Maiche 25 Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 (edited) Hi, I have a coc 2 from 2010 which is quite rusty, despite the 3 in 1 oil it gets stuck regularly after a fairly short time and the rust is still a little visible. My question is simple; can we use an anti rust treatment for the spring of iron mind grippers? I fear that there is a treatment on the spring and that it weakens the metal, in fact I use a product that tends to remove the surface treatments of the metal in particular the chrome if it is damaged. Edited August 7, 2020 by Maiche 25 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmanouil Marizas Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 I was wondering the same thing. If anyone has any tips that would be very helpful! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 I've had good luck with using 3-in-1 as a penetrating treatment and fine steel wool. Really slop it on there with an old tooth brush or something and let it sit. It takes a little elbow grease and effort to get in all the nooks and crannies. CoC springs are polished, not chromed so you should be okay in that respect. There is no chrome to lose/damage. There are rust remover soaks you can try if it's really bad. WD-40 makes one, and I've seen Evapo-rust be extremely effective. However I will say I have not tried either on grippers and while they will definitely remove the rust, I cannot promise they won't discolor the spring. None of these products will "weaken" the spring. I don't believe that is possible with chemicals. I will say I would opt for a clean and discolored spring over a rusty one. So it might be worth giving one of these products a try if 3-in-1 and light steel wool doesn't give a good result. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 I've been meaning to try Evapo-rust actually. I would be willing to risk scrapping a gripper as the guinea pig. My problem is I don't have a gripper with a rusty spring... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiche 25 Posted August 13, 2020 Author Share Posted August 13, 2020 Thanks a lot for your answer! I am just going to receive evaporust, which is overpriced in France unlike the USA. I will try it without delay, as you said I have a lot more to gain than to lose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiche 25 Posted August 13, 2020 Author Share Posted August 13, 2020 Just for information it seems that two types of metal should be avoided with evapo rust: magnesium and cadmium ... Not very common in my opinion in grippers although some paints contain cadmium, so to see for painted springs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 2 hours ago, Maiche 25 said: Thanks a lot for your answer! I am just going to receive evaporust, which is overpriced in France unlike the USA. I will try it without delay, as you said I have a lot more to gain than to lose! Post before and after photos! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiche 25 Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 (edited) The before and after photos really do not give a visually appreciable result so unfortunately there is no use in posting them! In fact the rust is invisible from the outside, it was well at the bottom of the groove of the spiral of the spring, where it should not be. The evaporust worked remarkably, it is not the same gripper anymore, it has become super smooth and above all its RGC has dropped in an incredible way. With the 3 in 1 oil its RGC which had to be 115, so a very hard coc 2, it had gone to 110 no more and after anti rust treatment if I compare it to a 2020 coc 2 (106 from rgc tested at CPW) and well it barely exceeds 100 in my opinion! Having said that the coc 2 CPW is brand new and the gap between the handles is much larger than this older coc 2 from 2010, so it looks like it may be harder than it is. Edited August 20, 2020 by Maiche 25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 Interesting. So you feel like the Evaporust affected the spring? I’m not sure by what means that could happen. I actually think it’s more likely the rust and grime and lack of oil was artificially raising the rating. Now that it’s clean, maybe it’s back to normal. Is that possible? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiche 25 Posted August 21, 2020 Author Share Posted August 21, 2020 Yes it is exactly your second hypothesis, this gripper made a lot of noise, had points of friction everywhere and especially was extremely hard on the last cm! Indeed I think that the evaporust only removed the rust and dirt and that this gripper was particularly seized so it only returned to what it should be when it left the factory, an easy coc 2 ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 And there is no discoloration of the spring or handles? I really would enjoy seeing an after photo. How long did you leave it in the solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markob42 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Is there a good maintaince routine one should run on grippers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 25 minutes ago, Markob42 said: Is there a good maintaince routine one should run on grippers? Generally just a decent oil on the spring like 3-in-one. I don’t recommend WD-40 it gets gummy (and I don’t think it is technically a lubricant). Old toothbrush or light steel wool on the spring if needed to work off grime or light rust. Nylon fingernail brush on the handles. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiche 25 Posted August 25, 2020 Author Share Posted August 25, 2020 (edited) There’s really no change in that the spring is more matte, a bit blackened. With rusted screwdriver bits I had also obtained a result with a blackening but this time very strong , these bits work perfectly however.It seems that steels with a very high carbon content give this result . I soaked the spring for five hours! Edited August 25, 2020 by Maiche 25 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmanouil Marizas Posted September 13, 2020 Share Posted September 13, 2020 On 8/13/2020 at 9:12 PM, Cannon said: I've had good luck with using 3-in-1 as a penetrating treatment and fine steel wool. Really slop it on there with an old tooth brush or something and let it sit. It takes a little elbow grease and effort to get in all the nooks and crannies. CoC springs are polished, not chromed so you should be okay in that respect. There is no chrome to lose/damage. There are rust remover soaks you can try if it's really bad. WD-40 makes one, and I've seen Evapo-rust be extremely effective. However I will say I have not tried either on grippers and while they will definitely remove the rust, I cannot promise they won't discolor the spring. None of these products will "weaken" the spring. I don't believe that is possible with chemicals. I will say I would opt for a clean and discolored spring over a rusty one. So it might be worth giving one of these products a try if 3-in-1 and light steel wool doesn't give a good result. Thank you for this tip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChimpGrip Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 rusterproof oil rags... by far the best for rust treatment. Works great on other metal items too, it was made originally for firearms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Gripz Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 On 8/13/2020 at 3:34 PM, Cannon said: Post before and after photos! I just purchased a used GHP 6 from Australia that I was told has some rust on the spring. I will try everything you suggested and will post before and after pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 7 hours ago, Kevin Gripz said: I just purchased a used GHP 6 from Australia that I was told has some rust on the spring. I will try everything you suggested and will post before and after pics! We’ve also since written this article: https://cannonpowerworks.com/blogs/grip-strength/how-to-clean-your-grippers 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VintageWeightsPGH Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 If I find rusty grippers, I’d like to try some of the rust removal methods I’ve used on weight plates and barbells. The previous experiences posted in this thread are excellent information. I just like to experiment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RITParent15 Posted August 10, 2023 Share Posted August 10, 2023 On 2/24/2023 at 9:25 AM, Cannon said: We’ve also since written this article: https://cannonpowerworks.com/blogs/grip-strength/how-to-clean-your-grippers If anyone ever sends you a rusted gripper to clean and rate, rate it first prior to cleaning, and then again after the rust is removed. How the rating changes or not, the change in the spring surface appearance, and the products and cleaning techniques used would be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
climber511 Posted August 10, 2023 Share Posted August 10, 2023 I have cleaned up a few old York bars and a lot of tools with Evapo Rust - it does a very nice job but did change the color. Oxalic acid (can buy on Amazon) or vinegar also works well and doesn't seem to affect the color as much (you want the stronger canning type vinegar). I have heard Coca Cola (the soda) works but have not tried it myself. NO idea what if anything it might do the the glue holding the handles??? It does not seem to affect aluminum any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted August 10, 2023 Share Posted August 10, 2023 51 minutes ago, RITParent15 said: If anyone ever sends you a rusted gripper to clean and rate, rate it first prior to cleaning, and then again after the rust is removed. How the rating changes or not, the change in the spring surface appearance, and the products and cleaning techniques used would be interesting. We’ve done that. Rust affects the rating less than you’d think unless the rust is in the exact right place which is the “arm pits”. The inside of where the spring arms become the coil. That area constricts during a close and rust there adds friction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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