# Rusting Iris



## PolishWineP (Dec 24, 2006)

Our iris on our floor corker is rusting. Bert took it apart &amp; cleaned it up today, but we need to know what to put on it to keep it from rusting. I would have sworn I'd seen this on the forum before but can't find it.




I'll go drink some wine and wait for an answer.


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## Wade E (Dec 24, 2006)

Maybe some food grade spray lubricant? Or maybe vegetable oil like George told Joan to put on her new press!


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## jcnoren (Dec 24, 2006)

EVO maybe extra virgin olive oil.... only because I find it a little thicker... might stick more... That is only an educated guess
JC


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## Wade E (Dec 24, 2006)

Better yet, Lets keep it in our best interests with GRAPESEED oil.


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## PolishWineP (Dec 24, 2006)

Bert said it's not really the iris, it's the pocket in which the iris sits.


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## smurfe (Dec 25, 2006)

PolishWineP said:


> Bert said it's not really the iris, it's the pocket in which the iris sits.




Mine was doing the same thing. What I started doing was taking a paper towel or two and shoving down in the iris until it sets in the pocket to absorb the moisture that collects there. The rust that had collected on mine was surface rust and wiped off easily. Since I have put the towel in there, I haven't had the rust. 


One note to all that do attempt to take a corker apart, those springs that hold the iris in place hold some stored energy so be careful. I started to take mine apart. When I took the screws that hold the plates that hold the iris in out the iris about "rocketed" up and out. I don't know how tough it would be to get them back in place. I guess it can be done, but just be careful disassembling the unit to avoid injury.


Smurfe


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## PolishWineP (Dec 25, 2006)

Thanks all! We want to avoid all food oils because they do, after a while, havea tendency to go bad.



I also want to avoid any cork contamination. It's all so hard some days!



Good warning on the disassembly. I can see the hazards there.


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## Angell Wine (Dec 25, 2006)

petroleum jelly ?


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## Joanie (Dec 25, 2006)

Peanut butter and jelly?


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## PolishWineP (Dec 25, 2006)

It's a thought. I am going to try to get a small amount of food safe lube. The problem is the small amount. I just want to avoid contaminating the corks.


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## Joanie (Dec 25, 2006)

Well then the jelly part might work...it is a grape thing and all.


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## grapeman (Dec 25, 2006)

The floor corkers actually use brass irises in most cases unless they are plastic(which wouldn't rust). This is actually oxydation on the brass. It is tricky but the best semi-permanent fix would be to disassemble the iris and clean the parts of the oxydation. This could be a hazard so caution should be observed as noted by Smurfe.After the surfaces are cleanapply several thin coats of a spray laquer(no not liquor) to prevent further oxydation. Reassemble when dry and you should be all set without fear of food contaminatin from oils.


Here is an article that covers such related rusting-oxydation.



*Unstable Metals* 


Many metals are very unstable. Think of it. You just don't go up to upper Minnesota and find steel I beams growing out of the ground. A trip to the hills of Jamaica will not uncover aluminum cans or aluminum siding sprouting from the hillsides. On the contrary - aluminum, steel, copper, zinc and other metals look much different in their natural state. The metal ions are often coupled with other elements. Iron, for example, is often coupled with oxygen. The mineral hematite is simply 2 atoms of iron and 3 atoms of oxygen - Fe2O3. The iron is very happy in this state. Heck, it probably was like that for millions of years! 


When we refine metals we change all that. We throw the iron ore into a blast furnace and strip away the oxygen atoms. We produce raw steel. The steel is very unhappy and wants to get back to its original state. It will readily do this in the presence of water. The result is rust! Rust is simply stable iron - Fe2O3


Brass is no different. Brass is simply an alloy of copper and zinc. Both copper and zinc are unstable in their refined states. Combined they are still unstable. The tarnish that develops on brass is basically "rust". Tarnish and rust are actually protective coatings. When this film forms on the surface further oxidation or "rusting" is slowed down. The tarnish or rust hides the remaining pure metal from the outside elements. That is why each time we polish steel, brass, or sterling silver, it begins to tarnish again. The tarnish wants to protect the remaining pure metal. 


*The Tool Industry* 


Nearly 25 years ago the tool industry developed a way to coat metals with stable metals. The coating helped improve performance and extend tool life. An ultra-thin layer of gold was applied to titanium nitride drill bits. 


About five years ago the light bulb went off in someone's head. They decided to try the same thing with brass. An alloy of nickel was used. Working in a vacuum, they applied an ultra-thin layer - forty millionths of an inch thick! - to the brass. Then a hardener was applied. Zirconium was added in the presence of nitrogen. The result was a metallic protective layer on the polished brass. The most interesting thing was that the layers of the metals were so thin, you could see through them! Tarnish free brass was here. It will soon be available in just about any form. Regular brass hardware and plumbing fixtures are readily available. Just about any brass piece will probably be able to be purchased with a lifetime tarnish-free guarantee. 


In fact, I'll bet that within 10 years you will be able to take old brass objects like my porch lights and have them cleaned and coated with the magic metal films. It is just a matter of time before a company offers this service. The technology is here. All you will have to do is arrange the back and forth shipment! 


*Regular Restoration* 


For now I'm stuck with restoring my brass fixtures. Outdoor brass suffers and tarnishes more readily than indoor brass. The reason is simple. Moisture accelerates the chemical reaction that results in tarnish. Couple that with the destructive forces of ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight and you have a real problem. 


UV rays can erode and blast apart the resins that make up clear lacquer coatings on decorative brass. The naked eye can't see this happening. However, it happens the instant you hang those fixtures or brass house numbers. What's worse is that you do not know the quality of the lacquer that was used at the brass factory. Perhaps a cheap lacquer was used. Perhaps only two coats were applied. All this in an effort to save money. 


If you want to minimize restoration work on your existing or new brass, then you must coat the brass with 3 to 5 coats of clear lacquer before you place it outside. Spray lacquers are easy to apply and dry rapidly. Experiment on a scrap piece of metal before spraying the real piece. 


Exterior brass needs to be recoated each year to prevent tarnish. Don't let your brass get away from you like mine did!


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## Wade E (Dec 25, 2006)

Very interesting article Appleman. Thanks for sharing.


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## kutya (Dec 25, 2006)

I'm wondering if it's humid where you guys live? My corker is pretty new, but I haven't seen any rust yet? I have been wiping it out really well when I'm done....


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## PolishWineP (Dec 26, 2006)

Great answers everyone! Like the notion of the grape jelly!



Appleman, I've learned something new today! Loads of good ideas and I think we'll find something our suit our needs. Thanks for all the quick replies.


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## PeterZ (Dec 26, 2006)

If I had the corrosion problem, my choice would be Behlen's Salad Bowl Oil. This is a non-toxic, food grade finish that does not go rancid (not bug food) and cures to a pretty robust finish. It is used for - you guessed it - finishing wood salad bowls and cutting boards. You can get it at any woodworkers' specialty store or on-line.


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## Waldo (Dec 26, 2006)

My choice of fixes would be to send the iris to jobe and let him powder coat it


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