Cleaning up sash clamps

[MrYorke]

Hi all

Ive been given a load of sash clamps for nowt (very nice) but they need a bit of a clean up.

There is a bit of surface rust along the shafts and I'm going to guess inside the jaws as well.

The threads on the jaws are a bit dirty and most also have rust on them. They still move but are not as free flowing as I'd like. A couple are very tight and difficult to turn.

So how should I clean them up? What shall I do to keep them at their best? What lubricant should I use, if any?

Thanks in advance

 

[Racers]

Hi, Mr York

Wire brush will get the rust off and a coat of wax (I use Briwax) will protect them.
I cleaned up several rusty G cramps last week with a wire brush in my drill press its good for cleaning up the threads as well.

Pete

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

I use WD40 when I brought some old 2nd hand ones to lube the threads and still a year or so has pasted and there still working like a dream.

 

[Richard T]

I took all four of the bolts out the pair of Carver bar clamps I bought at the bootsale on Sunday. They were all very stiff and lumpy feeling. I wire brushed around them, gave them a thin coating of 3 in 1 oil and they are good as new.
For surface rust on the bar of sash clamps I would use fine emery cloth or paper.