Florida Humidity got my L-N's

[Jay Knoll]

Hi

Before we took off in July, I wiped down each of my L-N planes with a paper towel saturated in their fancy oil (can't remember the name and don't fell like walking out to the garage) Two planes were stored in plane sacks, the other two in the boxes they were shipped in.

They were in a closed drawer, with a dessicant sac left over from some electronnic equipment (small but I figured better than nothing) There were a couple of old planes in their as well, just lying on their sides.

Of course you know the outcome, I opened up one of the sacks and there is corrosion/staining on the plane body. Every L-N plane is affected to some degree, although it seems that the planes in the caredboard boxes fared better. No problem with the cheap planes lying exposed and unprotectd, but of course they alread have a nice "patina" on them

I quickly wiped them down with some DuPont wonder spray that lubricates, breakes down rust etc and put them away awaiting your advice.

Should I try to clean them up doing something like the scary sharp system with real fine sandpaper -- the sides and bottoms of the planes I mean.
They blades look nice and shiny and are as sharp as I left them. Or should I just get one of those white abrasive pads and use that to "polish" them up?

Jay

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Jay--bummer!

I would always start with the less obtrusive action, in this case the abrasive pad as long as it is finer than any sandpaper you have. That and a little mineral spirits or the DuPont stuff. Rub them down good and wipe off any excess. I also wouldn't try to make them shiney-new looking either. That's just me.

fwiw at this point, I don't use the Camellia oil. I think a wipe down with a paste wax, rubbed off because the wax will clean hand oils off and then wax reapplied and lightly buffed before your next trip and they would fare better. Then again, I'm not in Florida.

I assume it is the salt-moisture in the air that attacks them in your case, combined with no heat/air circulation in the garage/shop? Maybe a dehumidifier would help in the long run.

Mike

[Doug Shepard]

If it's just light surface rust I've always been able to get rid of it with WD40 and a steel wool pad. The white pads would probably do just as good. The scary sharp type process would work if it's nastier rust. I cleaned up a pretty bad Miller's Falls family hand-me-down that way except I didn't have a piece of plate glass big enough so I spray glued the sandpaper to my TS surface for something big and flat. Course I then had to clean up the TS afterward with acetone and a razor blade but it worked. In hindsight using a piece of MDF might have been a better choice.

[Tim Sproul]

Save the VCI paper or order up some more (LN sells it as do others). Line your drawers with the VCI paper.

[Clay Craig]

Hi - Has happened to me in Miami too ...

I'd agree with the above - Camellia oil won't do it, but paste wax (or Renaissance wax, that's what I use) is better. I'd say apply and do NOT buff off - leave the heavy coat until you get back.

As for the current ones, LN sells a rust 'eraser' (a grit in a rubber composite) that has worked fine for me.

I found the very best solution has been to rent shop space out here for the summers, and take the planes with me!

Clay

[Gary White]

If you aren't going to use your planes for several months consider lubricating them and then sealing them in plastic bags with a seal-a-meal type device. The American Gun Institute took some firearms parts, oiled them, and sealed them then buried them for three years. After that time they were still unrusted. They said if the items have sharp edges or corners that these need to be padded before sealing.

Hope this might help in the future.