May 9, 2004

11:10 PM

I'm going through several old boxes of misc. tools from my dad. and other sources. garage sales, hand me downs, found in the trunk of my used car. I'm looking for hints on how to clean them and bring them back up to shape. I'm noticing some of the tools are faring much better after years of neglect than other. Any hints on how to restore some of the most rusted ones, or tips on keeping the better ones in good condition?
posted by jeribus to (13 comments total)

Related note, I have to admit I'm not sure what some of these do. Odd pincher's with rubber gippers leave me confused. Any advice on how to store them. How to restore them. And all that. I'm holding off on my tempation to dip them all in WD-40 and scrub them and then soak them in 3-In-All oil at the moment. I know there's better ways to treat good (and bad) tools.
posted by jeribus at 11:15 PM on May 9, 2004

I have no advice, but I do have to say this. You ever smell a toolbox full of old tools? It smells like vomit. What's up with that?
posted by jopreacher at 2:58 AM on May 10, 2004

Longevity -- i don't know. But at one of my sweaty jobs, a duty of mine was to clean the tools. I used acetone. If you use it, be super careful. It's not exactly candy.
posted by raaka at 3:21 AM on May 10, 2004

Here is a tip: throw away any old tools which use a rubber/proto-plastic coating on the hand grips, specially if the state of the coating looks dodgy. I know someone who had an outbreak of psoriasis on the palms of his hands after using some old shearing scissors for about 1 hour. Three years afterwards, the psoriasis is still there.
posted by magullo at 3:43 AM on May 10, 2004

Fill a flat pan with Liquid Wrench or Marvel Mystery Oil.
Immerse the metal portion of the tools and allow them to sit overnight.
Simoniz and Naval Jelly can be just as convenient.
posted by Smart Dalek at 5:34 AM on May 10, 2004

Don't you have to grind the rust off first?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:51 AM on May 10, 2004

Here some more specifics on cleaning wood tools in particular [ones for woodworking, not made of wood]. This guy has a sort of fun page with lots of pictures and details on how to clean a few kinds old handtools. Then there's this guy who has some interesting information on taking apart old tools, sometimes cleaning them [found here]

With my tools I really have felt that you mostly need a few toothbrushes, an oil pan, oil, WD-40, lots of rags, good ventilation, sandpaper, running water, vaseline, a good drying rack and a lot of perseverance. Keeping clean tools in okay shape is not too tough since you mostly need to keep them dry, clean them after you use them, oil them if they need it, keep them away from free-flying grit and sawdust, and weather, and otherwise leave them be. Investing in a toolchest [basic ones from Sears are cheaper than you'd think] and giving the tools some space where they won't be crashing against each other all the time is also good for them.
posted by jessamyn at 7:51 AM on May 10, 2004

I have some experience restoring old tools. There are as many methods as there are people.

For tools that are all iron and steel, electrolysis is a good and easy way to get extensive rust off -- if rust is the problem. I can point you to some howtos for this if you need it. Generally speaking it's just a matter of putting the item in a solution of water and baking soda, attaching an electrode to the item to be cleaned, and another to a large electrode (I use pan lids or cookie sheets). The power source I use is a battery charger. It works extremely well.

If the tools are just dirty, then there are a variety of solvents will be useful. Traditional ones are acetone, mineral spirits, alchohol, kerosene, etc. Some acids are useful, like acetic acid (vinegar), phosphoric acid (carborator cleaner and various products marketed for removing rust). For general cleaning and rust removal I recommend any of these, and I doubly recommend scotch brite pads. They're basically synthetic steel wool and come in various "grits". A selection of grits will be useful. Also, wire brushes of various sizes will be useful.

If there are wooden, plastic, or rubber parts you need to be more careful what you clean with. Also, if parts of the tools are japanned or painted, you need to take some care.

I recommend against WD-40. In my experience tools cleaned with WD-40 will start rusting immediately. It does not protect against rust much at all. To protect against rust I recommend paste wax or something like boeshield t-9.

www.woodworking.com is full of guys who can lead you through it and the archives have some real gems in them. There is even a guy who has posted lengthy articles on restoring chisels, planes, etc.
posted by RustyBrooks at 9:05 AM on May 10, 2004

I use a rust eraser on mild rust and I spray my tools with Camellia Oil if they are due to be stored for long periods in humid environments.
posted by Dick Paris at 10:19 AM on May 10, 2004

I would suggest you pick up a few Magic Erasers. They're this new kind of cleaning agent made of melamine foam and they remove grease and grime more effectively than anything I've ever seen. Just get them wet, squeeze out like a sponge, and scrub.
posted by macinchik at 12:03 PM on May 10, 2004

Wow. This thread has been a pleasure to read. Truly useful.
posted by troutfishing at 6:35 PM on May 10, 2004

I neglected to mention storing tips.

First, it depends on the length of storage. There are thick gooey waxy materials that you are supposed to coat your tools in for long term storage. The tools will not be usable in this state. This is the kind of stuff that tool manufacturers will often ship tools coated in. This is really not necessary unless your tools with see a year or more in humid climate.

The real key to storage is to minimize air flow. Closed tool boxes, larger tools covered with sort of slip-cover things. For my table saw I use a large piece of sort of plasticized cloth which is waterproof and slick on one side, and soft fabric on the other side. I bought it at a fabric store. For smaller power tools I have little custom covers that fir over them.

Things like planes and chisels I keep waxed. Paste wax is a good way to go. It's basically caranuba or some other wax mixed with a solvent like mineral sprits, which makes a paste-substance that you smear on tools. When the mineral spirits evaporates a bit you buff off the excess wax. Several coats is recommended, I use as many as 4 or 5 coats on planes. Reapplied perhaps monthly or when I think they need it. I use boeshield t-9 on larger iron surfaces. Excellent stuff. Will protect tools for months, and provides a slick surface. A well protected table saw table is like an ice hockey table.

Keep everything out of the open. Keep it in drawers, cabinets, boxes, whatever. Seriously. You can increase the life of your tools dramatically with that one tip.

Don't throw anything away. There is a thriving tool market. If you've mostly got workmanlike tools you are not going to get rich selling them but people will pay for them (ebay). Try to know what you're selling before you sell it, you'll get more. You might have a collectors piece or two. People will sometimes pay lots of money for what looks like rusted crap to you. I buy lots of old tools, I don't often buy new hand tools. The old stuff is great. Hell, most of my power tools are older than me. Most of my hand tools are older than my dad. They weren't fooling around when they made that stuff.

If you need specific advice on a given tool, how to clean, what it is, what to do with it, I can probably help you out if you have pictures. When I was starting out I got some great books at Half Price Books, they all seem to have one or two basic books on traditional hand tools.
posted by RustyBrooks at 6:53 PM on May 10, 2004

Penetrol is a good, durable coating oil for use after you've cleaned up metal or wooden tool parts. It's not a lubricant, but a "drying" coating. For rusty stuff, I scrub with penetrol and a scotchbrite, wipe off, then wipe on a fresh penetrol coating. Worked for years on tools stored (and used) on a cruising sailboat.
posted by salt at 9:37 PM on May 10, 2004