How to remove rust/gunk from old valueable (?) tools - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How to remove rust/gunk from old valueable (?) tools

Posted: 10/16/2017 8:39:42 PM EDT

without ruining any value they may have? One of my elderly customers loves to give me some of his old junk sometimes. The stuff is everything from an old WWII M1 bayonet with scabbard and belt to old folding knives with cracked/missing parts to old wooden handled drills. The rust is everywhere from small/light to heavy stuff so parts don't even move.

I do have a couple of air compressors. A large one and a small one. I am open to chemical/abrasives/etc...

Nothing has a great deal of value, but I don't want to ruin what little these things have.

Posted: 10/16/2017 9:14:30 PM EDT

[#1]

Kroil, allow it to soak in

Maybe also use the finest grade steel or copper wool on any tougher areas, again, soaked in Kroil

Posted: 10/16/2017 9:19:50 PM EDT

[#2]

Electrolysis

Posted: 10/16/2017 9:26:43 PM EDT

[#3]

Evaporust

Posted: 10/16/2017 9:27:09 PM EDT

[#4]

Lots of folks in the antique business use a molases and water mixture to remove rust without harming paint and other finishes. I believe it's a 50:50 ratio. You have to submerge it and let it soak for a couple weeks. When you take it out I'll be perfectly clean of rust. The solution is a chelator Google it for more info. Lots of metal detectorist use this to clean finds. You can also use electrolysis.

Posted: 10/16/2017 10:10:15 PM EDT

[#5]

You can also use plain old white vinegar as well to soak it in.

Posted: 10/16/2017 10:19:35 PM EDT

[#6]

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Quoted:
Evaporust

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Yep

Posted: 10/16/2017 10:28:32 PM EDT

[#7]

Vinegar and a couple drops of dawn dish soap

Posted: 10/16/2017 10:49:31 PM EDT

[#8]

Vinegar and molasses I have - electrolysis I don't have and the evaporust I can buy.

Posted: 10/16/2017 11:12:22 PM EDT

[#9]

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Quoted:
Vinegar and a couple drops of dawn dish soap

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I've used vina get on a bucket of hammer heads I had. Works well, may remove metal on hammer face in weird pattern. I assumed the deeper etched parts were from work hardening. The faces reground fine.

Large cast parts I have done electrolysis and sand blasting. Electrolysis is a big setup but almost no work and it leaves a black oxide coating that's great to paint on.

Sand blasting takes more work and can also give a good surface to paint on.

I just did a bench vise in a caustic borax solution in a hot ultrasonic bath. Great for mild rust and oil and grease removal.

Posted: 10/16/2017 11:22:00 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
Vinegar and molasses I have - electrolysis I don't have and the evaporust I can buy.

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Electrolysis is pretty easy to do. You need a power supply, manual battery charger is great. A rubbermaid tote, 5 gallon bucket, or kiddy pool for the tank. Steel plate, old mower blades, any unplanned steel to sacrafice. Some wire to connect plates, a bit more wire to connect part to be cleaned. Washing soda to make water slightly caustic to allow electrical current to flow through water.

Posted: 10/17/2017 1:09:30 AM EDT

[#11]

Oxalic acid bath

Evap-O-Rust

Posted: 10/17/2017 6:13:46 AM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Yep

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Evaporust

Yep

yep

get it at harbor freight, it works

Posted: 10/17/2017 9:08:17 AM EDT

[#13]

Kano Kroil.

Posted: 10/21/2017 11:39:51 AM EDT

[#14]

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Quoted:
Evaporust

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+1.

Posted: 10/21/2017 11:47:35 AM EDT

[#15]

50/50 mix of acetone and ATF fluid.

Posted: 10/21/2017 11:52:55 AM EDT

[#16]

I don't suggest vinegar. I experimented with various methods a couple years ago and vinegar was one. It got the rust off a pair of channel locks pretty well but it corroded the material. I used them about 6 months later and they snapped in half. YMMV.

Evaporust works if you can submerge the item. Electrolosis works great. A good old fashion wire wheel on a grinder does pretty darn good too. WD-40 and Scotch Brite, too.

Posted: 10/21/2017 1:17:21 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
Lots of folks in the antique business use a molases and water mixture to remove rust without harming paint and other finishes. I believe it's a ~~50:50~~ 1:20 ratio. You have to submerge it and let it soak for a couple weeks a couple of days at a time. When you take it out I'll be perfectly clean of rust. The solution is a chelator Google it for more info. Lots of metal detectorist use this to clean finds. You can also use electrolysis.

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FIFY
Used this option on old leatherwork tools

It gets off ALL the finish, not just the rust, so I'd advice caution with this option on anything with a high cash value = solid rusted items will come out plain silver/grey

It IS a really good cheap method to get rid of rust though

Posted: 10/21/2017 6:47:13 PM EDT

[#18]

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Quoted:
Vinegar and molasses I have - electrolysis I don't have and the evaporust I can buy.

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If you have a large plastic storage container (really only has to a little longer and wider than what you want to clean, a battery charger, a piece of angle iron from home depot, and some boraxo, and some water, you have electrolytic cleaning.

Search for an article online from woodsmith or shopnotes. Very simple, and it works pretty good.

Posted: 10/21/2017 8:25:21 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you have a large plastic storage container (really only has to a little longer and wider than what you want to clean, a battery charger, a piece of angle iron from home depot, and some boraxo, and some water, you have electrolytic cleaning.

Search for an article online from woodsmith or shopnotes. Very simple, and it works pretty good.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Vinegar and molasses I have - electrolysis I don't have and the evaporust I can buy.

If you have a large plastic storage container (really only has to a little longer and wider than what you want to clean, a battery charger, a piece of angle iron from home depot, and some boraxo, and some water, you have electrolytic cleaning.

Search for an article online from woodsmith or shopnotes. Very simple, and it works pretty good.

Borax (o) I can get, the rest I have. Thanks for the list-I’ll give it a try on some of the cheaper junk.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How to remove rust/gunk from old valueable (?) tools

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