# Problem with my Chisels



## Kiwiwood (Jun 24, 2014)

Hi Everybody,

This is my first post on and woodworking forum. I am quite new to woodwork, so sorry for my naivety. 

So i am lucky to own a good set of Chisels. I try to look after them and always keep them in their leather wrap, I very lightly coat them in oil once in a while and I sharpen them as best as i can. 

The problem is that they are becoming rusty. But the rust pattern is quite unusual. It almost looks like some sort of borer track like you would see in wood. Except that as far as i know you can't get a borer that attacks metal. 

I live in Auckland, New Zealand, which is quite a humid place and i am no further than 5 miles from the ocean. And i wonder if this is the cause of the problem. 

I know the rust is very minor, but i have only had them for about a year, and i am hoping to keep them for a lifetime. At this rate that's not going to happen. 

Please see the photo below which shows the chisel with its plastic guard on.



















Thanks for your time.


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

If it is too humid you may need tobstore hem in canvas instead of leather.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

That pattern looks like my last electrocardiogram. What do you use to clean the rust off...steel wool? You might try using a ScotchBrite pad, and not steel wool. Then use a light machine oil.


















.


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## acowboy (Nov 20, 2013)

Never seen that kind of pattern.

Damascus type steel has a pattern, and with age the many folds do become more pronounced, but yours do not have that pattern.

+ With Gilgaron, and cabinetman.
You would think leather would be ok, but it does have Tannic acid which sometimes can stain iron.

Along with the sugesstions you may also consider adding a few Silica Gel packs to the storage.

P.S.
Welcome to the Forum.


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## mako1 (Jan 25, 2014)

In place of oil you may want to try some paste wax.It will give them a better coating that will hold up longer.


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## Kiwiwood (Jun 24, 2014)

I only use a cloth to clean my chisels. I don't use wire wool or anything like that. I'll try using a scotch brit pad on it to clean them up. 
I've got some silicon pouches lying around too. I tend to save them as they are quite useful. 
I'll try and buy some paste wax too. Is paste wax the same sort of thing that i would use on my bench plane / buzzer bed to keep it rust free and smooth?

Thanks.


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## mako1 (Jan 25, 2014)

Yes.I don't know what is available in your area .I use Johnsons Paste Wax in a yellow can used for flooring on all my surfaces like saws and joiners.A good car wax with carnuba will work well.Put it on,let it dry then buff it.You may be surprised how well it works and holds up much better than any oil based product.


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## john sayles (May 27, 2013)

One of the strangest (tool-related) things I've seen in quite some time.
A few questions, if you don't mind.

1. Do I see a coating of some kind on those blades (like lacquer or some other coating they may have been shipped with)?

2. Are you sure that's rust?

3. Does that pattern of lines exist under the area covered by the plastic tips too? (I ask this because if not, then it may only be occurring where the blades contact the leather.)

Non-vegetable-tanned leather is bad news for storing carbon steel.


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## Kiwiwood (Jun 24, 2014)

Thanks Mako1. I've just been looking online. There is some that i can buy locally.
John, Thanks for your interest. 
1. now you mention it there could be a coating. There is some kind of semi translucent smudge on most of the metal shafts. It almost looks like a glue smudge - if that makes sense, so there could well be a coating. I have tried cleaning it off but to no avail. 
2. I'm not 100% sure it's rust. But i don't know what else it could be. It really looks like rust. 
3. the pattern is all over the blades. I have take photos of all the blades.

Also you mentioned that non vegetable tanned leather is bad for storing carbon steel. Is my leather pouch vegetable tanned? I have attached photos. It is the pouch that came with the blades. 

Here are the additional photos. 

























































Oh also...
I contacted Stanley about the chisels. They are a set of Sweetheart 750series socket chisels. So not the cheapest. And they told me that because I didn't buy them from a shop in New Zealand and that they got sent from the USA (as i bought them online) then they are not covered by any warranty!


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

That looks almost like tiny little stress cracks highlighted with rust. It also looks like some of the rust(?) Lines are following the tiny scratches left from where the chisels were originally ground. Could be nothing overall, but personally I'd not be leaving those for shearing work and get a new set to hit with the hammers


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

I've got the cheaper Stanley Bailey chisels and they definitely come with lacquer on the blades. I've been storing mine in the leather without issue but my basement is humidity controlled. You can probably get rid of the rust with a bath in some Evaporust and then store them out of leather, perhaps even just in a tool cabinet with drawer liner. If it doesn't look even, strip the lacquer off and rebathe it in Evaporust. You'll want them to breathe in storage. I'm betting the weird pattern is exposed metal from where the lacquer was thinner when sprayed after machining. 

Do you have other steel items rust in your shop if you don't keep up with the wax?


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## acowboy (Nov 20, 2013)

+Gilgaron

Possible cracking of the lacquer finish exposing the chisel iron to rusting.
Like I have posted, never have seen that before, looks abstract though.


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## BZawat (Sep 21, 2012)

I purchased that exact set of chisels 6 months ago, and mine were heavily coated with lacquer to protect them during shipping. I soaked them (sans handles) in lacquer thinner for 10 minutes or so, then used another chisel (repurposed as a stiff scraper) to carefully scrape all the lacquer off. It was a big PITA. 

I think Gilgaron may be on to something in saying that you are seeing rust form where there are cracks in the lacquer coating. 


Sent from my iPhone using woodworkingtalk.com


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

It's possible that the lines are cracks in the coating but for one thing:
With very few exceptions, I see all the lines running at right angles,
across the length of the tool. I wonder if this batch of steel wasn't
damaged in the forging process. Just an ugly guess.


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## Kiwiwood (Jun 24, 2014)

Ok. Thanks for all your input guys. I'm going to hassle Stanley, and try and do a bit of work on these chisels. I'll get back to you soon with an update.
Cheers


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