What is the best way you have found to restore rusty plates?

[snot]

Have recently restored a Model F plate with decent success by soaking it in vinegar, sanding, then repainting. Just wondering if any of you have found any good techniques for restoring plates as I will definitely be restoring some more in the future.

One of the biggest problems I have faced is surface rust appearing after soaking the plate in vinegar. I am also not very experienced with painting so suggestions would also be appreciated as I have had issues with paint scratching and chipping easily.

[TheMilkmen]

I was just about to ask something similar, since I need to clean an old Wang board and the rust on that.

[okrutnik]

Isn't vinegar supposed to remove rust? Maybe it just made the corrosion more apparent, and maybe easier to remove mechanically? I reached for my knowledge stash and found this guide, also Chyros mentions in one of his videos using a magic potion for Amstrad springs. Apparently it's just a phosphoric acid solution and it can be found in many products for us non-chemist plebeians. It's also present in coke if you're desperate.

Note I'm not speaking from personal experience, I've used only things like WD-40 for stiff parts (clearly not a use case here). Also didn't have a model F plate, but I suppose it's just steel. Whatever you choose, I would test it on rusted nails or something, first

[fohat]

Vinegar cleans but leaves the surface exposed and vulnerable to flash rust.
After you have gotten it the way you want it, paint it immediately. Today, tomorrow may be too late.

[Findecanor]

White vinegar is part of a recipe I use to rust steel quickly...

I would look for automotive primer and paints. There should be products with anti-rust protection.

[Chyros]

I use a 10% aqueous solution of concentrated H3PO4. Converts with relatively low material loss, doesn't cause mechanical stress, and permanently passivates.

[ag36]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000TAPAUG

This rust remedy also works as a filler.