Cleaning lite rust from tool.

[jockeylot]

I am wondering if someone can tell me the best way to clean abused tools.  Sometimes I find tools that I can't even read the mfg.  I have a sonic cleaner and have used wire wheel on grinder.  Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[crankshaftdan II]

I am wondering if someone can tell me the best way to clean abused tools.  Sometimes I find tools that I can't even read the mfg.  I have a sonic cleaner and have used wire wheel on grinder.  Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Everyone has their own way of cleaning old rusty tools--I use a fairly pricy item called Evapo-rust(bout $25.00/gallom) on all chrome plated tools--can set in and soak for a week if necessary to destroy rust without any damage to chrome.  Plain old white or apple cider vinegar will do a good job for Plain steel/non plated tools-takes getting used to with trial and error as the soak time is much shorter(start out @ 20 minutes & progress from there-can eat them up completely if left in too long.  There is also a tread on this site or GG about electrolasis(12 volt battery & anode rod-very slow process)
I'm sure others can chime in on this subject--wire wheels work for only steel items where fit & finish is not critical--brass wheels are a much better item-much more $$cost wise.   Blast cabinets with various sand media etc. also will work-can destroy metal rapidly-Do some reading up on this and other sites and you will find many solutions to your rust problems.

[jockeylot]

Thank you so much for your advice.  I will try the vinegar and lighten up on the wire wheel.  LOL

[amecks]

I bought a K-D tool - hose clamp pliers and tubing cutter.  The tubing cutter wheels were rusty looking and froze solid.  Then I went and dropped it in the snow on our walkway.  The snow melted and I found them out in the yard.  The dog must've picked them up and dropped them out there.
So I took them to work and soaked them in vinegar for about 24 hours (checked a few times in between).  The rollers had freed up.  I cleaned the tool with a 3" wire wheel on a drill motor.  It came looking very nice - even the wheels cleaned up to where you would never know they were rusted at all.
Al

[HeelSpur]

Most of the time I use elbow grease and a brass wire brush.
Hard thick rust gets a bath in vinegar or sometimes a wire wheel.

[EVILDR235]

I clean / polish sockets with part of a extension in a drill press and a Scotch Brite pad. When i was still working i used the glass bead machine to clean the inside of sockets. I use to bead blast tools that were for myself. When i sell tools i de grease them, but leave the rust removel to the new owner. Everybody has there own method of rust removel.

EvilDr235

[turnnut]

I also use Evapo-rust,  also have good luck with Gibb's for stuck items.

sometimes I use a wire wheel, but with VERY-FINE wires. brass wires prefered.

before all these so called safer cleaners came along, I  liked a kerosene/transmission mix,
yup, that would be a home brew.

[Papaw]

We all have our own methods and each works to a point, to each his own. I've been thinking lately about a parts cleaning tank and pump like we used to use in auto repair and in my motorcycle shop. Think it would be useful?
 Harbor Freight has a cheap small one that a gift card I received would finance.
 

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-1-2-half-gallon-parts-washer-96952.html

[jimwrench]

 I use white vinegar followed by a buffing with an orange(coarse) Dico Nyalox nylon buffing wheel. Doesn't scratch like a wire wheel.
Prefer 6 inch diameter wheels. Using some 5 inch diameter wheels I bought in error but like the additional tip speed of the 6 inch.

[jockeylot]

Thanks for all the inputs.  My sonic cleaner does quite well for the grease.  Will try the vinegar and brass wheel.

[lptools]

Hello, I buy & sell quite a few tools, I mostly leave the final cleaning to the new owner. I clean all rust & grease with very hot water, & Simple Green, then a quick dry & a soak in the WD-40 vat, (I buy it by the gallon). Stubborn grease on plated tools gets paint or lacquer thinner, never on a painted tool!!!!!!!!! For bulk cleaning of small items & parts, I use vibratory tumblers, walnut shell, corn cob, sand, whatever the need dictates. I have used vinegar in the past, but be careful, it is very corrosive , and will eat the threads off of a fine thread screw if left for too long. 

[turnnut]

Thanks for all the inputs.  My sonic cleaner does quite well for the grease.  Will try the vinegar and brass wheel.

WARNING !  a lot of the cheap brass wire wheels are only brass coated wire.

we talked about that in another forum.

[coolford]

I clean a lot of auger bits and use vinegar and then a coarse wire wheel.  I soak for 24 hours usually, less if its hot and more if its cold.  For wrenches I again use 8 inch coarse wire wheels on blue steel wrenches and a fine wheel on plated wrenches.  After cleaning thousands of wrenches I know how hard to push.  Lastly I have a large blast cabinet and use Skat Blast in it for anything I will be painting.  Using sand or anything like Skat Blast on a tool that is not to be painted is a serious mistake as it will never look correct after such treatment.

[Chillylulu]

We all have our own methods and each works to a point, to each his own. I've been thinking lately about a parts cleaning tank and pump like we used to use in auto repair and in my motorcycle shop. Think it would be useful?
 Harbor Freight has a cheap small one that a gift card I received would finance.
 

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-1-2-half-gallon-parts-washer-96952.html

I like the looks of that small cleaner. I think you should try it, at least we know it would work well for grease and grime. Since the pump handles solvents I would think it would do well with a mild acid.

Chilly

[Chillylulu]

Has anyone used a soda blaster?

Chilly