Restoring Old Hand Tools..

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stoker_RI
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Post by stoker_RI » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 11:08 am

Hello everyone..
I have an abundance of old hand tools that were handed down to me..wrenches, plyers, screwdrivers...etc...All are in good shape, but must have a light coating of surface rust...I'm looking for ideas on how some of you guys might restore them so the rust is gone and prevented from comming back..

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

 
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eelhc
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Post by eelhc » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 1:38 pm

Electrolytic Rust Removal... I used this technique to restore parts of my Magnum Stoker:

Harman Magnum Stoker Restoration...

A bucket, battery charger, washing soda and some old scrap iron is all you need. It's like cheating it's so easy...

Image Image
Yes... that's a kitty litter bucket...

Hooked up and at work...
Image Image

Oooo... bubbles...


Gets into all those tight areas... Gets it right down to bare metal so make sure you oil the tools right afterwards. Here's a site specifically for hand tools.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrolytic-Rust ... aka-Magic/

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 3:28 pm

Cool post my friend. I'm off to the tool shed. ;) Thanx

 
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stoker_RI
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Post by stoker_RI » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 4:39 pm

eelhc..Thanks! Thats awesome!...I looked at the link briefly...looks like you used just one piece of re-bar vs. the 5 or so that the guy in the link used...and you didn't bother with the wires obviously..

I'm not quite clear on small parts...more specifically, how to submerge the one or several completely....can the negative connection be in contact with the water in order to keep in dangling?..or as I think about it, I would secure the neg. side to a board or something...then uses aligator clips from the neg. connection on the charger to the tool...but sill wondering, in this scenario, if the aligator clip/tool connection can be submerged?

-and doing one at a time would take forever...wondering if ther is a way I can 'daisy chain' several together...

Do u have a recommendation for oiling the tool? sounds like being hand tools, like wrenches, I would want some kind of a spray coating instead...

Any thoughts?


 
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WNY
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Post by WNY » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 6:13 pm

You can use a Johnsons Paste wax, or LPS3, or something that will prevent the rust. Put a cloth with WD40 spayed on it in your tool chest to rest the tools on, it helps. Tool box liners have special antirust stuff in them too.

Here some more tips once you get the rust off.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20225563,00.html

http://www.amazon.com/11330-Anti-Rust-Corrosion-C ... B00150M732

 
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eelhc
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Post by eelhc » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 8:43 pm

stoker_RI wrote:eelhc..Thanks! Thats awesome!...I looked at the link briefly...looks like you used just one piece of re-bar vs. the 5 or so that the guy in the link used...and you didn't bother with the wires obviously..

I'm not quite clear on small parts...more specifically, how to submerge the one or several completely....can the negative connection be in contact with the water in order to keep in dangling?..or as I think about it, I would secure the neg. side to a board or something...then uses aligator clips from the neg. connection on the charger to the tool...but sill wondering, in this scenario, if the aligator clip/tool connection can be submerged?

-and doing one at a time would take forever...wondering if ther is a way I can 'daisy chain' several together...

Do u have a recommendation for oiling the tool? sounds like being hand tools, like wrenches, I would want some kind of a spray coating instead...

Any thoughts?
The negative contact can be submerged. Instead of daisy chaining, I would go point to point home runs to the negative contact of the charger. Pick up a dozen or so Alligator clips and crimp a wire to them, then tie the other ends together for the negative terminal. Experiment with a couple of pieces first. Re-bar is not the ideal stuff as sometimes it is coated. bare scrap iron with lots of surface area is the best.

As for oil... I like lithium grease. You can get the spray kind. Good to have around. I give a light coat of lithium grease to any metal that will outdoors. I sprayed down my Snow Blower right after I bought it and it still looks brand new after 8 years.

 
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coal bob
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Post by coal bob » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 8:57 pm

freetown fred wrote:Cool post my friend. I'm off to the tool shed. ;) Thanx
be carefull ;)

 
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stoker_RI
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Post by stoker_RI » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 9:08 pm

Thanks guys...and eelhc, isn't that re-bar in your pic? I'm trying to think of what I may have hanging around that may be bare scrap metal..angle iron perhaps? .... I know one commenter in the link you provided mentioned copper as being a better conductor ..think he said pound flat a 3/4 inch piece of copper pipe or something like that..but I tend to 'hoard' any copper I have around with prices being what they are..lol


 
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eelhc
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Post by eelhc » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 9:42 pm

stoker_RI wrote:Thanks guys...and eelhc, isn't that re-bar in your pic? I'm trying to think of what I may have hanging around that may be bare scrap metal..angle iron perhaps? .... I know one commenter in the link you provided mentioned copper as being a better conductor ..think he said pound flat a 3/4 inch piece of copper pipe or something like that..but I tend to 'hoard' any copper I have around with prices being what they are..lol
Yes it's rebar in the pic. Do as I say not as I do :) :) I found afterwards through some experimenting that rebar is not the best. Galvanized metals (like most angle irons) will not work well. Copper? I don't think copper will work at all... Best is ferrous metal.. Try your wife's cast iron skillet... it'll probably work best and she can't hit you with it :D :D

 
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Post by stoker_RI » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 10:21 pm

Try your wife's cast iron skillet... it'll probably work best and she can't hit you with it
You left out the word 'again'!.... :D

 
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Post by stoker_RI » Mon. Jan. 30, 2012 10:39 pm

Btw..eelhc...you 'da man' with that custom re-location of the motors on your stove! I've been meaning to pick your brain on that for some time! I have a pellet stove in our family room and the on/off cycleing noise drives me to drink!...Tv volume up..Tv volume down..where is the friggin' remote?..lol..just haven't been sure if the stove I have would as happily handle such surgery as did your coal stove..

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