Old tools with paint - what do I do?

[SUP]

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.

[bruce johnson]

16 hours ago, SUP said:

@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.

I guess for the few minutes it takes, I usually just sit there and watch it simmer. Never let it boil away before. Evaporust is safe for wood and rubber so cold soaks are fine. 

[jasj]

Another successful way of rust removal is by electrolysis, using a washing soda solution, immersing the rusty item in the solution, attached to the negative clip of a 12 volt battery charger and the positive to a piece of sacrifice iron or steel. there are plenty of Youtube clips of this method, just be aware that hydrogen gas is produced by this method. This method does not remove any metal from the item compared with filing or grinding.

[SUP]

@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.

 

[chuck123wapati]

vinegar, 3 bucks a gallon, safe to use, save some for your salad, wash your windows, destroys hard water buildup on tile and glass, add to your laundry, make some vinagaroon, make some pickles, also removes a half dozen other unneeded products in your cupboard.

[dikman]

The best way to polish is with an electric buffer, you can easily get a mirror finish on steel. Just be very careful with anything that has a sharp edge as they can easily catch on the buffing wheel and the results can range from spectacular to scary!

If you want to do it by hand then work through various grits of sandpaper, using water with the finer grits which will give a very smooth finish and then use metal polish.

[SUP]

@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.

[chuck123wapati]

11 hours ago, SUP said:

@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.

 

Sometimes ya gotta add up the pros and cons. Dont know how to polish. cant boil water, cant remember simple tasks with dangerous chemicals, no knowledge of power tools, don't have the time to learn how to use or apply either one properly. The pros are ? you may end up with a shiny old tool.

I would strongly suggest you leave this job to professionals no chemical you use or apply is going to allow for your inability to remember what you are doing. And then add on learning to polish, seriously please don't go near a buffer without someone to show you.

[dikman]

High-speed buffing wheels are considered by many to be extremely dangerous to use, and with good reason. The loose muslin wheels are the most dangerous, unfortunately they're the ones that give the nice polish. I mount my buffers on an outside table with nothing behind them so when things get caught they get flung into the ground. I used them inside a shed initially, with a metal wall behind but after a couple of things got grabbed by the wheel and hit the wall I moved to outside use.

Those tools you have don't look too be too difficult to use on a buffing wheel as they don't have sharp thin edges, just keep the tangs well away from the wheel as they are exactly what can get caught.

[SUP]

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.