polishing/buffing and keeping tools rust free

[fobos8]

Hi all

I'm relatively new to woodworking and recently I've built up quite a collection of hand tools (thanks to you lot!).

I keep my tools in my van every night cos I'm on site daily. I just can't keep chisels and hand planes rust free.

I've tried everything - that toolgaurd liquid that you put on and also paste wax. Still no joy.

A mate of mines been on about buffing/polishing machines for ages saying its the best thing for keeping your tools rust free. So I paid him a visit - he has a Cruesen machine like this http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Creusen-8000-Double-Ended-Polishers-21952.htm.

Its around £260. Do I really need one of these or is there something similar I could put in the end of a drill?

What do other people do?

I know a lot of you wax your tools but I've found this unsuccessfull. Must be because its damp in my van.

Best regards, Andrew

 

[Thomas Hayman]

As far as polishing small chisels etc goes you can easily get away with a hobby buffer from Machinemart or the like.
The bigger the machine the less it will bog down on larger surface areas. So no need to splash out unless you plan on buffing bigger things.

I've found the best way to keep tools rust free is to bring them to a mirror shine. This flatens the surface and removes the microsopic imperfections that the rust forms in. After this a coat of oil *should* keep rust at bay.

Thomas

 

[martin99]

Raw linseed oil half n half with real turpentine. Just wipe/brush it on everything. So I'm told.

 

[matthewwh]

Whoa! You don't get a bigger rust test than being left in a van, overnight, every night, by the seaside, in a salt laden near 100% relative humidity atmosphere.

There are two types of wipe on corrosion protection - thick films like wax or grease and thin films like metalguard ultra. Thin films are great for a quick wipe down at the end of the day but you do need to allow the carrier to evaporate fully. Thick films provide longer term protection, but with either they are reliant on covering the entire surface.

The polishing route is a non-starter, you will never produce a completely flaweless polish at a molecular level on a woodworking tool. Corrosion is an electrochemical process where electrons move through an elecrolyte (moist air - preferably salty) from an anode to a cathode. The anode will degrade into its natural state, in the case of iron this is iron oxide.

Any polished areas will act as a cathode and any flaws will act as an anode - which results in concentrated corrosion at the flaws and nothing at the cathode, i.e. pitting. A very slightly rough surface creates one big anode, which results in powdery surface rust - much easier to remove and less likely to render a tool unusable.

In your situation I would recommend sealed compartments for your tools protected with toolguard VCI emitters. Each one will protect two cubic feet, so doing the whole van would be tricky, but if you can store your tools in a tote or a tool chest within the van then we are in business. The container doesn't have to be air tight, as long as there isn't a draught running through it you'll be fine.

The emitter slowly releases a vapour of harmless corrosion inhibiting chemical that actively inhibits the corrosion process - unlike grease or wax which simply form a barrier. Because it's a vapour it will get everywhere that the water vapour does and starts applying itself as soon as you close the box.

These have been extensively tested and approved by the Imperial War Museum for use protecting their metal artefacts and they are now recommending them to other museums for the same purpose. We use them in the warehouse for protecting stock

 

[Thomas Hayman]

Surely once the tool is polished and then sealed with an oil or such a moisture barrier is formed.

Admittedly, my polishing experience comes from a slightly different background (armour).

Admittedly, in a van overnight in salty conditions will test most corrosion resistance.

 

[pedder]

Hi,

I never did it my own, but I've read an interesting article from Bob Smalser over on Saw Mill Creek about blueing metall. He is working in wet conditions building boats.

Cheers Pedder

 

[bugbear]

Surely once the tool is polished and then sealed with an oil or such a moisture barrier is formed.

Admittedly, my polishing experience comes from a slightly different background (armour).

Admittedly, in a van overnight in salty conditions will test most corrosion resistance.

I'd have said there's a fair bit of salty liquid around armour, especially under the armpits!

BugBear

 

[ByronBlack]

Matthew - that is about the most comprehensive answer I've seen to the rust problem, that's really helped me out, as I do suffer from rusting on my tools also, I will follow your advice.

