Thanks for the replies and suggestions everyone.  Poddy Doger you made me laugh LOL!!

I wire brushed it, and then rubbed it it vinegar and water, then dried it, rubbed it with oil, then baked it for an hour or two.  It is still cooling.  I'll get a photo tomorrow when it is able to be handled.

The lid was in the worst condition out of the two pieces.  I used a scredriver and scraped a lot away using it.

My mum will be pleased to hear that you think her camp oven is nice and an antique LOL!!

Thanks for that article too, was an interesting read.

Oh I definately think I will be able to cook in it now, which is good.

Thanks for the info about the bail.  Ok here are the after photos.  Sorry, I don't know how to put more than one photo at a time on a mesage.

Ok.. another day another old campoven.  I was talking to my friend on the phone (she is a retired geologist) and she said I could have her camp oven. 

The lid is the only really bad rust area, but seems quite light rust compared to the lid on my mums campoven.  It is 12 inches across and has tiny little legs which seem to small to be useful.  She says she bought it in Brisbane in about 1987.  So not as old as my mothers, and I think you can tell that a bit by how it looks, it looks more like my new one than my  mums older one.

I'm not sure if I want to fix it.. it reminds me of my friend and her years as a field geologist, she has been talking lately of needing to move into a unit and about going into a nursing home (in Victoria where her son is, we are in Brisbane now).  Very sad, I think I want it left the way it is to remind me of her.  Anyway, I will think about it a bit more before I attempt to clean it.

You did a really good job on that Violet.  Very good in fact.

With the other one, if you don't remove the rust it can only deteriorate more so I would if I was you.


Derek

Hi Crazy Dog,

Correct me if I am wrong,

If I have a battery charger and I attach the red lead to some metal (do not submerge the red clamp) attach the black clamp to the rusty item (this clamp can be submerged) throw it in a large plastic container of solution being 10 grams of washing soda to a litre of water or 1 teaspoon to 1 pint of water (Allow the crystals to desolve prior to chucking in whatever).

Now is that about it, can I start unscrewing those funny little clamps that hold our poptop caravan roof down (they are the only scabby looking things on our van due to being a bit rusty)

Is that how it works.

Wonder what hubby is going to say when I start using his battery charger.



Cheers
Kate