Cleaning rust off Stanley #15 plane

I went "shopping" in my Dad's garage again. I have a sticky door at home and figured I could use a plane to shave it down a hair. The plane hasn't been used in a long time and has a little surface rust. I was thinking about scotch-brite, steel wool, maybe noxon. Any better ideas?

Reply to
gdguarino
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Here is a trick that is out side the box. In an inconspicuous area put a drop of Titebond glue on the rusted surface. Let it dry a few hours and remove the glue. I quite often get drops of glue on the top of my cast iron TS top and when I remove the glue the surface looks "brand new".

Reply to
Leon

For light rust removal, I use a piece of green or grey scotch-brite with a dab of oil or WD40, whichever is closest at hand. Paste wax to prevent rust returning.

For light film rust like on handsaws or large planes I use a razor blade to lightly scrape the flat areas. Blunt the corners on a stone so there is no sharp edges. You can scrape an awful lot of the rust off. Be careful not to gouge the metal. I use one of the razor blade holders Hyde used to make for scraping paint off of windows back in the day there were wooden windows. With the heft of it off, you can now sand it, dissolve it with vinegar (don't leave too long or it will etch), citric acid (I haven't tried CA), Evaporust (good stuff but $) or get fancy and take up the hobby of electrolysis.

All these are well covered in the Google archive of rec.woodworking, and a regular google search will turn up a few hundred thousand hits. Here's a great starting place. Should keep you busy reading for a few hours.

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Reply to
Roy

Reply to
clare

What proportions do you recommend? I have not tried it, but IIRC the sulphur in the molasses acts as a chealating agent. Here's an interesting link on it I pulled from the Oldtools list. Never heard of dried molasses before.

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runs $20/gallon from Tractor Supply. I'm on my second gallon even though it is reusable. I strongly suggest you keep it in a tightly sealed container when in use, just so some clumsy oaf can't stumble over it causing a sudden fall and of course spilling every drop of the elixir. Happened to a guy who lives near me.

Regards, Roy

Reply to
Roy

3.5 to 10 parts water to one part molasses. It's a combination, apparently of the chelating action and the acetic acid produced by the fermentation (which causes the "head" on the mixture)
Reply to
clare

_Light_ surface rust can be removed by using the tool.

Reply to
Father Haskell

I second the Evaporust. I used it on two Stanley planes and it worked perfectly. Took only a few hours to clean everything and it evens leaves a protective coating to prevent rust, although only a short-term coating (6-8 weeks depending on handling).

I've used Evaporust on several old and new items and can't imagine cleaning rust, especially heavy rust, any other way.

Good luck!

Reply to
Casper

Nothing beats blasting with walnut shells or plastic pellets, glass beads in more severe cases. Equipment is getting less $$ these days, even home made outfits are a good shop tool.

Joe

Reply to
Joe

I bought Evaporust on recommendations from people here. I can't imagine anyone recommending the stuff. It takes forever to touch even light rust. For light rust WD40 and steel wool should work For heavy rust, I've found nothing that touches Naval Jelly. That stuff works fast and removes all rust fast with no damage to the metal other than damage the rust may have already done. I've seen people in here trash Naval Jelly, fortunately, I'd used it too many times and know how well it works.

For light rust on a hand plane, I'd try WD40 or similar and steel wool, clean when finished with lacquer thinner or similar, then spray with some TopCote or similar. If that didn't work, I'd replace WD40 with Naval Jelly, and lacquer thinner with water, and repeat.

Reply to
Jack Stein

Another possibility. I've had pretty good luck with a solution of salt in vinegar. Just keep adding salt till the vinegar won't absorb any more. IIRC, you wind up with a weak solution of hydrochloric acid.

Just be sure to oil or wax the tool as soon as you remove it from its soak and dry it off. Otherwise new rust will start forming almost instantly.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

Every time one of these "how to remove rust" threads comes up, it's the same old run-around. I see everybody posting about WD-40 and a scotchbrite pad and "a few hours later," or Evaporust "only takes a few hours," and the same thing with naval jelly.

Then someone comes in and says, "why not just get Boeshield Rust Free and be done in minutes instead of hours." But people, for whatever reason, still seem to want to go the rub-n-scrub route, like the elbow grease makes them feel better for letting the tools get rusty. A rust penitence of sort. :-)

I'm guessing Naval Jelly is the one thing that comes close because it also has Phosphoric Acid.

This is the last rust removal thread I'll post in. You can lead a horse to water...

Reply to
-MIKE-

Light oil, some steel wool. Mineral spirits afterwards to clean up the mess. Lightly oil to keep it from happening again. I live on the DE shore about 3 miles in from the Atlantic Ocean. Salt air is not your friend here. I wipe down tools with an oiled rag about every six months or so. Ditto with firearms, bright work on bicycles, etc.

/paul W3FIS

Reply to
deadgoose

BINGBINGBINGBINGBING!!

We have a winner for best answer!

Reply to
Roy

Yup but don't wally about, get stuck in with the powered wire brushes and do the job properly.

I'm having a break at the moment and I've mentioned it before but I'm a volunteer with:

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spend a lot of time refurbishing old planes, I've up-loaded some pics here:

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some reason photobucket has the pic I uploaded first, of the plane when it arrived at number 8 and when I'd finished with it, at No 4

The set also shows some of the tools used. The angle grinder and wire cup bush is used on all flat surfaces but do use proper PPE. Eye protection is absolutely essential.

Reply to
Stuart

Roy wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

+1
Reply to
Han

time. I rarely use naval jelly anymore, I have a 8 inch diameter course wire brush in a bench motor running 1800 rpm and use that 99 percent of the time on everything. Works perfectly.

Reply to
bw

Yes, I have exactly the same thing on an old 1800 rpm washing machine motor. I use a fairly soft wire wheel and I use it on everything small enough to hold to the wheel. On a hand plane with light rust, that is what I would use.

Naval jelly is rarely needed but it seems to store forever. I've had some on the shelf for around 15 years, and just the other day used it to clean some heavy rust off the bottom plate of a hand truck that was heavily rusted. Worked great and easily.

At any rate, Evaporust, imo, is next to worthless.

Reply to
Jack Stein

I never used Boeshield but naval jelly has been around forever. It works great, but I'm open to suggestions, so someday might try Boeshield on your recommendation. If I do, I'll certainly let everyone know my thoughts next time the subject comes up. I'd love to hear comparisons, wouldn't you?

Thing is, there are new horses and new water holes all the time. People are not born with infinite knowledge and you never know when you might learn something. I learned Evaporust was worthless, I tried it, it sucks the big one. I don't mind sharing what I've learned, or learning what someone else learned. What amazes me is that someone would claim Evaporust had value, unless his hand was in an Evaporust pocket?

If you think Boeshield is good, there is no reason to stop mentioning it when the subject comes up. Myself, I think Evaporust is worthless enough to mention it every time someone touts it.

Reply to
Jack Stein

I just noticed some surface rust on the business surfaces of my Biesemeyer TS fence tube. I just sprayed them with a little Boeshield and it wiped right off. I can still see where it was, I suppose because it pitted the surface a little. I might do the table after it cools off a little this evening.

Reply to
krw

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