Rust Removal

[rrog]

I tried searching but I'm not having luck. So if this question has already been answered, please just point me in the right direction. I want to know how to clean rust off a Stetson fur felt hat. I was shaping the back of the brim and placed a notebook on the rear of the brim to keep it flat. The next morning I took off the notebook and right in the middle of the rear part of the brim is a rust circle from the 3 ring binder from the notebook. This is one of my favorite Stetsons and I'd hate it if I've ruined it. Does anyone know how to clean rust without destroying the hat?

Thanks,
rrog

 

[zetwal]

I misplaced my copy of the following book at the moment. It's around here somewhere, just not where I expected it to be. If someone else has one handy they can look it up for you. There is information on this topic in there. I can find it for you later if no one else provides the information first.

Scientific Hat Finishing and Renovating by Henry L. Ermatinger, New York, 1919.

 

[zetwal]

Found it! Page 35 reads as follows. If you try it out, please do make sure you know how to handle the substance in question.

Rust, iron and metallic stains, can be removed by applying a saturate solution of oxalic acid, afterwards sponging off with warm water.

 

[Dewhurst]

If this oxalic acid method is tried, I would like to know if it works or not.

Make sure to test it on a hidden spot of the hat first, to make sure the reaction is not adverse.

 

[rlk]

More about Oxalic Acid

http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/oxalic_acid.html

 

[buler]

Found it! Page 35 reads as follows. If you try it out, please do make sure you know how to handle the substance in question.

Rust, iron and metallic stains, can be removed by applying a saturate solution of oxalic acid, afterwards sponging off with warm water.

When I collected beer cans back in high school we would use oxalic acid to remove rust from them. You could find cans completely coated with rust in farmers fields and if you mixed it just right and soaked it for the right amount of time, the rust would all come off and the paint would still be fine on the can. I can't remember what the mixture ratio was....

B

 

[tonyb]

I've used Whink brand rust stain remover to good effect on cotton fabric. I'd guess it would work well on fur felt. It can be found in the laundry products section of many supermarkets.

 

[rrog]

Thanks for the replies. I haven't had a chance to try any of the remedies yet but I'll post the results when I do. I'll probably start with the Whink brand first. Sounds the least risky...

rrog

 

[rrog]

Here's an update on my rust problem...

I've looked for Whink and RoVer rust remover at Kroger, Food City, Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, a local hardware store, Walgreens and CVS and could not find any at all. So I then tried a Tide Stain Stick, which did absolutely no good. Then I took my hat to a dry cleaner. The guy said he had something that he could "hit it" with and it would make the rust instantly disappear. But he thought there was a chance it might leave a cleaning ring/spot that would show compared to the coloring of the surrounding felt. I thought this was an acceptabe risk.

Wrong! Whatever he "hit it" with did not completelly remove the rust. There is still a little bit there. But the cleaning ring is very pronounced and it seems to have a blueish tint to it where the rust spot is. I was thinking a cleaning ring might eventually turn the color of the surrounding felt with the passage of time. But I'm afraid the spot is so bad that it's more than a cleaning ring. I'm afraid it's taken some of the color out of the felt. But on the plus side, at least the chemical didn't cause a hole where the rust spot was. And my wife says no one will ever notice, since it's on the upper side of the back of the hat. It would take a significantly taller person than me to be able to look down on it enough to actually see it.

I guess the lesson to be learned here is to not be dumb enough to put a notebook with a metal ring face down on a wet piece of felt. My mistake.

rrog

 

[Aureliano]

Send it to Optimo. Or call them for advise.