I live on the top floor of an old apartment building and my shower stopped draining the other day. After trying drano, I upgraded to Pequa last night and its not working. Or it seems like its working, and then it stops. Before, some brownish water came up before it went down. But now that I've poured the last of the Pequa down the drain some really dark rusty water has come up. Is this a good sign? And if I let it sit for an hour or two and flush with warm water I'll be saved? Or do I have to deal with my inept landlord? (Which I'm trying to avoid)
posted by Unred
on Apr 20, 2013 -
13 answers
I play an
Array Mbira. The tines are made of spring steel. I have sweaty hands, so the tines tend to rust unless I coat them with oil. The folks who make the instrument recommend 3-In-One Oil, which is what I've been using. Does it contain anything toxic? Are there other oils I could use to protect the tines?
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posted by gray17
on Dec 28, 2012 -
7 answers
What can I do to restore a beautiful but heavily damaged (rusted, corroded, tarnished) set of silver-plated silverware found on the street?
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posted by cinoyter
on Dec 26, 2012 -
8 answers
[CarFilter] My car is developing some fairly bad rust around the wheel wells. The cost to repair it is prohibitive - what should I do?
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posted by sabotagerabbit
on Jul 4, 2012 -
11 answers
Are there any standards (OSHA, ANSI, IMC, or NEC come to mind) that govern an employers responsibility to ensure that rust in old building structures do not create a hazardous work environment?
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posted by nickerbocker
on Apr 3, 2012 -
6 answers
Is there anything I can do to restore my beautiful, pristine Sabatier carbon steel knife to its original condition?
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posted by enzymatic
on Sep 2, 2011 -
19 answers
Someone (i.e., me) backed the family car into a parking meter a while back, causing a small dent and some cracking in the paint (photo
1,
2,
3). Body shops say this will cost about $600-650 to repair over two days (which is a hassle for my fiancée, who commutes by car). Dealer said over $1000! Main concern is rust, not the dent--this is a hand me down car from 1999. Can we make an acceptable fix ourselves? How?
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posted by Admiral Haddock
on Sep 1, 2011 -
10 answers
I have one of the Kershaw SpeedSafe knives designed by Ken Onion. A little while ago the knife stopped opening all the way when I pushed on the back of the blade. I've opened it up and now I need a little guidance.
There's a bonus question on cleaning / inhibiting rust as well.
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posted by BigSky
on Mar 11, 2011 -
8 answers
I live in an old apartment with radiators. Pipe in kitchen (radiator has been removed, heated pipe remains) has a leaky valve that smells awful. Can someone take a look at these pictures and tell me if there is anything I can do to cover the leaky bit and reduce the smell?
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posted by raztaj
on Jan 6, 2011 -
10 answers
HVAC Advice. I have a six year old house with a Goodman AC system.
Three years ago the evaporator coils rusted like crazy and leaked out -- replaced under warranty. Three years later, low and behold, the coils have started to rust up like crazy. Techs and I are stumped -- "This shouldn't happen." Any ideas?
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posted by cavalier
on May 18, 2010 -
13 answers
Without warning my hot water (and hot water only) has suddenly started running brown, and when I drain a tub of it silt like material is left in the bottom. I suspect it's rust. After running the water for a long time it does not seem to be going away. Am I right in thinking that this is probably my boiler and it should be replaced? The suddenness seems weird. Also: my family has been showing and bathing in this, could it be harmful in any way?
posted by Artw
on Mar 19, 2010 -
19 answers
What the name of the art style of such things as Samorost, where moss, trees and other organics meld with primitive technology?
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posted by The otter lady
on Mar 6, 2010 -
4 answers
Are there any preventative measures, leaving aside driving the car every day, that will prevent my brakes from rusting like mad?
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posted by Cold Lurkey
on Sep 16, 2009 -
12 answers
A ten percent solution of water and molasses is an effective, thorough, but slow way of removing rust from ferrous metals. When the rust/molasses/water has set for a while, you can burn your skin if you are not using gloves. What reaction turns mild mannered molasses, the soul of my baked beans, so nasty?
posted by Raybun
on Sep 10, 2009 -
6 answers
My decade-old dishwasher's racks have started to rust through some blemishes in their protective coating. Can/should I fix this?
