# Old tool cleaning part 4 - general cleaning with reviver



## AndyT

Often, old tools don't really need much doing to them. They don't all go rusty or have paint thrown at them. But fifty years of shed or attic dirt needs something more than a duster. By way of example, a nice old screw-stem plough (yes, the one with the enigmatic price code!) and a handscrew. These are some 'before' pictures:






















There's nothing seriously wrong, but it's not a tool anyone would want to pick up and use. (It has had the classic repair in use - one of the big nuts has had a bit sawn off it to replace one of the thin ones which must have got broken.)

The first step with the plough is to remove the iron. This is easily done by gently knocking the wedge downwards, which releases it - the taper of the iron locks against the wedge in normal use, so this is just the reverse.






The irons go off into a milk bottle full of citric acid solution - this is a good way to get full immersion from a minimum amount of liquid; there is room in the bottle for any bubbles released by the chemical reaction.






For the wooden parts of these tools, I am going to use a 'reviver' mixture. There is nothing original or difficult about this. It's been mentioned by several people on here who have more experience than me but somehow it's something I had not got round to trying before.

There are various recipes for the reviver. This one has equal proportions of boiled linseed oil, white vinegar and turps substitute, plus 1/4 that amount of meths, and a dash of ammonia. The proportions don't need to be exact and recipes vary quite a lot, some missing out the meths and ammonia.

Mix it all up in a suitable bottle, LABEL IT! and shake well. The ingredients do settle out quite quickly, so I found it convenient to pour just a little into a dish from time to time.






It's then just a case of using the reviver to gently scrub off the dirt. I used an old green kitchen scourer and bits of rag:






You can see here how it is lifting the dirt off:






The effect was especially marked on the handscrew, going from this






to this, in one easy step











Here's the plough finished and back in working order:





















Overall, it's a quick and easy fix for old wooden parts - and it's also effective on steel, where it will prevent further rusting. Every home should have some!


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## Racers

Hi, Andy

Another good WIP, that cocktail sure seems to work magic.

Don't you mean tap the iron downwards not the wedge?

Pete


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## toysandboats

Thanks Andy, a very useful article,

David


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## AndyT

Racers":2y5qcrly said:


> Hi, Andy
> 
> Another good WIP, that cocktail sure seems to work magic.
> 
> Don't you mean tap the iron downwards not the wedge?
> 
> Pete



Thanks Pete that's what I was thinking but not what I wrote!


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## jimi43

Yet again a great article from the Prof!

And that's a rather cool tapping hammer you have there sir! :mrgreen: 

Jim


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## dickm

Is there any advantage in using turps substitute in your brew? Other than cost? Reason for asking is a slight allergy to white spirit, and a preference for the smell of the real thing.


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## AndyT

dickm":23qvd7qw said:


> Is there any advantage in using turps substitute in your brew? Other than cost? Reason for asking is a slight allergy to white spirit, and a preference for the smell of the real thing.



Not as far as I know. I was running out of real turpentine but had plenty labelled as 'turps substitute' so I used that. 
I'd always thought that turps substitite and white spirit were the same thing, but I'm not certain. Strangely, the mixture seems to have less smell than the separate ingredients.

I agree that genuine turpentine smells lovely and I've often used it on its own for cleaning tools.


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## Phil Pascoe

White spirit has a B.S. no. - turps sub. hasn't. Turps sub might be white spirit, but needn't be - that's why you should use white spirit to dilute varnish and paint, and turps sub just for cleaning up - you don't actually know what's in it.


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## dickm

phil.p":3u385vos said:


> White spirit has a B.S. no. - turps sub. hasn't. Turps sub might be white spirit, but needn't be - that's why you should use white spirit to dilute varnish and paint, and turps sub just for cleaning up - you don't actually know what's in it.


Intereesting; that may be why I don't always get the reaction to turps substitute.


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## Yorkshire Sam

phil.p":37wpr6on said:


> White spirit has a B.S. no. - turps sub. hasn't. Turps sub might be white spirit, but needn't be - that's why you should use white spirit to dilute varnish and paint, and turps sub just for cleaning up - you don't actually know what's in it.




excuse my ignorance but whats a B.S no?


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## AndyT

Yorkshire Sam":ibf0wpou said:


> phil.p":ibf0wpou said:
> 
> 
> 
> White spirit has a B.S. no. - turps sub. hasn't. Turps sub might be white spirit, but needn't be - that's why you should use white spirit to dilute varnish and paint, and turps sub just for cleaning up - you don't actually know what's in it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> excuse my ignorance but whats a B.S no?
Click to expand...


British Standard.


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## Noggsy

Thanks Andy, I've just used this reviver to start the clean-up of a load of old woodies which I have been given. There's some crackers in amongst the rubbish, but sadly, all had been left in a damp place and need quite a bit of TLC. All are now looking much better though, so cheers for that.


