What's Your Procedure For Cleaning/Restoring Your Vintage Tools?

[RiseAbove]

Wondering what people do to clean/restore their tools and keep them in good shape?

I remember hearing that a mixture of 50/50 Acetone/Transmission Fluid is good to use as a penetrating fluid to clean out all of the ****, then blast out with WD40, then lubricate with grease or oil.

What are the best oils and greases to use?

Cheers

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Varies a lot on a case by case basis, but I do stuff till it seems right to me, while trying to get the grime off and not mess it up.

I try not to use anything that leaves a sticky coating when I'm done.

In the field, it's brake cleaner and a rag, with the job usually providing an oily coating.
this 40's screwdriver was mostly wetsanded with 2K grit

The upper ratchet was washed with WD40 and simple green, used a kebab skewer to clean the crevases. Inside got a little syn grease, and a drop of oil to thin it and get the noise right.
While the lower one was originally pretty rusty, I scrubbed the loose stuff off, hand (stainless)wire brushed the knurls, and rubbed it with a rag while watching movies or sitting in traffic. And using it on jobs. The flash pic wasn't flattering, its better in person, but heavily weathered for sure.

 

[RiseAbove]

Varies a lot on a case by case basis, but I do stuff till it seems right to me, while trying to get the grime off and not mess it up.

I try not to use anything that leaves a sticky coating when I'm done.

In the field, it's brake cleaner and a rag, with the job usually providing an oily coating.
this 40's screwdriver was mostly wetsanded with 2K grit

The upper ratchet was washed with WD40 and simple green, used a kebab skewer to clean the crevases. Inside got a little syn grease, and a drop of oil to thin it and get the noise right.
While the lower one was originally pretty rusty, I scrubbed the loose stuff off, hand (stainless)wire brushed the knurls, and rubbed it with a rag while watching movies or sitting in traffic. And using it on jobs. The flash pic wasn't flattering, its better in person, but heavily weathered for sure.

Came out real nice. Love those Plomb ratchets.

What grease and oil do you use?

I use Evapo-Rust for car/truck parts. Really gets rid of the rust and doesn't seem to harm the finish. I have some Vacuum Grip and Kraeuter pliers on the way that look like they need some rust removing, so was going to try the Evapo-Rust on them.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Evaporust works great on chrome, bare steel, and most paint.
Black and cad finish can be damaged. Rubbery handles can feel weird after.
Bare steel I usually E-tank because evaporaust is comparatively expensive.

As far as oil products, I use national brand name stuff of the latest spec, without much brand loyalty.

I use WD-40 like a soap, and as a lube when wire brushing.

 

[DFB]

WD 40 has always worked well for me (I once cleaned an old and dirty 1957 motorcycle frame and engine with just that, a spray bottle, brush and rag. Gad no water)

Diluted Simple Green cuts grease also and can clean well.

I did the vinegar trick on an older Mac 1/16 combination wrench I scored at flea mkt. I was actually disappointed in the results. The rusted spots ran deeper than I imagined they would and it left the surface severely pitted looking afterwards. In retrospect just soaking and wiping in WD would have left it better looking IMO.

 

[RiseAbove]

Evaporust works great on chrome, bare steel, and most paint.
Black and cad finish can be damaged. Rubbery handles can feel weird after.
Bare steel I usually E-tank because evaporaust is comparatively expensive.

As far as oil products, I use national brand name stuff of the latest spec, without much brand loyalty.

I use WD-40 like a soap, and as a lube when wire brushing.

WD 40 has always worked well for me (I once cleaned an old and dirty 1957 motorcycle frame and engine with just that, a spray bottle, brush and rag. Gad no water)

Diluted Simple Green cuts grease also and can clean well.

I did the vinegar trick on an older Mac 1/16 combination wrench I scored at flea mkt. I was actually disappointed in the results. The rusted spots ran deeper than I imagined they would and it left the surface severely pitted looking afterwards. In retrospect just soaking and wiping in WD would have left it better looking IMO.

I went to the store to pick-up some WD 40 just looking for ol' faithful blue n yellow can, and noticed they have a whole range of different ones now with White Lithium, Silicone etc. Had one just as a cleaner and degreaser.

 

[RatFinkleton]

I find it really depends on what I am working on, how bad the rust or tarnish is, and what my finished goal for the clean up is. When I first started doing this I wanted everything to be pretty and perfect. Since then my tastes have changed a little and so have my practices. Here is a condensed version of some techniques that I use. I fully disassemble what I am working on and use these techniques on the individual parts.

1. I use vinegar when I want to clean off all of the rust on a piece. I usually leave it soak for a couple days depending on how bad the rust is. Caution should be used though as too long will actually start to etch away good metal. Also make sure the part is completely submerged. any parts sticking out will have a nasty discoloration line on them that is a real pain to get rid of depending on the part.

2. After the bath scotch brite and WD-40 to clean up the vinegar rust sludge. It also offers some flash rust protection if the part is not going to be worked on immediately.

