How to deal with rust on weight equipment?

A friend gave me about 100lbs of weights, including a weight bar, for me to add to my collection. I'm very grateful he's donated them to me. However the bar and some of the weights have some rust on them, and I'd like to basically wipe it off, and find some way to limit new rust from occuring. I did some basic searching of the forums using the keyword "rust" and didn't really find anything. So I am hoping some of you veterans of iron can give me (and others who read this thread) some ideas on what to do about rust on weights and weight equipment.

Thank you in advance! :)

[QUOTE=Ultron;204581751]A friend gave me about 100lbs of weights, including a weight bar, for me to add to my collection. I'm very grateful he's donated them to me. However the bar and some of the weights have some rust on them, and I'd like to basically wipe it off, and find some way to limit new rust from occuring. I did some basic searching of the forums using the keyword "rust" and didn't really find anything. So I am hoping some of you veterans of iron can give me (and others who read this thread) some ideas on what to do about rust on weights and weight equipment.

Thank you in advance! :)[/QUOTE]

Depending on how bad it is you coud try some steel wool. If there is a lot of rust a wire brush attachment in a power drill would work and then wipe them down with something like bleach in case any mold was present.

I will soon have the same problem, the gym set im buying has slight rust, and i wanna get it away, ill try the steel wool thing and see if it works

my olympic bar and weights have been in the backyard for 3 years now; rust is showing on the bar and on some of the plates where the paint coating is chipped.

i just let it go! if the weights are going to be outside they will eventually rust; so what! it doesnt effect their function in any way!

if you must deal with rust, after you remove rust; wire brush, sandpaper, steel wool, you will have to recoat the iron with something to prevent it from re-rusting. primer and paint, have it chromed etc...

IMO its really not worth the battle!
lift the weights and dont worry about their appearance!

what if the bench/uprights has rust, is that something to worry about?

Your muscles don't care about the rust, so why should you?

[QUOTE=dougf;204718091]Bottom line is you need to take care of you're equipment. Equipment maintenance is paramount. Letting little things go leads to bigger maintenance issues.

Clean the rust off with steel wool. If the metal is pitted, clean with a wire brush. Apply a product called POR15. It will hold up very well. It is commonly applied to vehicle undercarriage parts. A popular color is semi-gloss black. Or, if you want the metal to remain natural, apply a light coat of WD40. It repels moisture and will stop rust. Re-Wipe every week and it should be fine.[/QUOTE]

When using the POR14, does the existing paint need to be stripped off first?
Any concerns with having this exposed to our hands constantly?

Does anyone know what kind of paint is used on regular dumbbells?

On the weights, just wire brush them and spray on some rust converter. Turns what's left into a smooth black primer, has worked well for me. On the equipment, do the same, just make sure it is surface rust and not wearing through the joints or anything like that.

[QUOTE=nacrogyn;204594201]what if the bench/uprights has rust, is that something to worry about?[/QUOTE]

Bad enough it could compromise safety.

get a tetanus shot.

i used to soak my rusty weights in coke-a-cola then use a steel brush to scrub them off and rinse em off real good.

also try not to get rust in your eyes or mouth.

[QUOTE=johnderriLLL;205327191]get a tetanus shot.

i used to soak my rusty weights in coke-a-cola then use a steel brush to scrub them off and rinse em off real good.

also try not to get rust in your eyes or mouth.[/QUOTE]

i loled at the "get a tetanus shot" part, but still safe and good advice :)