Cleaning Boxwood Rulers

[Jim Koepke]

Any suggestions on how to clean old folding rulers without causing damage?

I have searched for old threads, but the search function seems to have suffered from the most recent site upgrade.

Thanks for any help.

jtk

[Jim Belair]

Jim, it seems to me that Chris Schwarz had a post on the WW magazine blog about using oxalic acid. You could check through past posts there.

Found it: http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Restore+A+Folding+Rule.aspx

Jim B

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks Jim,

Maybe that is why I couldn't find it with the SMC search.

Now I am going to have to find some Oxalic acid and protective gear.

jtk

[Erik Manchester]

Jim,

I have cleaned a few with Murphy's Oil Soap and it didn't lift the ink, etc. Nicely removed the grime and accumulated filth from many years. I have used it on old plane totes and tool handles and never had any issues with it.

[Mark Berenbrok]

I got my oxalic acid (wood bleach) at the paint store. Its a dry powder that came in a one pint container.

[Harlan Barnhart]

Jim,
I've gotten excellent results with toothpaste and a toothbrush. It has the right combination of grit and "soap". It is also very gentle. You can easily monitor your progress to avoid taking off more than you wish.

[Richard Dooling]

OK Harlan,

What kind/brand of toothpaste and will it leave my rule minty fresh?

.

[Ken Whitney]

Bar Keeper's Friend is mostly (all?) oxalic acid. Comes in a can that looks like the old Comet can.

[Richard Darjes]

Oxalic acid works particularly well on wooden rules because the numbers were stamped on using India Ink, which is a form of carbon black. As it happens, oxalic acid will not remove or change the color of carbon black. I would worry about using an abrasive like tooth paste on a rule - it might rub some of the India ink off.

Good luck!

[Johnny Kleso]

Jim,
I tried cleaning one a long time ago when I just started buying tools and pretty much messed up the rule..
After that I only bought rules in fine condition..

I tried sanding as my last resort and it was a bad move..
Once the wood turned brown noting I tried would bring it back to bright yellow like a new one..

[David Keller NC]

Jim - If you don't have a particularly valuable rule (like a Stanley #68 - they made scads and scads of these), you can restore it to a new-looking condition by fixing it to a bench and gently scraping the face of the rule with a sharp hand scraper. This is what was done originally to the rule after the blacking solution was applied so that the stamped numbers and lines would show up. Caution: don't do this to a collector's item - you will completely ruin the value. Also, so-called "blind-man's rules" were printed rather than stamped, so scraping the surface will completely remove the graduations and numbers.

[Mike Brady]

Here is a rule that I restored with Boraxo and oxalic acid. There was quite a bit of both red and black ink on it as found. I was able to work those stains out without losing any of the calibration inking. I used Renaissance wax afterward and left the brass alone.
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee300/finefettle/newbench011.jpg