Rust Removal - The best way?

[CrealBilly]

My father in law gave me a old antique draw knife and a large (3 wide x 18" long) wood rasp. Both need rust removal the draw knife more so than the rasp. What's the best way, rotten potato soup, water electrolysis or chemical?

Thanks

 

[FredP]

ayup.....:gar-Bi

 

[Sully]

electrolysis

 

[cptully]

electrolysis

One possibly helpful link:
http://www.antique-engines.com/electrol.asp

 

[mshel]

Lots of folks have used Evapo-Rust to remove rust on old tools with excellent results. As for the rasp, you can soak it in vinegar and it will remove the rust and also chemically sharpen it up. That is if it isn't too far gone.

Mike

 

[froglips]

I'm pro-potato. But its a 2 week soak and can be smelly.

Depends on how quick you want'm clean.

I've had great luck with electrolysis too.

best advice, be sure to clean them with something degreasy. Maybe also mineral spirits or acetone. I've done some soaks that did little. Found the tool had wax or oil on it.

Jim

 

[NCTurner]

Seriously, this stuff is awesome!

 

[bluedawg76]

i'd say it depends. i like electrolysis, but if those were the only items I was doing, then either the citric acid bath (soap scum removers are commonly just citric acid) or evaporust or even a wire wheel on a bench grinder will make easy work out of it. If you go the electrolysis rout i.e. the mad scientist in ya is itching to get out, use something like iron rebar rather than stainless steel as your cathode b/c stainless steel contains chrome that when oxidized can be toxic.

 

[CrealBilly]

I took Gary's advise - $1.75 a bottle at the dollar store - The works is amazing stuff.

Before

Soaking

After - Clean and shinny like new

The rasp is still soaking because it was on top of the knife and not submerged.

Thanks Gary :thumbs_up

 

[Mike Davis]

If you want two new walnut handles, just send my the old one with your return addy.

 

[NCTurner]

Glad it worked out for you!! Looks like it came out nice!

 

[CrealBilly]

If you want two new walnut handles, just send my the old one with your return addy.

Mike that's quite an offer... thank you but I actually kind of like the big round sycamore things I call handles. The other ONE was too small for my hands, they were easy to make with the drill press.

 

[CrealBilly]

Glad it worked out for you!! Looks like it came out nice!

Thanks again Gary - that was some of the easiest rust removal I ever did. If you can get past the smell your ok. :gar-La; I just got done using the draw knife to rough out the back of a bass neck. Worked like a champ...

 

[Mark Gottesman]

Pretty neat. Will have to lay in a bottle for my derusting arsenal.

 

[Nelson]

Good to know about the "Works" in the blue label bottle to remove rust. I will definitely be giving that a try. On a side note, I have been using the Tub & Shower Works in the green & white label for years to clean the lake scum off of fiberglass boats. $1 at the Dollar Tree.

 

[Mike Camp]

Just tried "The Works" on some of my grandfather's old pliers and it worked great.

Just a note to anyone using this stuff its active ingredient is hydrochloric acid so it will eat paint and chrome as well as rust. Also do not put anything that has aluminum in it or it will have a nice exothermic reaction with lots of heat and perhaps a tiny explosion. Google "The Works Bomb" if you're curious.

 

[Bugle]

Seriously, this stuff is awesome!

+1 on The Works!

I decided to restore an old Stanley plane of my fathers. I soaked this part for about 15 minutes.

Before:

After:

I just wiped off The Works...no buffing. My next question is what should I do now to protect the part? Oil or some other finish?

 

[CrealBilly]

Just tried "The Works" on some of my grandfather's old pliers and it worked great.

Just a note to anyone using this stuff its active ingredient is hydrochloric acid so it will eat paint and chrome as well as rust. Also do not put anything that has aluminum in it or it will have a nice exothermic reaction with lots of heat and perhaps a tiny explosion. Google "The Works Bomb" if you're curious.

Wow you are right about exothermic reaction... Here's the old Teflon coated aluminum pan I used to soak my knife and rasp. I emptied the spent working into a glass jar with the lid off because it was a little warm and set the pan outside. I looked at it today and here's what it looked like. Perhaps the works, works a little to well.

 

[Mike Camp]

Wow you are right about exothermic reaction... Here's the old Teflon coated aluminum pan I used to soak my knife and rasp. I emptied the spent working into a glass jar with the lid off because it was a little warm and set the pan outside. I looked at it today and here's what it looked like. Perhaps the works, works a little to well.

It's a good thing you didn't have that in a closed container, yikes!

The reaction you got was:
2Al + 6HCl -> 2AlCl3 + 3H2

So the products were Aluminum Chloride (a Lewis Acid) and Hydrogen gas (odorless and highly combustible).