First, let's not judge me on not cleaning this up more than 4 days before I need to use it. Please. But that's my timeline, minus a couple for transport. So, tomorrow.

Second, please don't suggest something that plugs in as a better alternative. We've been making ice cream like this for ~40 years and the time spent around the freezer cranking, laughing and pouring in ice and salt can't be replaced. Kids wandering around a yard, licking the beaters clean that came out of a fresh batch; GOLD. Of course I've obviously not done this in 4+ years now...

We have a rule for all over about age 5; you don't crank, you don't eat, grandparents excluded! Great nephews inbound Friday...

So prelude aside, how can I best clean up the rusted crank on this classic White Mountain mixer? I'm not positive on the material, thought it was cast aluminum but that wouldn't rust like this so I'm thinking some sort of cast metal/steel finished in silver?

I'm less worried with the finish than the rust on the crank device/handle. There are screws under casing so I could theoretically take it apart but I've not tested the strength of those, and would love a solution that could get me to 80% of perfection without having to do that. As you might imagine, there seems to be rust on gears too, you crank, it drops.

I can deal with brushing the bands on tub, those are just there to hold it together and I've got some giant wire ties if one fails.

So, suggestions on how best to clean the crank mechanism?







For the record, I would love to hear from others who have similar childhood/adult experiences with making ice cream like this. We can't find many, but seriously it is so much fun for the kids!


Edit to add

One of the screw heads is out of crank. Just one, just the head, so that answers that question.

I believe the crank will live with one screw for a batch and will work on the restoration and tapping that out later. Still would like not to have vanilla-with-taste-of-iron flavor...

Something like CLR too crazy?

Have the kids lick it clean also!!!! just kidding.

A wire brush on a drill for knocking the rust off of the handle. As for the bands, tape he wood on boath sides, the wire brush will damage the wood....... carefully with a green scrubby pad (thin 3M one) rub the loose stuff off, then hit it with Ospho on a brush......

Wire brush vigorously, naval jelly spread with a small paint brush, wait per instructions, wire brush again. Wash in warm water. Repeat of necessary. I did this recently to an unreadable carpenter's square and the results were fantastic.

The better the pretreat the better the results.

That brings back memories.

My parents loved to backyard grill and we always seemed to have home made ice cream.

It was my job to turn the hand crank as long as I could, then one of the adults would finish it off. My arm would just about feel like it would fall off.

The neighbors had the electric model but Dad just would not buy one, said cost too much money, so we had the hand crank unit.

The ice cream was delicious. My favorites were when Mom would add chopped peaches or strawberries, I think absolute favorite of all was chopped bananas with chopped pecans.

Thanks for the post.

Many fond memories of cranking that handle while sitting on top. Rock salt to keep the ice cold. Top covered with newspaper and towels to keep butt dry. ...........Once at a old tractor/implement show someone had replaced crank handle with a large diameter pulley with a belt that was driven by a running hit / miss (pop-pop motor) that was over 100yrs old. Best homemade vanella/peach ice cream ever. .................. drill sgt.

Google rust remover or old tool restore.
There's some stuff that'll make that look new again.

I have always wanted to try electrolysis https://www.instructables.com/...emoval-DIY-Tutorial/

Sandblast...

I have a sandblast cabinet and clean up old rusty things all the time.

I’d use a nice fine glass grit so as not to damage the metal.

Great cleanup suggestions so far, good luck!
We have been enjoying homemade ice cream multiple times this summer, vanilla, topped with blueberries, or Colorado peaches!
Definitely brings back memories, but we use an electric cranked one now. Almost like cheating!

4 days --- sand blast works great if you already have access to a sand blasting rig.

Try immersing the rusty assembly in a solution of citric acid crystals and warm water for 24 hours before wire brushing. Many grocery stores sell citric acid crystals. They are used in canning fruits and vegetables.

I own a sand blast cabinet and use both rust removal methods -- depending on what is being de-rusted.

Good Luck!

Evaporust, then use green 3M pads, toothbrushes, and copper / bronze brushes if more aggressive scrubbing is needed. I would try to stay away from powered steel brushes.

Great suggestions all, thanks.

Ice cream this weekend!

quote:

For the record, I would love to hear from others who have similar childhood/adult experiences with making ice cream like this. We can't find many, but seriously it is so much fun for the kids!

I'd never had homemade ice cream until the time we went to visit my uncle Ralph on his ranch/farm in western Nebraska the summer of 1959, or 1960 which would have made me 11 or 12 at the time. He pulled out this ancient wooden tub, beaten up old can, and hand cranker from his shed, and told me to go fetch the ice and rock salt while his son Wayne, a few years older than me hand-milked the cows, and my sisters picked peaches. We all took turns cranking, I think my dad was the most eager participant as he'd had the treat before. Best damn ice cream I'd ever had in my life. Afterwards we went fishing for bluegills in Arrowhead Pond, and I caught this huge snapping turtle. Pulled him straight up out of the water, dropped him on the bank, and my dad promptly cut his head off with an axe. It didn't let go of the bait even then, we had to pry his jaws open, and the hook fell right out, he had dangled from the line by jaw strength alone, he wasn't hooked, and would have gotten away easily if he'd let go of his snack. I cast the still-baited hook back in the pond, and promptly caught a bluegill. That was a good day.

I was about 5 or 6 years old when the amount of salt they used struck me as excessive ,
My sad little hamster of a brain toiled over this for a couple of weeks.

How in the world could anything SO caustic as salt make anything taste like ice creme ?

I think it was the first time my dad made me feel like an idiot.and of course my older sister piled on,as well.

He never explained it to me, later that summer mom and I made some on the back stoop, she showed me the whole schmeer .

We never discussed dad's craptastic handling of the prior event.