Rust Removal From Tools

pinkfloydian

I have received a lot of tools from an uncle. Mostly hand tools, vices, saws, spanners etc.

My problem is that they have a lot of rust, as they were in an outside garden shed for years.

What is the best way to restore them, or is there a company that will do this for me in North Dublin.

T

cletus

Electrolysis works well, if you've the time and the setup.

White vinegar works well too, but they are both fairly time intensive, and you can't really do large batches of tools in a go.

Neither are particularly labour intensive, though, and if you have the time you can get some nice results if you take the time to finish/polish etc afterwards.

Be aware, both processes leave the pieces dulled, you'll have to work to get a mirror finish, but if you are restoring for use that probably won't matter

pinkfloydian

Thanks Cletus. Have you experience of doing this yourself and if so, did you immerse in white vinegar or did you just spray and leave. If immersed, how long for? I attach a photo as an example.

T

cletus

I've done both. Actually cleaned a stilson like in your picture with vinegar. Take the tools apart as much as possible. Immerse in the vinegar for a couple of hours, then check. Repeat as necessary. Once you take it out, clean off the vinegar. It'll have a kind of black coating that can be sanded off. The tool will be dull, so you can paint or polish, or just coat with wd-40 or similar if its going in the toolbox

dok_golf

Dont know how big the tools are but if you immerse them in Coke ( Coca Cola ) for a couple of days, it will clean right down to the good metal. You will still have to scrape the rust off and as the poster above said, coat them in WD40 when storing.

jack of all

I've restored many rusty hand tools over the years and a lot of them in far worse nick than those in your picture. I've tried everything already suggested, here's my experience:-

Electrolysis- cheap, effective and particicularly good on complex mechanisms/ detail. Downside it's dirty and a paint to set up and clean away and lots of manual scrubbing and rinsing still required.

Vinegar- good but works out expensive on large items unless you can find catering quantities of the stuff. Other downside is the smell, my missus won't let me use it in the house, she finds it nauseous!

Coke has proven good on small items that aren't too badly gone.

Looking around for another alternative I stumbled upon an option favoured by the yanks- molasses, otherwise known as blackstrap cane sugar molasses. If you have time and are patient I think it's better than the rest. It's cheap, brings metal back to bare and completely rust free in most cases. I buy a small tin of Lyles Molasses and mix it with warm water to make a 1: 10 (roughly solution). Remove any loss rust, grease or oil from parts to be clean and submerge in the solution. Cover with a non-airtight lid and leak for a few weeks, checking on progress form week to week. Try it out and you'll be surprised!

oleras

pinkfloydian wrote: »

Thanks Cletus. Have you experience of doing this yourself and if so, did you immerse in white vinegar or did you just spray and leave. If immersed, how long for? I attach a photo as an example.

T

I think your uncle was my previous dentist. :pac:

CJhaughey

You could try Fertan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt-HTaaZF-Y

Zebbedee

I clean old rusty tools etc with a selection of wire brushes in a drill.
They come out nice and shiny.
You'll need to use a face mask.

lostboy75

Have used vinegar, it works well, personally some of the things I have used it on, it has taken days to work, not hours.
But work it does.
Have started to pick up some of the parts for electrolysis, but not used it yet.

HJL

Would something like this be any good for what you need?
Bilt Hamber

Lex Luthor

I used cilit bang before, strips rust very easy from metal