Haaaalp! Rust on tools!

[Robert Gilbert]

Good morning. God's gift to idiots (me), while rennovating my shop, I left my plywood tool rack lying on the cement floor of the basement at the cottage. Two weeks later, to my shock and horror, I have rust spots on my collection of hand planes, from moisture absorbed through the plywood, I guess. Can someone take pity on this sinner and suggest a way to restore my tools? I was thinking a Scotch Pad might work (the rust in in the form of tiny spots that only slowly respond to steel wool) to remove the spots, but then I worried I might somehow be damaging the tools (the Scotch Pads leave lots of scratches). Anyhow, any suggestions would be very much appreciated...

[Jake Darvall]

Don't worry about it. Wire brush it away so you don't get cross everytime you see it...... or, spray on some oil to hide the red..... they'll still work fine.

Happens to me on occation. As soon as it rains it starts dripping through the roof.....me sheds a rightoff. There's always one hole I can't find.

...try and get into the habit of squirting the back of your blades with WD-40 or something like or with a rag before you lock up for the evening.

[Bob Smalser]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=28340&highlight=rustproofing+tools

[Derek Cohen]

If I ever get a spot of surface rust (fortunately this is quite rare where I live as the humidity level is always low), then I "clean it off" with a very fine 6" Scotchbrite aluminium oxide deburring wheel that I chuck in my drillpress. This will leave a smooth, polished steel. Afterwards, rub a little Camellia oil onto the steel.

Note that this is only good if the rust is on the surface and there is no pitting after removal. If you have pits, either sand them out (my first choice) and/or use a rust converter to neutralize what remains (as Bob has suggested).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Travis Johnson]

I would have to suggest rubbing off the rust with a Maroon Scotch Bright pad. They are just great for buffing a lightly rusted surface back to a super shiny luster.

As for keeping the planes rusting in the first place, try Camellia oil, a vegtable based oil that drys to a dry film that will keep most rust off a plane.

[Frank Conway]

I use red scotch-brite with WD-40. Seems to work fine. Alternatively, you could send your old rusty ones to me and get new shiny ones! I'll dispose of them properly.

[Alex Berkovsky]

I would have to suggest rubbing off the rust with a Maroon Scotch Bright pad. They are just great for buffing a lightly rusted surface back to a super shiny luster.Where can I pick up the maroon version of the pad? Does BORG carry it? My LV LA plane has developed light rust where I held it from sweaty finger tips.

[Lyle DeWalt]

These always work well for me. Especially if it's superficial rust. Several places sell them.


http://www.mcfeelys.com/product.asp?pid=KSA-9996

[Ken Bryant]

You will say I'm a slave to the overpriced boutique-tool craze...but NOTHING I've tried works anywhere near as well as those hand-blocks sold by Lie Nielsen. The best than can be said about their price is that they cost a little bit less than the planes...but they really work.

Has anyone found them elsewhere? They're an abrasive mixed with a rubber block, sort of like a big eraser. I'm sure they're available someplace for one-tenth what LN charges for them.

[Andrew Ault]

Woodcraft has Sandflex blocks for a little less than Lie Nielsen - though more than Mcfeelys.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=7329&refcode=05INFROO

I call mine a rust eraser.

I get mine at a local Rocklers, but don't see them on their website.

- Andy

[Ken Bryant]

If you have an unheated shop in the rainforest, you need LOTS of this stuff...Keeping any little thing (like a nail) between flat plane surfaces and another surface (like a workbench) makes more difference than anything else.