Can cleaning questions

[East_Tn_Bottle_Guy]

I tried soaking a can in lemon juice to clean it. I couldn't read anything on it (but on top it said Pabst so I knew what it would look like). I soaked it for I think 2 days. (This was a while ago so I'm not entirely sure of the amount of time I soaked it for). At first it was going great. When I removed it I could see the writing now but there was residue on it from soaking. I removed it at night so I had to wait till the next afternoon to rinse it off. Once I rinsed it off though, all the paint rubbed off leaving bare metal. Did I soak it for too long? Or maybe scrub it too hard?

 

[Rodwon]

Try gently wiping the can with Liquid Bar Keepers' Friend. Of course you'll never bring back the details under the rust but perhaps the Pabst logo might become more readable.

 

[East_Tn_Bottle_Guy]

Thanks for the info. I was more talking about what I could try in the future, not necessarily on this particular can though.

 

[CanadianBottles]

Yeah I think two days is too long. It's been a while since I did it but I don't remember keeping them in for that long. I think what I was doing was checking every few hours to see how it was coming along and washing the rust off each time I was able to. I don't think I usually kept them in for more than a day. You also want to scrub it very carefully. I think I was gently rubbing with my fingers under running water rather than using anything abrasive or even a cloth. Definitely don't take this as advice to apply to any potentially valuable cans though, these are just hazy memories from probably a decade or so ago.

 

[East_Tn_Bottle_Guy]

Yeah I think two days is too long. It's been a while since I did it but I don't remember keeping them in for that long. I think what I was doing was checking every few hours to see how it was coming along and washing the rust off each time I was able to. I don't think I usually kept them in for more than a day. You also want to scrub it very carefully. I think I was gently rubbing with my fingers under running water rather than using anything abrasive or even a cloth. Definitely don't take this as advice to apply to any potentially valuable cans though, these are just hazy memories from probably a decade or so ago.

Thanks for the info. I'll try to keep an eye on one throughout the day over the weekend and see how it turns out.

 

[Canadacan]

Try something a tad more powerful, oxalic acid is what most can diggers use. In this particular case I doubt the result would have been different as this can is pretty roached. When you are doing a can in better condition you have to be careful as paint fade can also happen.

 

[East_Tn_Bottle_Guy]

Try something a tad more powerful, oxalic acid is what most can diggers use. In this particular case I doubt the result would have been different as this can is pretty roached. When you are doing a can in better condition you have to be careful as paint fade can also happen.

Alright, I'll try to find some some oxalic acid and try that out. I've got a couple cans in significantly better condition, I just wanted to know how bad can the condition be and still be salvageable. Thanks.

 

[hemihampton]

Alright, I'll try to find some some oxalic acid and try that out. I've got a couple cans in significantly better condition, I just wanted to know how bad can the condition be and still be salvageable. Thanks.

Condition can be pretty bad & still salvageable. I fixed this Rusty flat as a pancake Cone Top. Still need to add a Top. BUT, I was told it was way to far gone & would be impossible to fix? LEON.

 

[East_Tn_Bottle_Guy]

Condition can be pretty bad & still salvageable. I fixed this Rusty flat as a pancake Cone Top. Still need to add a Top. BUT, I was told it was way to far gone & would be impossible to fix? LEON.

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Wow!! That's incredible!! Did you use oxalic acid? And how did you round it out again?

 

[hemihampton]

Yes I did. Rounding out takes many years of experience.