De-rusting and Painting Plates

[JustinP72]

I picked up a set of plates (Marcy Grip 45s, 25s, 10s, & 5s) along with an Olympic bar for $130 and everything has rust to a certain extent. (See attached).
From what I've read, you can scrub the plates with a wire brush, then give them a vinegar bath for 2-3 days to take care of the rest, then paint them. Anyone have experience with this? Or just paining plates in general? I've read Rust-Oleum paint plus primer is the best for the job. I also thought spraying them with truck bed liner could produce an interesting result. I'm only keeping the 45s, so I could experiment with the others. Any thoughts are appreciated!

[grapegorilla]

I am no expert, but my brief experiments with vinegar do cut rust, but it not treated quickly post-vinegar the rust returns pretty quick. My buddy swears by a product called Krud Kutter that removes the rust and protects the metal from further corrosion. It's next on my list to try.

[Duplicitous]

That's really minimal. I think you could do a citric acid or vinegar bath without having to wire wheel. Then oil or paint.

[JustinP72]

I have a can of Krud Kutter and Herculiner (truck bed spray liner) along with a wire brush coming over the weekend, but got impatient and picked up a can of Krylon Fusion All-in-One Flat White paint and went to town on the 5lbs. I sprayed them with Goo Gone and let them sit and wiped thoroughly with a cloth before painting. Pictures of one before and after attached. I think they turned out really well! A wire brush would definitely help get more of the old paint and rust off, but overall I'm very satisfied with the result. I don't know how the paint will hold up with regular use; but I assume if it scratches you could respray and spray a sealant for added protection. Next up are the 10lbs wire brushed, Krud Kleaner applied, then the Hurculiner. The 5s & 10s are going on the sale block as I only need the 45s and might keep the 25s. My goal is to figure out what I want and how to do it best for the 45s. So far, so good.

[Greybird2]

I sure wouldn't spend much time on Marcy plates. Flip them all, Order a couple of Rogue deep dish plates.

[jjflash45]

I have successfully removed rust from lots and lots of plates with plain old white vinegar from the grocery store (either 4 or 5%). I've also used the 20% but, it is not worth the extra cost when the 5% works just fine. Usually a 3 day soak and quick rinse in water with baking soda added; minimizes the flash rust. I have also use plain water and hose down with WD-40. It still flash rusts a little but, I clean with acetone and spray with RustOleum's Rust Reformer before actually applying paint. I have also use oxalic acid; removes the rust but not the original paint. The other rust treatments like phosphoric acid or Rust Dissolver, Krud Kutter, etc. leave behind a buildup film. I've also used oxalic acid which removes the rust and leaves the original paint. Takes more time but, I rehabbed a 1940s Weider Ironmaster set and just left them bare with what little paint was left.

[220Eric]

I used a wire welding brush and trying to knock off the loose stuff. Then I sprayed flat black rustoleum in one coat. I’ve done several pairs like this. The only problem I’ve had was spraying too many coats (3 I think) and the corners on those were kind of rounded.