Hand Plane Rust Removal: Post-Vinegar Bath

[Brett Bobo]

What do you typically use for neutralizing the vinegar after soaking a plane to remove rust? It seems counter-intuitive but can a warm, soapy water bath be used followed by a good drying of all of the parts, maybe even followed by a wipe down with mineral spirits?

Also, can the vinegar be re-used and if so, how many times? I wasn't sure if there's any loss in the vinegar concentration to where it may not be as effective on multiple uses.

Thanks in advance,
Brett

[Bill Houghton]

Immediately after taking the parts out of the vinegar, I wash them in water, lots of it. I then spray everything liberally with WD-40, leave it sit for a bit, then wipe the parts down. It's worked so far.

Yes, it can be re-used. I have not yet figured out how to tell when it's used up, although I'd be inclined to think that, once the vinegar smell begins to fade, it's probably time for some fresh vinegar.

[george wilson]

I haven't used vinegar,but since it is an acid,I advise soaking the plane in a good solution of baking soda and water for a few hours. Then,rinse,dry,and oil it. I don't use WD 40 as there are complaints that it eventually leaves a brown crud that is hard to get off. Mineral oil is what Starrett instrument oil is made from. If it's good enough for them,it's good enough for me.

Whatever you soak in,I really advise staying completely away from muriatic(hydrochloric) acid. It is murder to kill,and just keeps coming back. I used some of that low temperature Tix solder many years ago. The flux contained HCL. I used it to position some small parts while I drilled and tapped them for screws. BIG MISTAKE!!! I BOILED the parts in strong baking soda solution for an hour after filing the solder off. The parts began to rust at the joint lines. I did this again 2 or 3 times,and the blasted rust came back. I don't recall how many times I did this before I finally killed the HCL in the flux.

In the 1950's,I had an UNOPENED plastic cube of muriatic acid clear across the garage from the workbench. The chrome plated wrenches began to rust. I oiled them,and scrubbed the rust off. They rusted again. I began to look around,as this was a new problem. I finally realized that the acid was getting through the sealed plastic container(you had to snip them open to use the acid). So,I poured the acid out some distance from the garage. The rusting finally stopped. Be warned!!!!

[David Weaver]

soapy water and a brush with hard plastic bristles. Dry it by hand to make sure all of the water is off, check the screw holes, etc.

If you're not going to re-do japanning, I spray shellac every non-critical part on a plane (zinsser in a can). i.e., I don't spray the iron or adjusters or machined faces. it will never rust again where you hit it with shellac (take off the knob and tote or paint them before you do that part, though). Getting the shellac off later with denatured alcohol is no problem.

[Walter Lewis]

so David are you saying that is what to do after Vinegar or Muriatic? I have used Muriatic acid to clean files for a while, but now I may have made a mistake. This morning I was cleaning some files, and decided to throw in my Bed Rock Jack Plane body in to see if I could get some of the persistant rust off the sides. I kept it in for about 10 minutes, and when I took it out and rinsed it the finish was dull, almost like I Parkerized it. Now I am trying to brighten things back up by lapping the plane. I heard that the acid starts a chemical reaction that doesn't stop, and will make parts rust much more readily. Did I ruin it? Any advice on how to un-ring the bell?

[Gabe Shackle]

I've had really good luck with boiling or near boiling water when I use electrolysis to remove all rust. It rinses the gunk off and evaporates quickly enough that you avoid nearly all the flash rust that can happen after a cleaning.

[David Keller NC]

Brett: Most soaps are slightly alkaline. Clothes washing detergent is highly alkaline. Either will neutralize any acid if used in sufficient quantity. Hand dishwashing detergent is one of the few surfactant formulations on the market that is near neutral - that's one reason for the 1970's Palmolive commercial stunt (It's safe for hands - you're soaking in it!).

Baking soda or washing soda are both weak bases (alkaline), and will neutralize an acid if used in sufficient quantity. Generally speaking, you're good to go in 10 minutes or less, particularly if you add a drop or two of detergent to break the surface tension and allow all parts to be wetted.

Walter: Hydrochloric acid (in any strength) has an especially unwelcome effect on steel. The chlorine ion causes pits to form on the surface of steel, and starts the process of pit corrosion. Other strong mineral acids like sulfuric, phosphoric, etc... don't do this. Other halogenated mineral acids also will do the same thing hydrochloric will, but hydroiodic or hydrofluoric acids are extremely uncommon to encounter outside of a chemistry laboratory.

You can undo the effect of the hydrochloric acid - the cheapest way to do it is to rinse the tools thoroughly with tap water (not distilled water), dry them off, then soak them overnight in a strong solution (about a cupful in a gallon of tap water) of baking soda with a drop or two of dishwashing liquid (just enough to slightly foam). That should be enough, but if you want to be extra cautious, change the baking soda solution once or twice.

[Carl Beckett]

...........

[Walter Lewis]

You should have seen the look on my wife's face when I came in and said: "hun, where's the baking soda, I need to stop the acid's chlorine ion from reacting with my plane!" Thanks again!
WL

[Ryan Mooney]

I've had really good luck with boiling or near boiling water when I use electrolysis to remove all rust. It rinses the gunk off and evaporates quickly enough that you avoid nearly all the flash rust that can happen after a cleaning.

I think you may well be benefiting from the fact that immersion in boiling water converts red iron oxide into black iron oxide which is both tougher and more protective than red (although black can convert back to red if not oiled/protected as black is basically just a oxygen deprived version of red). That would in theory help with any short term flash rust anyway.

There was a recent thread over on the o w w m forum about rust removal and a couple people presented fairly compelling evidence that citric acid works really well as well (and its pretty cheap if you buy in bulk). Vinegar and (more so) hydrochloric will eat steel so they would be a bad choice on any threaded items.

You can obviously test your acid bath with baking soda as well, if it foams, its still good for some more use.

[Walter Lewis]

One additional question. Now that the soaking is completed, it seems the rust is happening much slower. Since the acid bath it seems that the surface is "porous" for lack of a better word. My understanding is that all things being equal a smooth surface is less likely than a porous surface to oxidize. I am trying to get the surface back to a polished state. Would you recommend simply lapping off the surface layer, or do you think i will find the same porous surface beneath?