# Removing surface rust from chisels



## stadleroux (Apr 18, 2018)

I gathered all the chisels lying around in the garage yesterday to see if I could clean them up a bit. They hadn't been used for at least eight years, but probably many more, so they had quite bit of surface rust on them. They still need sharpening and some of them have gouges out of the tips, but considering how cheap it was to clean them, I think they cleaned up quite well!

This was yesterday:


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## stadleroux (Apr 18, 2018)

And here they are today after a good wipe and some WD40:


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Noop, One thing that I use, is a small vegetable can with a rolled up sock stuffed into it, with 3 in 1 oil (or sewing machine oil). This allows me to quickly wipe any of my tools (saws, chisels, hand planes) with protective oil. I keep it handy on my bench. I learned it from Paul Sellers (Mastercraftsman), and it will not interfere with any wood finish. WD40 will not protect steel from rusting...it was developed as a cleaning solvent.


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## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

After cleaning to remove embedded rust I suggest a rust converter (converts iron oxide to iron phosphate). Should be available at most hardware or auto parts stores. The rust will turn black when it is converted. You do not need to remove any buildup unless you want to as it also acts like a primer and protects the steel.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Surface rust. English antique tool collectors use a soak in citric acid(lemon sour) or a soak in oxalic acid
then a careful treatment with a wire brush wheel. Most times, tools look like new. I'm impressed.

I have several pieces of flannel cloth that get a few drips of 3-in-1 sewing machine (40W) oil every year.
After every hunt, guns get warmed up, dried, cleaned and wiped down with "the rag."
Never a spec of rust.

Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of very good wood carving tools. 
The adze blades are $100+ each and I have no plans to see them rust.
Same kind of flannel cloth rag and good ol' Pennzoil 5W30.

Just a wipe or two. Not enough so's you would notice. Works really well.


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## TomCT2 (May 16, 2014)

/quote
WD-40 literally stands for
"*W*ater *D*isplacement *40*th " attempt. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who helped develop WD-40 back in 1953. Norman Larsen was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion, a task which is done by displacing water.
/unquote

sounds like a rust preventative to me.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

When you read the MSDS sheet for WD-40, you see that not all the components evaporate at the same time.
That means that WD-40 does not stay "WD-40" for very long. The residue should be replaced by an oil film.
That isn't hard to do, as you know. A wipe or two with "The Rag" and the oil film will seal the surface very evenly.
Mineral oils don't oxidize easily like vegetable oils do. Fairly long term reliability.

I needed both a rust sealer and a lubricant.
The process used by the professionals was to wash all the crap dust away with WD-40. Really flush things out.
These were $185 door lock mechanisms. Four of them.
Next came a rattle can of foaming oil lube called Fluid Film. That stuff went everywhere.
At the end of the day, like new.

I'm guessing that the Fluid Film, sprayed into a folded rag, just might be a long term fix against rust.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I think I would have sanded them with an orbital sander with 220 grit paper and hand sanded the front of the gouge. Then use a lightweight oil.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

I keep a pack of 0000 steel wool around for such cleaning and rust to tough for that gets a wire brush treatment. . Then a coating of good machine oil that has been mixed with a couple drops of bar oil. Machine oil evaporates too fast. The bar oil sticks like glue and doesn't evaporate for years. My dad used straight 40 wt motor oil on tools he did not expect to use for a year or more. Outside stuff was coated with drain oil. I keep a piece of flannel that has been moistened very slightly with machine oil and wipe the lathe knives down after a session.


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## stadleroux (Apr 18, 2018)

Robson Valley said:


> Surface rust. English antique tool collectors use a soak in citric acid(lemon sour) or a soak in oxalic acid
> then a careful treatment with a wire brush wheel. Most times, tools look like new. I'm impressed.
> 
> I have several pieces of flannel cloth that get a few drips of 3-in-1 sewing machine (40W) oil every year.
> ...


Thank you, after watching this comparative video 



 , I used vinegar! It was only regular food grade, however, and the acidity was 5%, while I understand a cleaning grade with an acidity of 10% may also be available. This might work faster, but I'm happy with the final result. :grin: I also added some of the unpainted bolts and nuts keeping my Emco Star combination machine together, and they came out really well.


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