Had a house fire and all of my hand tools are rusty, looked but found no help. What is the best way to clean and lube them. Need all the help I can get. Thanks
Soaking them in vinegar will take off the rust. Not sure what to do next. Wipe them down with some type of oil? Neal
If they're really bad, google "electrolysis rust removal". Easy to set up, non-hazardous, and all you need is a DC power source (most use a battery charger), and it works like a dream. Chris
Try the wood bleach, Google wood bleach rust removal for more info. Works great for chrome stuff like tools. Vinegar works well on heavy rust but it removes metal and discoloration of chrome. Ospho works great too.
What's that got to do with anything ? If they are not covered, then you need to clean them up If they are covered you still clean them up and go shopping. You got something to help the guy get his tools cleaned up?
2x on the vinegar, then wipe down with oil. Had a pair of vice grips that were thru a fire and were caked with rust, soaked em for a couple days, wire brushed and soaked for another day, quick shot of wd40 afterwards and they work fine but they aren't pretty anymore.
Sorry for you. Is this where molasses would work? I have never tried that. I have melted wax into all the stuck tools and it leaves a nice working and slick coating. Good luck Jack
I've heard of using vinegar and I assume it works,another thought is to soda blast them,,it's not to abrasive and may dull the finish but it wont remove the chrome plating. HRP
yeah, soak 'em in vinegar or molasses. i'd use the old tattoo machine frame trick, warm 'em up with a benzomatic and dip 'em in motor oil.
I'd shy away from electrolysis if they had any kind of plating before the fire. Some of the byproducts (read fumes) given off during the process can be pretty hazardous. That said, it does work great on plain steel.
According to my homeowners insurance the coverage on tools was minimal,I have a extra insurance policy to help cover the thousands of dollars worth of tools that I have accumulated over the last 50 years. HRP
Just wondering....will his tools require constant care for the rust from now on? My shop has a problem with moisture in the early spring and my stuff molded and rusted until I installed a ceiling fan and kept the air moving. Just thinking about the rust pitting that will be left behind. Really sorry about the fire. Maybe things will be restored even better than before when all is said and done.
Is this going to go from help "cleaning rusty sooty tools" to a insurance workshop on proper coverage, specialty riders, and contents coverage at garage sale prices ?
You wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? It's like every thread ever posted on the hamb,it's a open discussion! HRP
Know anyone with one of those "vibratory" cleaners? For wrenches might be the solution. I've heard an "old hand" talk about a cement mixer full of oily sand to clean up tools. RE: Rehpotsirhcj electrolysis reply. Are you talking about the "washing soda" method? Nothing hazardous there. I know plating often involves nasty fumes, etc but haven't heard any such with the rust conversion system.
Evapo-Rust really works.......... Can be poured into a dishwashing pan and used over and over again. Then I would probably use something light to protect tools, like WD-40. Just did the entire roof of my wagon with it Evapo-Rust over night covering the roof with paper towels and plastic. Then treated and painted with KBS RustSeal - both are great stuff.
My question is, how hot did these tools get? Have they lost their temper and hardness? May be a waste of time cleaning them, if the chrome is blued or peeled! I guess you could clean them up and run them through a swap meet.
wood bleach and regular bleach are the same product (6% sodium hypoclorite solution ) , you can use regular bleach to remove the light rust and then rinse with water dry and then wipe the tools down with a cloth with used motor oil on it , for some reason the used oil works better than the new , it doesn't have to be sopping wet just enough to make the rag damp . and wipe down and coat the tool . do not do electroloyse on it as you will make Hexavelent chrome in the solution or gas , which is toxic and if done wrong you can also dechrome the tool as this is how the tools are chrome plated . Osho or marhyde s phos coat works great too . but will wear off in time .
I did a bumper jack in vinegar. The cab plating turned the vinegar very black. When rinsed of the cad was still black. Had to run over it with a wire brush.
Right, not so much the solution WT, but byproducts of the reaction. The process is great, you just cant use it on plated items. One of the other suggestions (vinegar, etc.) would be better in this case.
i had a roof leak for a few days on my tool box... i took a shop towel and WD40 and got after it... it took off the dry powdery rust,,what didn't come off wore off after awhile ..clean them up and get back to work..
Thanks for all the help, I don't think they got hot enough to hurt them, The ins. co. wouldn't let us in the garage for 2 months and after the FD water we had a month and half of monsoon rain. The tool boxes took most of the heat
Molasses would probably be the cheapest way or vinegar both from the supermarketthen a quick spray with WD40 Inox etc then the best way to keep the rust from coming back is to use them often
Some one put me onto draino for cleaning rust & paint off wheels & things so I tried some in a washtub. The spoke wheels came out shiny bright so I tried some engine parts worked great. Just hose down with water . You need a pair of elbow length rubber gloves & I now use a plastic tub. I usually let them soak two to three days. I don't think it would bother the chrome. You could try a couple & see how they come out. I use the dollar store gallon size drain opener & add two to three gallons of water. When you are dune pour it down the drain.
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