How to remove Rust from lathe Spindles?

[Chris Burgess]

So a while back I aquired an old Lathe. I have been using it but am about to start the over haul. The main issue is the #1MT spindles have rust inside them. How do I get that out w/out messing up the taper? I saw somewhere you are never to use metal or wire to clean them. Is there somehting that can remove the rust w/out damaging it or throwing off the taper?

[phil harold]

a green weenie may do the trick


http://www.choice-woods.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1250

[James Combs]

If it actual has "hard" rust as in pitting and scaling and not just surface rust you may need to find a MT1 tapered bit. Something like this - http://www.toolsavings.com/products/Cutting Tools/Reamers/Taper Reamer/Morse Taper@@2c Square Shank/Spiral Flute Finishing.aspx (http://www.toolsavings.com/products/Cutting%20Tools/Reamers/Taper%20Reamer/Morse%20Taper@@2c%20Square%20Shank/Spiral%20Flute%20Finishing.aspx). You might be able to chuck it up in the tail stock with a drill chuck and then lightly "bore" out the head stock to remove the rust. Reverse the setup to re-bore the tail stock. In both cases a very light boring should do the trick. Even if a few rust pits remain they should not hurt anything.

[Jim Underwood]

Before the reamer, though, I'd try some rust remover, and clean the heck out of it.

As for using the reamer, I'd be careful about mounting it in the tailstock to ream the headstock unless you're absolutely positive the headstock and tailstock line up. You may do more harm than if you just reamed it by hand...

[Michael Mills]

For the headstock I would use 0000 steel wool and a wooden dowell, spray with penetrating oil first. May take several applications with the lathe running. For the tail stock...same deal but a lot of hand work.... maybe tape one end of the steel wool to a dowell and chuck up the dowell in a hand drill?

[Craig Matheny]

Try some CLR Calcium Lime and Rust Remover HD is your Friend

[Dennis Simmons]

vinegar and a scotch bright scouring pad on a dowel rod. Let the vinegar soak, keeping it wet. then wrap the pad around a dowel, turn by hand only.
I clean all my rusted tools like this, when dry put, Lube One Slick 50 on it, to coat it .