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posted by themel
on Aug 2, 2009 -
6 answers
My outside
metal door is rusting.
Is there a quick fix or do I need to sand, prime and repaint?
The rust is more of a discoloration than deep rust.
posted by boby
on May 16, 2009 -
6 answers
How do you clean hard water rust stains from plastic and rubber? The fridge front door where you get water and ice has nasty brown stains on the rubber levers and plastic drip tray.
posted by hardbop
on Jan 25, 2009 -
10 answers
My 2006 Audi A4 is having ignition coil problems. And the dealer is saying because it's water damage related, it's not covered under warranty. I have NOT had the engine cleaned. I have NOT driven into a lake and I live in California where rain is minimal. Help me to not be screwed.
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posted by rileyray3000
on Dec 26, 2008 -
11 answers
How would you make a well-running car or pickup truck look, smell, and/or sound like an eyesore/deathtrap/junker without affecting its real abilities or safety?
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posted by Skorgu
on Oct 2, 2008 -
31 answers
I have a gorgeous cast-iron mortar and pestle, that I use a lot for cooking. Unfortunately, it has some rust, especially on the bottom, probably from when it's washed and left to dry still slightly wet on its bottom.
How should I:
a) get rid of the present rust.
b) avoid future rust.
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posted by signal
on Dec 18, 2007 -
23 answers
I recently got one of my guitars out of its case to find the frets covered in green stuff, and small patches of rust on a few of them....
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posted by chrissyboy
on Dec 13, 2007 -
13 answers
This car is a '97 Toyota and it was was functioning well when parked. It had a flat tire and has been parked in my driveway for three weeks. When I went to change the flat today, I could not get the wheel off. To be clear, the lug nuts all came of relatively easily, but the rim seems to be melded/rusted onto the axle. What do I do? Crowbar? Chisel? Dynamite?
posted by OlderThanTOS
on Nov 1, 2007 -
30 answers
Bicycle was locked outside (it's against the rules to bring it inside the apartment where I live). It rained, and the bicycle wasn't used for some time, and now the lock won't budge (it rusted, I think): key goes in, but doesn't turn.
I tried WD-40 but it didn't work. Before I cut through the lock, are there any other solutions I could try?
posted by sailoreagle
on Oct 30, 2007 -
21 answers
My car's paint is wearing off. I don't care about the cosmetic impact, but I'm worried about rust. What can I do myself (or have done cheaply) that will prevent further damage?
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posted by chrisamiller
on Oct 7, 2007 -
12 answers
I just picked up an old
Honda C-70 scooter and I'd like to get it shined up. Are there any places around Seattle that I can take it to and have the small bits of surface rust fixed and repainted/rechromed?
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posted by azuresunday
on Sep 17, 2007 -
5 answers
Silverwarefilter: As much as I hate to waste a mefi question on this, but I feel I have to because it's driving me crazy. I have a set of stainless steel silverware and a set of cutlery also made of stainless steel (different brands/sets). We wash them in the dishwasher and they are constantly getting these orange like rust stains on them. How do I get rid of these? They can be rubbed off with some heavy scrubbing but I want the stains to stop recurring. Any ideas?
posted by wile e
on Jun 25, 2007 -
9 answers
How can I make something I've fabricated out of cold rolled steel achieve a uniform patina of rust?
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posted by machaus
on May 4, 2007 -
19 answers
What type of lubricant should I use on the hinges to the fire escape window bars? It is exposed to the outdoors. Also, should I use a penetrant to clean them beforehand?
posted by doctorcurly
on Mar 19, 2007 -
5 answers
Oh god no, please help me if you know /anything/ about steel. I have ruined my sword.
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posted by Skyanth
on Sep 5, 2006 -
11 answers
Should I be concerned about excessive rust in my apartment's water supply?
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posted by helios
on Jan 3, 2006 -
7 answers
