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Anyone have experience cleaning Rust off of a PCB?

I have a balltop thread that's rusted REALLY good and tight on a Neo Geo AES stick. Do you think any of these products would work for that application?
 
kikaso said:
I’ve had very good experience removing rust using Evaporust. That being said, I have not tried it on PCBs. It’s very safe to handle so it’s worth a try.
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I second the Evaporust thing. I think its safe for skin too!

I recently obtained some 'Blue and Rust Remover' which is usually used for firearms but also popular for antiques. My first thought was using it on a pcb, but i will probably end up using it on old tools first.

Good luck!
 
one thought I did have was to try mixing evaporust with Xanthum Gum to make it into a sort of paste that could be spread over the effected area. No idea if this would negatively impact the rust removal properties though.
 
brizzo said:
This is what I was going to recommend trying. I've never tried it on a pcb either, but it worked great on rusty steel parts in the past.

Naval Jelly is phosphoric acid and converts the rust to a white powder
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My fear is that acid (phosphoric or acetic, in case of long vinegar soaking) will react not only with rust, but also with copper traces that could be exposed or other metal parts originally came with the pcb
 
Whoah, surprised no one gave my suggestion of using oxallic acid a whirl. You can try the lower concentration stuff they sell at Home Depot to see if it works. Its found where they sell the Ajax/Comet stuff. Similar shaped and sized cylindrical container but has silver labeling. It is called 'Bar Keeper's Friend'. Can't vouch for 'Bar Keeper's Friend' working for this application. But I know the pure oxallic acid I got off eBay works for both copper on PCB's and on tin as confirmed on monitor chassis. But hey, a can of 'Bar Keeper's Friend' is two bucks.
 
Skip all that, rusty pcbs gets hit with,

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$2 a bottle, works great, wear gloves though. Usually a few minutes and a scrub with a toothbrush and watch all the the rusty bits come off. Risne your boards well and repeat in part if needed.
 
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