Best way of removing rust from tools?

Electrolysis is best (google for it) as it only takes the rust off and not the steel. Or simpler but corrosive to the steel is citric acid or vinegar.

A comparison here

He uses high current but the electrolysis will work OK with the typical current from a (non smart) car battery charger. Smart ones will only switch on when a battery is connected!

Quick and dirty. Spray with WD40 and rub dry with a rough cloth.

Molasses works well if you don't need the tools in a hurry. Plenty of info on the web.

Cheers

Just had the same problem, but with old spanners.

Gave them a quick wire brush to remove surplus. Soaked them in oil for a few days. Let them drain on a bit of old towelling, then rub dry.

Sprayed the inside of the metal toolbox with WD40.

The one I'd go for though perhaps a bit of emery paper or wire wool as well to get into any nooks and crannies esp. on the drill bits.

Plaster trowels may not like oil though (or rather the plaster may not) so they may be better just being rubbed clean.

Youtube has many answers to that.

NT

Not sure a pitted trowel or float is going to be that useful?

Evaporust

Vinegar certainly works on scissors but they needed sharpening afterwards.

Brian

With the chisels and drill bits, 3 in 1 or similar oil, on coarse wire wool. Same with the faces of the trowels only finer grade wire wool.

As its only a week's worth of rust IMO this should work fine. IME Its only when you get deeper pitted rust that it can return on previously pristine surfaces, which have become subject to neglect for some reason.

I had this happen with a couple of heavy Maun straight edges following a move. They subsequently needed regular treatment with a regular rub over with a candle, unlike before.

michael adams

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As above except with WD40, it worked for me when some tools got wet in a damp shed.

A friend mentioned using vinegar on older tools he'd bought a boot fair, followed by rinsing and WD40.

When the item is removed it will be covered in a soft black layer.

This comes off quite easily with some wire wool or a steel scrubbing pad

So that instead of rubbing off the rust straightaway with your wire wool and an "oil based substance" you wait between 6 hours and a couple of days with the object in a bucket and then rub away at a "soft" black layer. So "soft" in fact you will again need to get out the wire wool again, or a steel scrubbing pad to get it off.

I see.

michael adams

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RTFM!! I've a load of rusty tools (long story) and finally got around to giving this a go this afternoon on one of the older ones. Use a laptop charger from a defunct Dell - 19v. Fascinating to watch the hubble bubble toil and trouble brew but a disappointing result.

Just re-read the instructions, I'd got the poles the wrong way round!!