Restoring old tools - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

velcr0 · 01-13-2005, 12:29 PM

I have just gotten hold of some old tools that were my grandfathers. They've been in my mothers garage for ....atleast 30 years, some things are rusted shut. Pliers for example. ANyone have any tricks to getting rid of the rust and prying them open? Its not that I cant get new tools, I've got most of it already, but its always nice to have an extra set around. Thanks in advanced.

LLL2 · 01-13-2005, 04:52 PM

soak it in mineral spirits,or get alot of wd40(maybe a better brand) and just keep spraying it.

scout · 01-14-2005, 03:11 AM

Soaking them in diesel fuel or kerosene works pretty well. If you do use WD40 to break them loose and clean them up be sure to lubricate them afterward. WD40 is excellant for breaking things loose however, it is not a very good lubricant so if you do use it be sure to lubricate everything well afterwards.

black94lt1 · 01-14-2005, 02:58 PM

soak and then use steel wool

belkins · 01-14-2005, 07:45 PM

Muriatic acid. Guaranteed to get rid of rust. It's usually sold in the paint supply area at Home Depot or Lowes (they may have it outside because it's a highly caustic chemical).

I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW CAREFUL YOU HAVE TO BE WITH THIS STUFF!!!

Be in the open air and wear gloves and do not splash it on yourself. If you do get it on yourself it stings, just wash it off immediately.

It's very cheap, about $4 a gallon. It's used for etching concrete prior to painting it or sealing it with some type of epoxy paint.

You put the rusted tools in it and the acid will bubble and sizzle for a few seconds until the rust is all gone. It strips it down to bare metal so you need to wash off the parts and oil them IMMEDIATELY or they will flash rust.

I was amazed how well this stuff worked when I first used it on a friend's recommendation.

Do not put chrome or brass in it. There will literally be nothing left!

IowaEric · 01-16-2005, 07:02 AM

Muriatic acid is the way to go. Then use steel wool or a steel brush (welder style) to clean up the tools as much as possible. Also wouldn't hurt to use a little grease to lube up the movable joints once you're done.

velcr0 · 01-16-2005, 02:10 PM

I keep seeing people say, oil the tools. What should I oil the tools with?

belkins · 01-16-2005, 03:29 PM

Any type of household oil will do or a very light machine oil/sewing machine oil or you can get some automotive 5W oil and heat it up a little bit.

You can even pour the oil into a small pan and let the tools soak and then place them on some newspapers to absorb all the excess oil.

Not in anyway to take away from what IowaEric said but you probably won't need the steel wool or steel brush once the tools are done with the acid bath.

kazoo · 01-17-2005, 07:40 PM

For non-moving assemblies such as plane irons I use a rag moistened with 3 in 1 or CRC 5-56. For moving portions of tools I use Tri-Flow. It is teflon-based synthetic and performs very well under all conditions. Kinda pricey, but well worth it, in my opinion.

IowaEric · 01-18-2005, 07:28 AM

Belkins, you're correct, you probably wouldn't need to brush at all. I'm just thinking of it as helping on any areas that have pitting, where the rust doesn't fully lift out after the acid bath.

soundmotor · 02-03-2005, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by velcr0

I have just gotten hold of some old tools that were my grandfathers. They've been in my mothers garage for ....atleast 30 years, some things are rusted shut. Pliers for example. ANyone have any tricks to getting rid of the rust and prying them open? Its not that I cant get new tools, I've got most of it already, but its always nice to have an extra set around. Thanks in advanced.

Soak them in Coca-Cola for a couple days.

I'm not kidding!

After all the rust is dissolved

wipe them down with light machine oil.

soundmotor

01-13-2005, 12:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
velcr0 Upright	Restoring old tools I have just gotten hold of some old tools that were my grandfathers. They've been in my mothers garage for ....atleast 30 years, some things are rusted shut. Pliers for example. ANyone have any tricks to getting rid of the rust and prying them open? Its not that I cant get new tools, I've got most of it already, but its always nice to have an extra set around. Thanks in advanced. __________________ "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." - Henry Ford (1863-1947)

01-14-2005, 07:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
belkins Tilted Location: Salt Lake City	Muriatic acid. Guaranteed to get rid of rust. It's usually sold in the paint supply area at Home Depot or Lowes (they may have it outside because it's a highly caustic chemical). I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW CAREFUL YOU HAVE TO BE WITH THIS STUFF!!! Be in the open air and wear gloves and do not splash it on yourself. If you do get it on yourself it stings, just wash it off immediately. It's very cheap, about $4 a gallon. It's used for etching concrete prior to painting it or sealing it with some type of epoxy paint. You put the rusted tools in it and the acid will bubble and sizzle for a few seconds until the rust is all gone. It strips it down to bare metal so you need to wash off the parts and oil them IMMEDIATELY or they will flash rust. I was amazed how well this stuff worked when I first used it on a friend's recommendation. Do not put chrome or brass in it. There will literally be nothing left! Last edited by belkins; 01-14-2005 at 07:49 PM..

01-16-2005, 02:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
velcr0 Upright	I keep seeing people say, oil the tools. What should I oil the tools with? __________________ "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." - Henry Ford (1863-1947)

01-16-2005, 03:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
belkins Tilted Location: Salt Lake City	Any type of household oil will do or a very light machine oil/sewing machine oil or you can get some automotive 5W oil and heat it up a little bit. You can even pour the oil into a small pan and let the tools soak and then place them on some newspapers to absorb all the excess oil. Not in anyway to take away from what IowaEric said but you probably won't need the steel wool or steel brush once the tools are done with the acid bath. Last edited by belkins; 01-16-2005 at 03:35 PM..

01-17-2005, 07:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
kazoo Psycho Location: Where the night things are	For non-moving assemblies such as plane irons I use a rag moistened with 3 in 1 or CRC 5-56. For moving portions of tools I use Tri-Flow. It is teflon-based synthetic and performs very well under all conditions. Kinda pricey, but well worth it, in my opinion. __________________ There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

01-13-2005, 04:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
LLL2 Crazy	soak it in mineral spirits,or get alot of wd40(maybe a better brand) and just keep spraying it.

01-14-2005, 03:11 AM	#3 (permalink)
scout Psycho	Soaking them in diesel fuel or kerosene works pretty well. If you do use WD40 to break them loose and clean them up be sure to lubricate them afterward. WD40 is excellant for breaking things loose however, it is not a very good lubricant so if you do use it be sure to lubricate everything well afterwards.

01-14-2005, 02:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
black94lt1 Tilted	soak and then use steel wool

01-16-2005, 07:02 AM	#6 (permalink)
IowaEric Tilted Location: You'd never guess..	Muriatic acid is the way to go. Then use steel wool or a steel brush (welder style) to clean up the tools as much as possible. Also wouldn't hurt to use a little grease to lube up the movable joints once you're done.

01-18-2005, 07:28 AM	#10 (permalink)
IowaEric Tilted Location: You'd never guess..	Belkins, you're correct, you probably wouldn't need to brush at all. I'm just thinking of it as helping on any areas that have pitting, where the rust doesn't fully lift out after the acid bath.