 

[woodbloke]

Raw linseed oil half n half with real turpentine. Just wipe/brush it on everything. So I'm told.

This is definitely not recommended. Linseed oil dries out to leave a hard, yellowish deposit behind on the metal which will keep the rust away but looks unsightly. I've used this method on the bars of my Record sash cramps where it's not critical. I wouldn't however, use it on a ci bodied LN plane - Rob

 

[fobos8]

In your situation I would recommend sealed compartments for your tools protected with toolguard VCI emitters.

hi matt

I have one of these pots in the tool box (Festool systainer type) which contains my chisels. They kept getting rusty so I put the toolgaurd film on them and they still very rusty.

What can I do?

Andrew

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Andrew,

You shouldn't get any rust in a systainer with a VCI pot in there, in that much space they will protect at 100% relative humidity.

1) How old is the pot?

2 Did you remove the lid completely or just pierce it?

 

[fobos8]

Hi Matthew

The pot was brand new and I took the lid of completely

Cheers, Andrew

 

[matthewwh]

And it's red on the inside?

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Andrew,

I’ve just had a brainstorming session with Paul Prince from Shield Technology about your situation.

He has suggested that as your circumstances give the rust every opportunity to persist, the ‘belt, braces and jockstrap’ approach is called for.

First up is completely removing any existing corrosion. Rust is porous and hygroscopic so it attracts water and holds it against the underlying surface, thereby allowing the process to continue.

Next is preparation, wiping your tools down with GreaseXtra, leaving them overnight and then wiping off the excess will give the surfaces that you don’t use all the time a high level of protection.

At the end of each day give them a wipe down with MetalGuard Ultra or Honerite No1 and allow the carrier fluid a couple of minutes to flash off before putting them away in your systainer with a couple of VCI pots. Keep any tools you are not using in the systainer with the lid closed.

The corrosion control kit contains most of what you will need and we can tweak the contents to suit your requirements (and it’s £210 cheaper than the polishing machine.)

 

[matt]

My planes live in old synthetic ski socks in the garage - seems to have solved the problem.

My chisels live in a leather wrap. Despite having a problem at first, caused by the wrap itself (Grrrrrrr!) the chisels are now fine. I coated them liberally with tool wax and then inserted them in the roll. The roll pockets now have a nice coating of wax which cured the original problem too.

 

[eoinsgaff]

Boeshield - I'll never tire of saying it. Its the business. I've tried a few methods and this is the easiest and most effective.

The climate around here is at least as harsh as Jersey. Full blast of the Atlantic and I'm reasonably confident my tools are protected.

Eoin

 

[fobos8]

Thanks for your help matthew.

I'm gonna polish one of my chisels on my mates machine and see what happens to it. If it doesn't work I'll go for the solution you suggested.

Cheers, Andrew

 

[PeterW]

Back in the fifties we simply used to give our tools a wipe with an oily rag that we kept for this purpose. It didn't seem to matter what grade of oil was used either.

Try the simple things first

 

[tekno.mage]

I use part of an unheated and (in places) somewhat damp barn as a workshop and have suffered from rust problems with tools in the past. I now wrap any important tools (such as chucks & jaw sets for the lathe, drive centres, rasps. chisels etc) in the special brown paper which protects against rust available quite cheaply from engineering suppliers such as Proops, after first giving the tools a wipe with WD40 or similar. This approach works best with tools that come in their own box, rather than those kept loose in a toolbag or toolbox. I've also lined the boxes of boxed sets of forstner bits and other similar drills with the same paper to good effect.

These measures seem to have worked well over the last winter despite ingress of snow through the roof ventilator of the barn and plenty of rain water driving in one of the doors.

Tools that get used with green wood like drawknives, axes & billhooks I keep wrapped in an oily rag when not in use and always clean well after use.

I've used Renaissance wax on the bed bars of my lathe to good effect - this does seem to protect against rust from condensation when the lathe is not in use in the very cold weather. Of course, it wears off when the lathe is being used and needs to be re-applied.


tekno.mage