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## JimB

dickm":ptn9cjbh said:


> Is there any advantage in using turps substitute in your brew? Other than cost? Reason for asking is a slight allergy to white spirit, and a preference for the smell of the real thing.


My thoughts entirely. I tend to use the real turps and it does smell more 'authentic'.


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## Self Taught

Pete,

Nice job on both, they look terrific. Must admit I also like the smell of real turps, and how it helps oil paints lay out flat. Jamey


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## Vann

Hi Andy. Can I suggest that this thread - and the others in the "_Old Tool Cleaning_" series go into your (formerly Alf's)_ Hand Tool Review Links _folder, or a similar sticky folder.

They're a handy reference - but can be hard to track down after a while.

Cheers, Vann.


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## Sheffield Tony

I experimented a bit with the batch off woodies I recently bought off ebay. These had paint spatter and streaks, some drips of glue and a sticky black grime presumably of linseed and dead skin. White spirit had little effect, but isopropyl alcohol and elephant's loo roll fetched off the sticky black and paint, after a wipe over with linseed they do look quite like the better cared for examples I had already.


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## bugbear

Sheffield Tony":1qu06gyz said:


> I experimented a bit with the batch off woodies I recently bought off ebay. These had paint spatter and streaks, some drips of glue and a sticky black grime presumably of linseed and dead skin. White spirit had little effect, but isopropyl alcohol and elephant's loo roll fetched off the sticky black and paint, after a wipe over with linseed they do look quite like the better cared for examples I had already.



Meths works too, and is (probably?) cheaper than posh alcohol.

BugBear


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## marcros

it depends how much you buy and from where. I was surprised when i wanted some of either for mixing with shellac to find that it was cheaper per litre to buy the posh stuff from ebay in a 5L container than to buy 2 1/2 2L containers from tool station. It does rely on you buying 5L though.


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## Sheffield Tony

I was in the workshop at work, which is equipped for electronics work, where IPA is the standard cleaning solution. I guess meths might work much the same.


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## bugbear

marcros":o5m8dujg said:


> it depends how much you buy and from where. I was surprised when i wanted some of either for mixing with shellac to find that it was cheaper per litre to buy the posh stuff from ebay in a 5L container than to buy 2 1/2 2L containers from tool station. It does rely on you buying 5L though.



Just goes to show how dangerous (my) assumptions can be. Thanks for the info.

BugBear


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## AndyT

Vann":2yugqgw6 said:


> Hi Andy. Can I suggest that this thread - and the others in the "_Old Tool Cleaning_" series go into your (formerly Alf's)_ Hand Tool Review Links _folder, or a similar sticky folder.
> 
> They're a handy reference - but can be hard to track down after a while.
> 
> Cheers, Vann.



This has now been done - thanks to whichever mod it was!

Sticky is here:

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/tool-cleaning-and-restoration-t82859.html


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## swagman

Nice work Andy. Appreciate the post. 

Stewie.


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## Bluekingfisher

Thanks for posting this, very interesting as I often have old fleabay and boot fair tools to clean up. The home brew reviver is especially useful. Does it have longevity once mixed? I assume it will not produce gases which could erupot after a shelf period?

Did you add wax or further protection after the cleaning of the handscrew and plane or is the finish the original top coat.

Many thanks.

David


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## AndyT

Bluekingfisher":2b0tog3w said:


> Thanks for posting this, very interesting as I often have old fleabay and boot fair tools to clean up. The home brew reviver is especially useful. Does it have longevity once mixed? I assume it will not produce gases which could erupot after a shelf period?
> 
> Did you add wax or further protection after the cleaning of the handscrew and plane or is the finish the original top coat.
> 
> Many thanks.
> 
> David



My current part-bottle must be 6 months+ and is still fine and I shall keep using it until it's all gone. No gases are released in the bottle which is tightly lidded.

I am pretty sure that the plane and handscrew were photographed with just the reviver mixture. A bit of buffing with a cloth will raise some shine.

If you want extra protection a coat of microcrystalline wax is what I would suggest, especially good on old metal parts.


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## Bluekingfisher

Thanks for the info Andy, much appreciated.

David


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## AndyT

Just a quick update - I've found that the reviver mixture is not just for wood; it can also be good for dealing with lightly rusted metal items.

Here are a couple of examples. A plane iron by I&H Sorby

Before







After






And a rather nice patent picture framing clamp (patented 1897) 

Before














After














I reckon there are three big advantages.

1.) It is much quicker than other methods - both of these had a quick rub with some 00 steel wool dipped in the mixture, were left a few minutes, then the surplus was wiped off with kitchen towel.

2.) It preserves the aged appearance.

3.) It leaves a clean surface which has some protection against rust and can be further protected with wax if desired.


