What is Naval Jelly and What is it Used For?
What is naval jelly? If your mind immediately goes to the time that you and your spouse were having a baby and the doctor applied some jelly-like substance to your belly in order to do a sonogram, you’re not thinking about the right product. As it turns out, naval jelly is the rather comical name given to a very potent rust removal product made by Loctite. The company claims that it can remove rust on virtually anything. If you want to know more, go ahead and take the time to read through the rest of this article. Everyone loves a rustic look, but no one wants rust where it’s unwelcome.
What Is It?
If you really want to get technical, it is a chemical product made up of approximately 70% water and 30% phosphoric acid. Those levels are approximate because there are trace amounts of a few other things thrown in for good measure, things like sulfuric acid and a chemical called thixotropic polysaccharide. Unless you just happened to be a scientist, all of those chemical names probably don’t mean a lot to you. What you need to know is whether or not this product works. In short, you want to know what it’s capable of doing. You probably also would like to know whether or not it’s safe. Fortunately, all of those questions are about to be answered.
What Does It Do?
You already know that it removes rust. That said, what can you actually use it on? Are there certain items that it shouldn’t be used on? What do you have to do in order to use it successfully? It’s not always as simple as going out, buying a product and then applying it to a surface in order to reveal some newly restored finish like magic. In fact, things hardly ever work out like that. After all, this is real life, not one of those late-night infomercials. So, how well does it work and what steps do you have to follow in order to get the best results? You can use this product on any ferrous metal. Most people use it to dissolve rust on automobiles, but that certainly isn’t the only place that it can be used. In reality, it actually does work very well, provided that you follow the instructions.
How Do You Use It?
You can either spray it on or apply it with a brush. However, it’s important to know that if you are working on something with a painted surface, you shouldn’t get the naval jelly on any of the paint because it will damage it. For example, you might decide to use a brush to apply it to rust on an automobile unless you plan on repainting the entire thing. Apply it carefully, allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes, and then wash it off with water. In most cases, it will take all of the rust off in a single application. If not, you can apply it a second time, following the same guidelines. The big thing to remember here, aside from the fact that it will damage paint, is that it gets rid of old rust but doesn’t prevent new rest from taking its place. Therefore, it’s a good idea to paint the surface that you have just treated within 24 hours. Otherwise, you might find yourself going back to square one and doing the entire process again.
Use Caution
As you can probably imagine, anything that is capable of removing rust from metal can be quite harsh. As a result, you have to be very careful when you’re using it because you don’t want to cause harm to the environment or to yourself. It’s important to remember that this product is harmful to the environment. Therefore, you don’t want to simply spray it off and allow it to soak into the ground, nor do you want to allow it to go down the drain. Instead, it’s best to create a catch-all system where all of the water that you spray to rinse off the product is trapped in a system where it can then be properly disposed of. Laying plastic that will allow you to filter the contents of that plastic into an empty jug is a good idea. It’s also worth mentioning that this product is harmful if swallowed. You also don’t want to allow it to stay on your skin for long periods of time. If children or pets get a hold of it, the consequences can be dire. If you find that someone has swallowed this product inadvertently, call Poison Control or Animal Poison Control immediately and follow their instructions to the letter.
The best thing you can do is use caution while you’re using it and take precautions to keep it out of reach of children and pets while simultaneously protecting the environment. When you are storing it, keep it out of reach of anyone who doesn’t know how to use it properly. It’s a product that works, but it isn’t something that should be handled carelessly. At the end of the day, you want a product that is capable of getting rid of rust effectively. This is a product that can get the job done, to be sure. However, it’s like virtually every other chemical out there. It isn’t something that should be toyed with or used by someone who doesn’t know exactly what they’re doing. After all, any product that is capable of removing rust from metal is going to be something that you don’t want to come into contact with the environment or anyone that you love. The product can be used both safely and effectively when it’s properly used. However, it does require that you pay close attention to detail and know exactly what you’re doing when you use it. Learning how to use it properly will not only keep you and your loved ones safe, but it will also ensure that you get the results that you want every time. In addition, it’s a lot more cost-effective than taking your car to an auto body shop in order to remove a little rust and repaint the surface. This way, you can handle the job from start to finish yourself.
