Australia's Science Forum

This may be a stupid question, but is there a way to stop you tripods going rusty? the ones I have are a mess! and they make mess where ever they go because they drop rust everywhere. Can I clean em up some how? I tried to scrub a couple of em they look better but not much.It's just that they aren't very old (less than two years) just wanted to know if it's normal. Anyway any suggestions much apreciated.
Thanks

Do your students cool them down with water at the end of their pracs? If they do, put a stop to this at once!! That is one of the main causes that I know of. Although, with you being in the NT the humidity may be a problem. I would think they should last longer than 2 years though. Someone else might have some better ideas though.

Yeah Row,

Happens here too , although I'm with Rosalie. Don't let the cherubs cool tripods down with water. Humidity is bad enough without adding to it.

Haven't come up with a cure yet. Trouble is that most things you might cure rust with will give off noxious fumes next time you heat the tripod

Wonder what the makers of CLR would say?

Thanks guys! Im pretty sure they don't get run under water to cool, but yeah the Humidity would have alot to do with it now you mention it.

G'day,
I would first try to get as much rust off as possible and then I would try rubbing a tiny amount of petroleum jelly over the whole tripod. Just enough to give it a fine coating so that when rinsed under water, the water just runs away. There should be no excess of the jelly on the tripod. I understand that the jelly is flammable, but a very fine layer should be okay. Or, you might like to try some other oil. Same process. Good Luck
Maree

Don't worry about the rust. Some of my tripods are over twenty years old and have been rusty all of that time. It just means that your storage area for your tripods gets rust flakes dropped all over the place and tends to look messy. The little bit of rust that rubs off on the kids hands just means that they have to wash their hands occasionally with soap. It's not a problem and if the rust bugs you then clean the tripods with a wire brush.
Lyn.

I'm with Lyn some of my tripods date from when this school was built back in the 70's. Any rust is just a bit messy, it doesn't effect the tripod's useability. If it's really bad I use a wire brush or get a student to do it.
Diana

Rust won't affect their use. If it troubles you, you can purchase a spraycan of heat proof paint (used in the automotive industry) from Supercheap Auto or other and treat with this after first removing the rust with a wire brush or chemical rust remover.

Heat them up with a bunsen in the fume cupboard as this finishes the application process and hey presto - your tripods will appear new - and no, no odour after the initial heat treatment. P.S. Stops the legs unscrewing too if you coat the threads with paint beforehand.

You also get a choice of colours usefull for lab allocations!

Yeah I'm with Lyn and Didee
if they offend you wire brush and coat with "pot belly stove paint" sometimes called stove black from any hardware store