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## swagman

dickm":15trfbak said:


> Is there any advantage in using turps substitute in your brew? Other than cost? Reason for asking is a slight allergy to white spirit, and a preference for the smell of the real thing.



http://www.ubeaut.com.au/reviver.html

I have used this product and it works extremely well.

I can also recommend the Polishers Handbook http://www.ubeaut.com.au/book.html

Stewie;


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## JonnyW

Brilliant piece, thank you for posting.

I have a box full of old wooden planes that were given to me, and I have absolutely no experience in restoring wooden tools.

How long can the bottle of solution last between projects? (sorry for the stupid question).

Jonny


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## AndyT

JonnyW":3uwrcubm said:


> Brilliant piece, thank you for posting.
> 
> I have a box full of old wooden planes that were given to me, and I have absolutely no experience in restoring wooden tools.
> 
> How long can the bottle of solution last between projects? (sorry for the stupid question).
> 
> Jonny



As far as I can tell, the mixture keeps indefinitely. I just make up a bottle and keep it till it's used up, then mix some more.

As an extra suggestion - if you don't have any experience of restoring tools, it's possible that you don't have much experience of wooden planes either - so you might want to start a thread with some pictures of what you have got, so people can offer comments on the condition/ rarity/ usefulness of what you have. While many of the thousands of old wooden planes are common and not worth a lot of cash, there are a few types and makers which are sought after, and most collectors prefer to do any cleaning themselves. 

In writing this note, I rather skipped over the important first stage of "assess what you have and decide how much work, if any, is appropriate."


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## Dendrophore

Hi, I'm newly registered on this forum after a few years of reading unregistered.
I would like to say a few things about chemical agents, turp is an unsafe product, highly alergenic because of it's terpen content. Most people think it's safe because it comes from pine but it's not. Most derivated products from petrol are alergenic too. So I think it's best to warn users and especially newbies to protect, wear gloves, mask when necessary, wear ear protection when needed. I'm an old woodworker and suffer from various deseases due mainly to dust breathing, varnish chemicals and so on. We share the same passion about tools and trade so let's make it safer so that we can practise longer!
I'm French so feel free to correct my mistakes!
One more thing, pieces of cloth soaked with linseed oil is can self ignate so keep them in a closed metal box when not in use or put them in a bucket of water when finished.


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## MIDIManNI

Very useful information for a complete novice like me!

Thanks

Ivan Flack
Cookstown, N. Ireland


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## cisamcgu

I have a couple of rebate planes and a plough plane, two of them marked with my Great grandfather's name - WILSON - (and made by Summer Yarville or maybe Varville ). The plough plane (I think that is the right name) is just like the one that was used in this example, but in better condition

I will have a go at cleaning them up - must be at least 100 years old


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## Henniep

AndyT said:


> Often, old tools don't really need much doing to them. They don't all go rusty or have paint thrown at them. But fifty years of shed or attic dirt needs something more than a duster. By way of example, a nice old screw-stem plough (yes, the one with the enigmatic price code!) and a handscrew. These are some 'before' pictures:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There's nothing seriously wrong, but it's not a tool anyone would want to pick up and use. (It has had the classic repair in use - one of the big nuts has had a bit sawn off it to replace one of the thin ones which must have got broken.)
> 
> The first step with the plough is to remove the iron. This is easily done by gently knocking the wedge downwards, which releases it - the taper of the iron locks against the wedge in normal use, so this is just the reverse.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The irons go off into a milk bottle full of citric acid solution - this is a good way to get full immersion from a minimum amount of liquid; there is room in the bottle for any bubbles released by the chemical reaction.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For the wooden parts of these tools, I am going to use a 'reviver' mixture. There is nothing original or difficult about this. It's been mentioned by several people on here who have more experience than me but somehow it's something I had not got round to trying before.
> 
> There are various recipes for the reviver. This one has equal proportions of boiled linseed oil, white vinegar and turps substitute, plus 1/4 that amount of meths, and a dash of ammonia. The proportions don't need to be exact and recipes vary quite a lot, some missing out the meths and ammonia.
> 
> Mix it all up in a suitable bottle, LABEL IT! and shake well. The ingredients do settle out quite quickly, so I found it convenient to pour just a little into a dish from time to time.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's then just a case of using the reviver to gently scrub off the dirt. I used an old green kitchen scourer and bits of rag:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You can see here how it is lifting the dirt off:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The effect was especially marked on the handscrew, going from this
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> to this, in one easy step
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's the plough finished and back in working order:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Overall, it's a quick and easy fix for old wooden parts - and it's also effective on steel, where it will prevent further rusting. Every home should have some!


Hi Andy.
Thanks for the cocktail recipe. Been looking for a good one for a long time. Will be making a batch first thing in the morning!


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