I considered naval jelly (phosphoric acid) and oxalic acid. But I was looking for something that has a relatively neutral pH that carries little risk for harming the surrounding paint. I'd also like something that is in a gel form so it can be applied to a frame.
The only non-acidic rust remover I am aware of is EvapoRust, which is only available as a liquid. Mixing it with corn starch should form a nice thick paste that can be applied to parts that can't be dipped. I don't know yet if it is adequate to remove rust.
Otherwise I'll try the Rust Release gel. It's $26 for a half gallon, but that should be a lifetime supply for me.
...Unless anyone has another non-acid rust removal idea.
John Ferguson New York, NY
***************** Have you tried naval jelly? Should be able to find it in a hardware store. You just paint it on like paint stripper jel. I've used an oxalic acid bath to remove rust from chromed steel bits and it works really well. A few weeks ago I saw a piece on a hot rod show on Speed Channel about a product called Metal Rescue http://www.metalrescue.com that was supposed to be "environmentally friendly" and requested a sample on the site. There's lots of videos there how it works. I've tried to compare it against oxalic acid, but so far have only done it on a couple of really rusty license plate screws I found in the garage. Neither one came out bright and shiny after 24 hours. I've yet to try it on rusty chrome parts.
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John Betmanis Woodstock, Ontario Canada