SUP

@bladegrinder That is so true. I can just as well use them cleaned without polishing. I would like to learn though. I do leatherwork for a hobby, so will need to think about it. The burnisher I have is the Tandy one. So it is small and will take a buffer wheel but I'm wondering about it after everyone warns of the dangers. At home, I cannot afford to have tools flying away, even if in the opposite direction - I have pets! It took me a while to even recognize what a buffer is, because to me, a buffer is a reagent. Common sense told me it is a solid item but until I saw this photograph, I was unsure of how one looks or can look. (thank you @jrdunn for the photograph). I saw pics online but did not know which one is what I could use. Anyway, I am busy setting up an electrolysis machine, which I have done before - earlier for iron pots but this one is smaller. Let's see how clean that makes the tools. I appreciate all the warnings - and will take care or maybe even avoid polishing with a buffer. I take all that I am told here very seriously because I know you all speak from experience and nothing beats that. Thank you all..

@dikman please rest assured, I will take care. You all had a first time of using a tool and I will too. I have the advantage of so many of you guiding and warning me at every step.

@chuck123wapati if that is your opinion of me, and you do not like what I ask, you are welcome to stay out of any threads that I start. After all, my name is present, linked to the threads. I am certain that the other old timers and everyone else here can and have judged me for themselves and you really do not need to try and color their opinions of me. Not everyone has their opinions colored like yours clearly are, seeing your current and earlier comments, here and elsewhere. We all have our opinions of people; not everyone airs them. For that reason, I will not be responding to any more of your comments. It is not rudeness, but a desire to not have any unpleasantness in otherwise pleasant threads which are started to truly learn.

@bruce johnson @dikman thank you for all that information and for being so willing to guide me. I am going to cut and paste all this information into my 'using tools' file to review each time I use something. Best way to ensure I don't forget. I did not realize that my basic burnisher that I bought for edge finishing, I keep it positioned so that the wheel turns away from me. So I have an idea what you both are talking about. Come to think of it, that is sure to have a buffer attachment. I'll look for it. Once I get one, I will put up a pic here, so that if there are any specific precautions needed for the type, I would love to know. @bruce johnson good poster. do you mind if I print it and put it in my work area too?

Thank you for those ideas @bruce johnson. I was wondering how I could use them. I have not bought one as yet. But they are so beautiful. I will buy one soon and try out some of those things. I'm glad you told me that the hair gets rubbed off on bags, else I would have made one. Don't want the hassle of hair rubbing off and adding to the hair I find everywhere - dog hair plus cattle hair! Yes. I will watch out for the way the hair lies. That is part of the beauty, isn't it, the glowing colors and patterns and the way the hair lies.

Love that! @jrdunn That is a very nice thing to say. Thank you. I will continue to learn and do. And don't worry. I am very, very careful with tools. I will be as careful with buffers as well. I learn all I can, get all the possible information about precautions and dangers and then use a tool for the first time. Takes time but I am usually safe. I am of the 'know all you can' brigade, not the 'learn as you go' brigade in matters of safety when using tools, chemicals and everything else. Hence my dozens of questions about things. That is after internet searches. That is why I appreciate all you really nice people here who understand and share your knowledge so willingly.

Thanks @dikman I'll take care about that. I really appreciate people like you who are so helpful and give me the guidance to learn new things. And do not treat me like I am senile because I am sometimes absent minded. I have been so since I was a teenager and if I had been discouraged like another here is trying to do, I would have not achieved anything at all. So thank you. @chuck123wapati Hahaha. You make me sound like I am ready for a hospice or already living in one. Absent-mindedness, I believe, is a mark of brilliance. . You might not understand that. As for the rest, I spent my life doing medical research, interior design, computer programming, running a tech company, among other things. All white collar stuff. Now I want to do things with my hands... so learning. I will be learning new things until I die. Going to professionals is not an option because I want to learn and do. Until now, .I did not know how to use tools because I never had reason to use them. I had plenty of people to do it for me. Now I want to learn. That is the fun of life. Learning something new all the time. I bet all the old timers here had a time when they were new as well. I hope no one told them, that they forget and are therefore unsuited to do whatever they want to do. Youngsters forget as well. When young certainly, but then, they were not busy spending 18-20 hours a day doing medical research in the field and in the lab. We all can learn and do some things, not all things throughout our lives. The trick is in always learning, not stagnating and not saying 'I know.. I know!' but instead saying, "What else can I learn". And that is all I am going to say about that.

IKEA visit this week-end and they have some very nice hair-on hides. Beautiful finish and soft and supple. I checked Tandy immediately after and not as good but more pricy. The colors in IKEA are much better too, warm and rich. The finishes will naturally be different as the IKEA ones are ready for use as rugs. But has anyone cut them up to make other items from them?

@dikman I will probably have to start using electrical instruments. I cannot possibly do everything by hand. That would leave me with little or no time for actual leatherwork! Come to think of it, I think I do have an electric buffer somewhere. @chuck123wapati I used to use vinegar earlier but once the rust is gone, if I don't take the tools out in time, they stain. I always forget. That is why I stopped.

