Bicycle Mechanics - Okay, this was not smart...

Nothing wrong with my cassette, just a little dirty. During a recent wheel swap I say to myself, "why not drop it in some degreaser and let it sit?" I did just that, and forgot about it, for several weeks. Went to retrieve it today to find much of the Park Tool degreaser gone, and the 12T, 13T, and 14T cogs rusted! Thought it would be "safe" in degreaser, guess I was wrong. Can this rust be removed, or do I need to buy a new cassette, or at least new cogs? Lessons learned...

How rusted? ... a photo would be nice.

yes it can be remove, just ride it and the chain will remove the rust.

Seems your de-greaser was water-based and consists of soap. Or a more expensive chemical collaboration that is...Soap. It removed the grease and oil that was protecting the cassette from oxidation - RUST - and you didn't get around to replacing the protection. Result = RUST.

This is what happened. Now oil it and do as bikeman suggests - ride it and the chain should take the thin layer of rust off. Keep it oiled and maintained. As you had been attempting...when...:eek:...:D

Here are some pics, worse on small cogs, just seems to have rubbed off on some of the larger ones:

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/tigerbike97/IMG_7403_A.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/tigerbike97/IMG_7419_A.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/tigerbike97/IMG_7420_A.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/tigerbike97/IMG_7422_A.jpg

Nothing. Zip. Nada. No problem. A grandfalloon.*


* from Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - "If you wish to examine a grandfalloon, remove the skin of a toy balloon.

Here are some pics, worse on small cogs, just seems to have rubbed off on some of the larger ones:
Nothing a little work with a wire brush couldn't fix. Or even just some steel wool or a Brillo pad.

looks like it deposited the rust back onto the cogs.

give it a thin film of light oil if you're going to store it after you clean it. otherwise when you lube the chain, any excess from that will give the cogs a nice protective layer of oil.

Soaking cassettes in oil based solvents is fine. Soaking them in water based solvents is like... soaking them in water.
Oil that up and ride it, it'll be fine. If it bothers you do as others have suggested with a wire brush or light abrasive pad to remove it first.

Thanks, this is a relief. I'll probably wire brush it, then oil it up and ride, much appreciated!