light dusting of rust - how best to remove?

[mickthetree]

Hey all

Finally after 2 years managed to get a buyer who stays the course. We are moving home onto pastures new (with a ruddy big garden so watch this space for a workshop build ;-))

Anyway, workshop is nearly all packed up and I moved my planes out of my lovely warm shed last night. I think there ust have been some moisture in the air as some of them have a very light dusting of rust today.

Can I just wipe them all down with an oily rag? or do I need to actually remove the rust completely then wipe down?

I have some camellia oil which seems to have been good in the past.

Cheers

 

[AndyT]

There's no harm in trying an oily rag first - it may work if it's fairly coarse cloth.
Otherwise the Garryflex abrasive blocks are good for this sort of thing - sold on ebay for cleaning up tracks on model railways. They are like a rubber (eraser) impregnated with a very fine abrasive - the rubber part wears away - quite gentle on surfaces.

If neither of those works, MicroMesh is excellent - I use it wet with WD40 or white spirit. Failing that, fine wet+dry.

 

[mickthetree]

the fact I would be rubbing rusty oil all over the tools wont mean I'm spreading the rust and increasing the chances of other areas rusting? I know its not a living thing, but does rust encourage more rust?

 

[AndyT]

the fact I would be rubbing rusty oil all over the tools wont mean I'm spreading the rust and increasing the chances of other areas rusting? I know its not a living thing, but does rust encourage more rust?

I'm not a chemist, but rust needs water and air - the oil would exclude both. I don't believe that rust encourages fresh rust - but if a little bit of a surface has rusted it could be an indication that other parts of the surface are 'ready to rust.'


I had assumed that you would wipe the rust off once you had detached it from the surface, using a clean bit of rag.

 

[Racers]

I use wax either from a tin or spray can, Woodsilk is good, don't use Pledge its got silicone in.

All my planes are waxed and kept in an unheated garage that my motorbike is parked in (sometimes its very wet, like last night) and I have no problems.

Pete

 

[Richard T]

You won't infect other areas with rust Mick You can wipe off the rusty oil anyway.

I tend to use very well previously used smooth emery cloth - bald if you will - with oil for a very fine abrading. For long periods of storage I find a very light rub with 3 in 1 works very well.

 

[Harbo]

Wire wool, used wet & dry work well with WD40 or 3 in 1 oil - you don't really want to leave scratch marks.
I generally use Camellia oil but other oils or waxes will do.


Rod

 

[dickm]

In practice, if you spread the rust around with oil so no air/moisture can get to the metal surface, it should be OK. But vague memories of school chemistry suggest that specks of rust landing on an unprotected surface can actually cause more rust. Something to do with differential exposure to air and something at the electron level.
More recently taught chemists may be able to expand on this.

 

[David C]

I like oooo wire wool and Autosol.

Suspect any good metal polish would do.

David

 

[mickthetree]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
I used some 3 in 1 and some industrial tissue. I had heard that even kitchen roll has a certain abrasive quality so thought this might as well. It clean up the planes very nicely and has left a coating of oil which will hopefully protect them as they are now in storage until we complete on the new house.
Plans are afoot for some extension work along with complete renovation and after all that is done I am allowed to start on the new workshop. Hopefully slightly bigger than my current 7' x 9'.
Thanks again.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Supermarket throwaway sponges with the nylon scourer on the back are good for cleaning a multitude of things - they're about 35p for ten. Use with oil, water, wax, anything - and throw away.

 

[Peter Sefton]

For light rust I use our MetalGuard Ultra on Mirlon and polish with Protec Tool wax polish, the MetalGuard Ultra is best left on if the tools are not to be used for some time. It can be left on threads or between the frog and plane body to keep the rust at bay
.
http://peterseftontoolshop.com/epages/e ... GUAULT250M

I must point out it is available from all good tool shops :!:

Cheers Peter

 

[woodiedonald]

I'd go for a high grit cratex stick and there is some spray on stuff made by tygris here that works lovely.

 

[toolmaniac]

I use a worn-out scourer, and paraffin. Or as someone has already said, those cheap sponge/scourers.
Bit of a stink, but it works.