screwdriver that nearly wide enough to get…
Nicolas Payette
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10
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5 answers

What is causing these water heater pipes to rust/corrode?

This water heater was replaced by a plumber 4-5 years ago. Within about a year, all the new connections were rusting/corroding. Did the plumber not sufficiently tighten the fittings? Is this perhaps an electrolysis problem? Notes: Water here is…
zwiebelspaetzle
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8
votes
4 answers

Getting stuck nut from engine shaft

So the title seems like an obvious duplicate or easy answer. But my question is actually a bit different. I am trying to get a nut off the shaft of an engine. This is the "master" nut that secures the blower rotor to the engine shaft. It has a lot…
Yanick Salzmann
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4
votes
2 answers

Rust spots on stainless steel utensils after washed in the dishwasher

We've noticed recently (2-3 weeks) that stainless utensils are coming out of the dishwasher with rust spots. Could this be something with the dishwasher (we're thinking of getting a new one anyways), or could it be the dishwashing detergent? I've…
StevenH
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4
votes
2 answers

Rust free concrete fasteners

I need to fasten a 3/4 inch PVC trim board to a poured concrete basement wall. Since this will be on the exterior of the house I want to avoid rusting of the fastener. The previous pressure treated board fell off when the concrete nails rusted and…
Genki
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3
votes
2 answers

What is this strange orange fluid corroding painted jack posts in basement?

Anyone knows what this blob of orange fluid is? It looks thick and viscous, almost like secretion from some insect. About 3 -- 4 years ago, I was painting the jack posts in our basement and noticed that a few of them had these fluid droplets…
P. B.
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3
votes
2 answers

Is there any cost-effective fix for this damaged bathtub drain plug, or should I just find a new one?

The coating on this popup toggle bathtub drain is damaged, exposing the plastic inside and I guess there's some oxidized metal there. It works fine though, so could I clean it up and re-coat it somehow without too much work? Or is it just simpler…
shim
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3
votes
3 answers

Should Chromium-Vanadium (Cr-V) sockets be stored lubricated?

I just ordered the TEKTON 3/8 Inch Drive Deep 6-Point Impact Socket Set, 37-Piece (1/4-1 in, 6-24 mm) on Amazon, it was delivered with each socket heavily lubricated (with what looks like oil). There was a cardboard piece in between both ends of the…
Evan Carroll
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3
votes
1 answer

New submersible water pump has rust

I installed a submersible water pump in our drinking water cistern less than six months ago and today when I looked at it, I noticed it has significant amounts of rust close to the housing divisions. Also I don't know what the white substance is,…
Alejandro
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3
votes
1 answer

Green rust on water heater discharge pipe, what cause it?

Green rust on water heater discharge pipe, what causes it? The tank is pretty old, almost 20 years.
Brian Z
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3
votes
5 answers

Removing rusted screw and wingnuts from toilet tank

My toilet tank is held in place by two screws, which have rusted so much that the shape in their head is almost completely disappeared. On the opposite side, they are held in place by two wingnuts made from plastic. I tried to losen one of them with…
Attilio
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3
votes
3 answers

rust-proof solution for attaching 2x4 to 4x4?

What screws can I use to securely attach a 2"x4" to a 4"x4" treated lumber? The solution would need to be rust-proof. I recently used a structure similar to the image below for a small fence, but some of the screws are completely full of rust, due…
rbhat
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3
votes
2 answers

fireplace is a bit rusty - is it safe to use?

The back wall seems to still be solid, though I can't take it apart to check for sure. I don't have a sense for what this means - how essential is the inner wall? Seemingly it was never meant to totally keep the fire enclosed, as the inner…
amara
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2
votes
2 answers

Hammer Paint Over Rust

I have some rusty metal L-beams that I want to use for a project but I don't want to spend the time and money to have them sandblasted. I have heard that you can spray Hammerite paint right over the rust and that this will adhere to the metal but it…
William Hird
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2
votes
1 answer

How can I remove rust stains from outdoor vinyl flooring?

I have an outdoor patio on the second floor which receives runoff from the shingles. It has been stained horribly over the past 3 years with this rust colored buildup all over it. I tried using a pressure washer and it couldn't cut through the gunk…
Jacob P
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