Are you supposed to take extreme care not to touch the cast iron on planes (ie. the soles) or the steel of chisels? I don't mean rubbing your mud-smeared paws all over them, but simply picking them up and putting them back in the tool cabinet, with clean, dry hands. Thanks.
JP
Given that one often touches the steel and bodies when using the tools, I don't know why that would be an issue. Just keep them well-waxed and cared-for.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
The secret is paste wax, but, in fact, if you don't touch the shiny parts any more than is essential, it's, as Martha says, a good thing. What we consider clean, dry hands, polished cast iron considers wet, salty and maybe acidic.
Don't leave your sweaty body acids on them. They'll etch. I do a wipe with WD40 before putting them back on the shelf. Probably overkill, but keeps them nice.
I don't bother about this, except in the height of summer when I'm literally dripping sweat.
OTOH, I have a friend who once managed to etch fingerprints into the chrome plate of a lathe's handwheels. We don't even let him handle the titanium any more. BTW - he's a smoker.
I've seen bicycles and exercise machines that had so much corrosion from sweat, parts made from all kinds of metals simply disintegrated.
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