muratic acid or vinegar?

[Tim B]

On the subject of cleaning traps---
Do you use muratic acid or a 50/50 solution of water/vinegar??

Im talking about used traps that have a too much rust to dye but its still not a deep pitted rust...the traps are strong...aside from the springs.
Thanks
Tim B

[ShadowMover]

If you clean them with muriatic  acid (hydrochloric acid solution), they will clean up fast and look great for 10 minutes, and then they will start to rust faster than anything you have ever seen.  Any piece of steel in the same room will start to rust too.  If you do use muriatic, be sure to wash the metal very thoroughly after and dry it very quickly. Oil it well too. I'll bet it starts to rust before you can get the oil spread around.

Something a little tamer and not so prone to rust is phosphoric acid used to clean driveways and bricks. It is the main component in Naval Jelly. It is a fairly strong acid too, so wear gloves and eye protection.

[Newt]

I'll try again
On real rusty and gacked up traps
I tumble them to clean'm.
Use a concret mixer(not a morter mixer) with P-gravel and water in it. It'll clean up the traps in about 20 minites to a half hour.Down to bear steel. Just like sand blast'n. They will rust up in a couple of hours for retreating.
 I runed a mess of traps one year by useing acid. I thought I had nultrized the acid. But I guess I did'nt do it good enough. By the next fall,they Fell apart.