Cleaning and Removing Rust?

[OPJ]

Hello.

I recently acquired some 'classic' hand tools off eBay (along with a few other things too - but hey, whenever you buy one thing, you always find yourself buying more!)

The tools I want focus on here include a set of 3 gauges and 4 good old firmer chisels, all complete with wooden handles and a fairly 'light' amount of surface.

Now, I've no expertise in cleaning these sorts of things whatsoever.
So, before I go and dig out that old pot of Liberon Rust Remover I bought many months ago and go at 'em with a wire brush, I'd appreciate your suggestions and advice on this matter.


Also while I'm here, is it possible to sharpen gauges on by hand the old traditional way? I just don't see how you do it on an ordinary oilstone...

And as for my best deal on eBay, it has to be the Metabo power planer, brand new, etc; £79.99 (+£12 p&p) - which retails at around £160 anywhere else! ;D


Thanks for your help all the same.

 

[Alf]

I recently acquired some 'classic' hand tools off eBay (along with a few other things too - but hey, whenever you buy one thing, you always find yourself buying more!)

Ah, you too, eh?

The tools I want focus on here include a set of 3 gauges and 4 good old firmer chisels, all complete with wooden handles and a fairly 'light' amount of surface.

Now, I've no expertise in cleaning these sorts of things whatsoever.
So, before I go and dig out that old pot of Liberon Rust Remover I bought many months ago and go at 'em with a wire brush, I'd appreciate your suggestions and advice on this matter.

Gauges, well sharpening the points/knives should derust them at the same time, but a quick swipe with some fine wet'n'dry (320/400g, summat like that) will do it otherwise. Same goes for the chisel blades really. There's a lot to be said for laying the wet'n'dry down on a flat surface so you keep the flats flat; certainly the back. The bolster, shoulder etc are generally best done with a non-woven abrasive of a similar grit to the wet'n'dry. Lubricate while you do it with white spirit and you get a better result. Here's a before and after doing just that:



If the rust is crustier than that grade abrasive will cope with, I tend to find scraping off the worst with the edge of a knife is effective as anything.

As far as the wood goes, it depends on the condition and how you want them to be when they're finished. Any non-lacquered wood I've found cleans up well with a load of paste wax rubbed in and wiped off - repeat until it looks okay or the wax stops wiping off black... (see here for an example) Then any ordinary coat buffed out as usual. That's probably the best bet for the gauges. You might fancy a shiny finish on the chisels, so it'd probably be best to knock them back to bare wood and re-finish. Me, I wipe on a few coats of shellac as being less ghastly than polyuckathane.

'Course you could use all sorts of chemicals and a wire brush, but they'll only end up looking like the tool version of Barbara Cartland in her later years. :wink:

Also while I'm here, is it possible to sharpen gauges on by hand the old traditional way? I just don't see how you do it on an ordinary oilstone...

You want a slipstone. Or a needle file. Or some abrasive-onna-stick. I bow to anyone else's knowledge on this one; I'm unbelievably hopeless at tuning and sharpening gauge points.

Cheers, Alf

 

[bugbear]

The tools I want focus on here include a set of 3 gauges and 4 good old firmer chisels

Do you mean "gouges"?

BugBear

 

[Pete W]

Any non-lacquered wood I've found cleans up well with a load of paste wax rubbed in and wiped off

Sorry to interrupt, but that's a point I've idly pondered for a while... how do you know if they're lacquered or not?

I'm also pretty sure that gouges, not gauges, are the tools at issue. Since I've never used a gouge, let alone re-habbed one, I'll just quietly slip back into the corner at this point

 

[Keystone]

For removing rust distilled vinegar and #0000 wool works great. Really does a fast job on the rust.

 

[Alf]

Any non-lacquered wood I've found cleans up well with a load of paste wax rubbed in and wiped off

Sorry to interrupt, but that's a point I've idly pondered for a while... how do you know if they're lacquered or not?

Usually by the fact half of it has dropped off and the rest is still clinging on leaving a noticeable layer.

I'm also pretty sure that gouges, not gauges, are the tools at issue.

S'cuse me a moment.

](*,)

Okay, better now. :roll: Hey, it was early -ish. And anyway, now you know about gauge cleaning too... #-o

Gouges same principle as chisels, and somewhere in the archives is some chit-chat about sharpening them. I won't bother to look for it in case it turns out to be something else again... :lol:

Cheers, Alf

 

[OPJ]

Yes, yes. Okay, spelt correctly of course, I was talking about a set of three GOUGES; tools often used for carving and larger versions are available for woodturning.

...This probably explains why it took me so long to find ANY for sale on eBay in the first place!!
(My excuse? I'm still recovering from an operation a week ago! ;D)


Thanks for all your suggestions everyone, I'll start giving them a go when I've fully recovered from this operation last week.