Removing Rust from LV planes

[brian c miller]

So.. we relocated from SC to PA and then relocated in PA again within the span of about a year... some of my handtools remained packed for the transistion.

Before the move I coated everything in Paste wax, but after a year I am getting some rust on the surface of a few planes.

What's the best course of action here??

Thanks,
BCM

[Steve Friedman]

Crying always helps.

Those rubber sanding blocks work wonders. I often follow up with Autosol and then with Conservators Wax (from LV), which seems to clean and wax at the same time.

I'm in NJ and have LV and L-N planes in a metal cabinet with 2 Goldenrod dehumidifiers, but still manage to get rust in my unheated garage. The rust comes off easily enough, but it's still frustrating.

Steve

[Maurice Ungaro]

Brian,
I've had good luck with the Klingspor line of rust erasers. I picked up the medium and fine grits. They do a good job. If it's milled surface rust, try using Flitz polish and aluminum foil. Take asmall piece of the foil, and dap a little Flitz on it. Then rub the snot outta the metal. You will see a black swarf appear. Buff that off with a cotton rag. You won't beleive your eyes.

[glenn bradley]

As always when faced with this situation, members are urged to carefully pack their hand tools and ship them to me. Seriously, depending on the severity your method of restoration will vary. The folks who restore planes may be your best bet for information if things are bleak. If there are only 'patina' stains a syntho pad and mineral spirits (as a lubricant) may do the job. Rust Free (http://boeshield.com/features-benefits/rustfree/) has lifted out deep shadows in iron for me but, it is caustic and you need to follow the directions closely or like stain removers for fabric, you end up with the rust gone but, a color difference that you don't want.

[Don Dorn]

There have been some good answers here. Mine is far more crude in that I simply use 1000 grit wet sandpaper and little Wd40. On occasion, it has left a small remnent of where you did it, but it doesn't effect functionality at all. I'm not suggesting that anyone else do it, but to me, they are just tools and I simply want them to remain sharp and work.

[jason thigpen]

I've had good luck with some fine steel wool and mineral spirits. Hit it with some paste wax or oil afterwards and I'm good to go again.

[Daniel Rode]

Sorry to hear about the rust. I don't have a tip beyond what's already been posted (mostly careful abrasion).

I use Johnson's Paste Wax on a number of metal shop surfaces but I don't give it much credit for rust prevention. I use it on the TS top, for example, to reduce friction. I read a review of products to prevent rust a while back. Wax, top-coat, WD-40, etc. Wax fared poorly as did most of the dedicated products. A cheap spray lubricant, similar to WD-40 did the best, so I bought a can. It's called CRC 3-36 Multi-Purpose Lubricant and Corrosion Inhibitor. I think I paid $4 or $5 for a can. It's better than wax (lasts longer) but nothing in the review stopped rust entirely.

[Glenn Samuels]

I just restored a 1959 Millers Fall miter box. There was rust everywhere. I soaked them in Evapo Rust for 24-48 hours and they were just as shiny as the day they were made. It is completely safe on your hands as it is a Green Product. Did not have to scrub them one bit. It's even safe to get in your eyes.....go figure ???

[Sam Stephens]

scotch brite pads and elbow grease for rust removal. In my non-A/C garage in NC, paste and paraffin waxes are not effective on planes. They're fine for TS and other cast iron tops, but not planes. A penetrating oil like wd-40 or a light duty motor oil like 3 in 1 is far superior. Haven't tried the CRC stuff but sounds like another good option.

[Chris Hachet]

I just restored a 1959 Millers Fall miter box. There was rust everywhere. I soaked them in Evapo Rust for 24-48 hours and they were just as shiny as the day they were made. It is completely safe on your hands as it is a Green Product. Did not have to scrub them one bit. It's even safe to get in your eyes.....go figure ???Good to know. I have some rust finds I need to restore....

[Jim Neeley]

I got some fairly light rust on a couple of LV planes and got good results using a Sand-Flex hand block that I purchased through Lie-Nielsen. It's a rubber block with fine grit imbedded. I'm sure they're available elsewhere.