@jasj electrolysis is really effective, I agree. I used it some years ago to clean all my old iron pots and pans. I might need to set it up again if I keep getting old tools. Once set up, it is much easier to carry out. @bruce johnson yes it is a few minutes, but I am notorious in my circle for forgetting things on the stove. A couple of dishes have even been named after that, something to the order of 'spicy burnt potatoes'. So anything cold is best, I think.

LOL. Right now, the rust and paint or whatever it was, is mostly off. Some of the tools have come out of the handles, most have not. So maybe lemon juice.. have plenty of them for fresh juice. Let's see. No hurry. The polishing. Have absolutely no idea how to polish.

@dikman but then, how do you get out the molasses? Especially from inside the handle? It is very sticky isn't it?

Okay.

Oh. I wonder why. Do you think multiple layers of protection might work? I mean some oils or waxes and then Vaseline?

@bruce johnson . That will save a lot of time. Thank you for the tip. I'm notorious for forgetting things on the stove What happens if I forget and the Evaporust comes to a boil? I hope it will not damage the tools. I'm wondering whether to use Evaporust or lemon juice as I hope the metal parts slip out of the wooden handles without too much of an effort needed. Lemon juice will not damage the wood, but Evaporust does, is it not? Maybe both.

Thank you @Tastech. I do have Evaporust and lots of lemon juice. and either will work, isn't it?. I will get the wire brushes. Hopefully the tools will get to some kind of clean state. Not shiny but clean at any rate. Once done, I will put up the pics. I have a dozen half-finished projects that I have promised to post. I do them in a round robin. Keeps things interesting. It's nice, how you pick up things. I have not experienced that as yet. What I do notice and love however, is how everyone who hears about my working with leather gets the same look as children get when they hear about chocolate. Everyone loves leather apparently. People are really nice in this forum. I absolutely agree. It's a pleasure reading the threads here sometimes, where you see people going out of their way to provide good information and help.

Oh. Okay. Will do that. Thank you @fredk

@fredk Yep. I'll do that. But first, need to get them out of the wooden handles.

@Tastech you describe very eloquently how I feel about old tools, and not just old tools, old furniture, old well-used recipe books, and so many other things, lovingly made or used. I will do as you suggest with these tools. I will clean them, wax them (I make a blade wax which keeps my blades free of rust in the high humidity that I live in, so evidently effective) and admire them (which I do anyway). I got these for a song. I do not pay eBay prices, they are ridiculous except for rare instances. My tools will stay with me my entire life. After that, yes, to someone who will love and care for them. It must have been wonderful talking to the Hungarian gentleman. All that knowledge! I hope you picked up a lot of information from him.

@Tastech I do not have any of those tools or space to work with acids and other chemicals. I need to do everything by hand, at home. Leatherwork is a new hobby for me. So it will have to be things like spirit and steel wool to get them clean. I should be able to separate the handles - f not I can request my friendly neighborhood cutler. I will probably have to go the primer, paint path since I do not plan to make shoes but I will get inventive. Old tools, especially leather ones, are unfortunately difficult to resist. Then caring for them is another issue altogether. But I think you understand where I'm coming from, since you apparently also have a collection that you rarely use, in spite of being a shoe maker. Your tools look lovely, by the way.

Thank you @bruce johnson. These are cobbler's tools, so I will be able to use them only when using thick leather or I will need to get inventive. But i do plan to use them. @DieselTech Here is a pic of some of the tools. I just cleaned and dried them, then applied blade wax. The paint, as you can see, is patchy on all except one of them. I will probably be able to get some of it off. I do everything by hand, of course, so it will take a bit more time. I doubt I will be able to get it all off though. I might need to do as @fredk suggested and use Hammerlite directly. Or maybe a spray like @bruce johnson says - Ace or Rustoleum. Does humidity affect any of this? The ambient humidity is really high here, right now at 65%.

They forecast rain this week but dry as ever although the air is very humid. I have the leather ready. I live in hope!

The brand on one appears to be Mahlen, on another it seems to be Koritsor or Koritson. The names are not very clear so just guessing a bit. The others are not clear at all. Cannot find much on them. Do any of you have an idea about these brands? The paint will preserve better but until I get some, I will probably just use a blade wax and add them to the list of items to check twice a month. It is so humid here, sometimes the bare floor feels damp inside. I have dehumidifiers and monitors galore with the leathers and tools.

I found some old tools recently. Nice ones. They all have what appears to be black paint on the metal, except for the actual working area. I was thinking of replacing that paint, since it has become a little patchy. I will need to strip off all the old paint first, isn't it? What do I use to do that? And after that, what paint do I use? Is it a good idea to replace the paint or is it better to strip off all the old paint and use a good metal wax? I would love some advice.

On veg tan leather, Fiebings Oxblood becomes a bilious pink. I tried a very diluted form - still a bilious pink. No idea why it's called Oxblood. I gave up trying to get a pink. Will watch here, I hope someone knows how to get a good pink on veg tan. @Littlef I did not get a red, I got a pink - a deep pink or a light pink. Maybe it was the leather. Beg tanned leather has various shades.