Don't delay however, as whatever pitting has occurred to date will remain and the longer you wait the deeper the pitting.

Then protect it with some combination of wax, oil & vapor rust inhibitors.

Jim

[Curt Putnam]

Clean off the rust using your favorite method. Then apply Corrosion-X Heavy Duty. It is designed for marine environments and it works!

[Ryan Griffey]

Clean off the rust using your favorite method. Then apply Corrosion-X Heavy Duty. It is designed for marine environments and it works!

http://www.thehulltruth.com/sportfishing-charters-forum/123560-test-corrosion-inhibitor-sprays.html#b

[Curt Putnam]

http://www.thehulltruth.com/sportfishing-charters-forum/123560-test-corrosion-inhibitor-sprays.html#b

Interesting. However their test contradicts my personal experience. My shop went into an unplanned 5 yr storage in a no control garage. The only CI surfaces that survived without rust were the ones treated with Corrosion-X HD. I got turned on to the stuff while salt water fishing. I used C-X HD on all my steel surface for a 7 day tuna trip and many 2 & 3 day trips. My dykes stayed rust free despite getting dunked multiple times in a day. What can I say? There has to be some variable that isn't controlled in either my experience or their test.

[Scott M Perry]

My only LV plane - a medium shoulder - has had rust problems since I got it. Always surface, no pitting or damage, easily removed with 0000 steel wool. But it's developed some staining from the rust over time. I fixed that with some judiciously applied sandpaper, working through grits to make it nice and shiny again.

My garage is unheated, insulated on ouside walls but not the doors. It's been below freezing off and on all winter. Everything's got a light coating of surface rust this year, and that's the first time it's happened since we moved here 13 years ago. Will probably just clean using lubricated steel wool and top everything with paste wax, since it hasn't really been an issue all these years.

[maximillian arango]

I've only had heavy rust on planes and the only thing I did was lap the plane and in 5 minutes the rust was gone. I have only used pb blast on an old rag to keep them from rusting.

[Joe Tilson]

All I can tell is, those guys are about as crazy about their boats as we are about our Planes(I would have said hand tools, but).

[Andrew Bell]

I've had everything I touch turn to rust as I live in a humid environment and guess I must have very acidic fingers

I've found that having a can stuffed with a rag that is slightly proud of the surface that I add oil to every now and again on the workbench, I wipe whatever I am using on it where it has come into contact with the bench, wood or my hands before its put away and have not had rust since, even things that have been in storage for a year appear fine.

[James Taglienti]

My lv block plane rusts like crazy. I've given up! I strike the fuzz off with a razor blade when it gets bad but that's about it. I'm hoping that one day it will darken to the point that it doesn't rust as much.
i think this malleable iron the new makers are using rusts more readily than the gray iron.
i have older gray iron planes that are cleaned to shining and that don't rust nearly as fast.

[Anthony Moumar]

I've also had problems with rust on my LV planes. To clean it off I found that fine steel wool and turpentine as a lubricant works well. I ended up buying the plane socks that lee valley sells which I keep the planes in. I keep a silica gel pack in each sock which I replace every now and again. It's extra effort at the end of the day but it works well.

[Clay Zimmer]

My lv block plane rusts like crazy. I've given up! I strike the fuzz off with a razor blade when it gets bad but that's about it. I'm hoping that one day it will darken to the point that it doesn't rust as much.
i think this malleable iron the new makers are using rusts more readily than the gray iron.
i have older gray iron planes that are cleaned to shining and that don't rust nearly as fast.

Funny you say this. My LV block plane rusts much faster than my old Stanley. I get fingerprints in rust on all my malleable iron tools if I don't wipe them down after use. I don't know if this is due to the composition of the metal or maybe my gray iron tools, which are all early 20th century, have had their pores filled with wax, oil, etc. after many years of use/cleaning which adds a layer of protection against rust. Whereas my malleable iron tools are all less than 4 years old and have not been waxed or oiled nearly as much. Honestly, I have no clue why but I have had the same experience as you when it comes to malleable iron rusting faster than old gray iron planes.