3. Abrasives- This really depends on what I am working on it ranges from sandpaper, steel wool, wire wheels, wire brushes. Wire wheels on my bench grinder have become my favorites though. I use a course steel brush, and a brass brush. The brass is kind of expensive but is very nice because it isn't as aggressive as the coarse.

4. A buffing wheel and compound on the bench grinder for adding that shine.

5. Ketchup to remove tarnish from brass or copper parts. Leave it sit for 30 min brush off with and old tooth brush. Repeat as necessary.

6.Dremel with cleaning attachments for various small parts. You can buy a kit with small wire brushes, soft brushes, and buffing pads.

7. Rustoleom industrial paints or Engine Enamels are usually my go to paints.

8. I use a chemical stripper for stripping paint with a putty knife. I would recommend media blasting, but I don't have the space for that setup yet. So playing with harsh chemicals is my method. It usually works ok but requires multiple applications an allot of elbow grease.


These are just some of the methods I have used. Not saying any of them are the best or that there is no other way to do it. I don't know why but after doing a number of full on restorations I actually prefer to leave the tools grungy looking. Focus my efforts on the functional portions of the tool get those to function good cleaning only what is needed to make it functional. I kind of like the idea of sleeper tools haha. Something that looks like junk but can outperform its modern counterparts.

 

[bonneyman]

I've used many of the above-mentioned methods, plus a few eccentric ones. Especially products that I already have and employ for multiple uses.

Toothpaste works well on plastic and rubber handled drivers to clean and polish where a petroleum-based solvent might affect the handle. Works on chrome some but takes alot more elbow grease.

Quik N Brite cleaning paste is another good mild cleaner that doesn't affect plastic.
https://quicknbrite.com

Gun bluing for tools that aren't collectible but need some protection and/or color imparted to them.

Ballistol gun oil is a good cleaner/rust reducer that also helps with the puke smell on plastics.
https://ballistol.com

For lube:
SuperLube synthetic grease and RemOil aerosol for mechanisms needing grease or oil.
https://www.super-lube.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000C50TM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[RiseAbove]

I find it really depends on what I am working on, how bad the rust or tarnish is, and what my finished goal for the clean up is. When I first started doing this I wanted everything to be pretty and perfect. Since then my tastes have changed a little and so have my practices. Here is a condensed version of some techniques that I use. I fully disassemble what I am working on and use these techniques on the individual parts.

1. I use vinegar when I want to clean off all of the rust on a piece. I usually leave it soak for a couple days depending on how bad the rust is. Caution should be used though as too long will actually start to etch away good metal. Also make sure the part is completely submerged. any parts sticking out will have a nasty discoloration line on them that is a real pain to get rid of depending on the part.

2. After the bath scotch brite and WD-40 to clean up the vinegar rust sludge. It also offers some flash rust protection if the part is not going to be worked on immediately.

3. Abrasives- This really depends on what I am working on it ranges from sandpaper, steel wool, wire wheels, wire brushes. Wire wheels on my bench grinder have become my favorites though. I use a course steel brush, and a brass brush. The brass is kind of expensive but is very nice because it isn't as aggressive as the coarse.

4. A buffing wheel and compound on the bench grinder for adding that shine.

5. Ketchup to remove tarnish from brass or copper parts. Leave it sit for 30 min brush off with and old tooth brush. Repeat as necessary.

6.Dremel with cleaning attachments for various small parts. You can buy a kit with small wire brushes, soft brushes, and buffing pads.

7. Rustoleom industrial paints or Engine Enamels are usually my go to paints.

8. I use a chemical stripper for stripping paint with a putty knife. I would recommend media blasting, but I don't have the space for that setup yet. So playing with harsh chemicals is my method. It usually works ok but requires multiple applications an allot of elbow grease.


These are just some of the methods I have used. Not saying any of them are the best or that there is no other way to do it. I don't know why but after doing a number of full on restorations I actually prefer to leave the tools grungy looking. Focus my efforts on the functional portions of the tool get those to function good cleaning only what is needed to make it functional. I kind of like the idea of sleeper tools haha. Something that looks like junk but can outperform its modern counterparts.

Thanks for the advice. Some good tips.

I'm thinking of picking up a bench grinder for wire wheel and buffer work. What RPM do you use, i'm guessing 3500rpm is too high, so maybe like a 1750rpm? Also, what wire and buffing wheels do you use?

 

[RiseAbove]

I've used many of the above-mentioned methods, plus a few eccentric ones. Especially products that I already have and employ for multiple uses.

Toothpaste works well on plastic and rubber handled drivers to clean and polish where a petroleum-based solvent might affect the handle. Works on chrome some but takes alot more elbow grease.

Quik N Brite cleaning paste is another good mild cleaner that doesn't affect plastic.
https://quicknbrite.com

Gun bluing for tools that aren't collectible but need some protection and/or color imparted to them.

Ballistol gun oil is a good cleaner/rust reducer that also helps with the puke smell on plastics.
https://ballistol.com

For lube:
SuperLube synthetic grease and RemOil aerosol for mechanisms needing grease or oil.
https://www.super-lube.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000C50TM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thanks for the advice.

Have you ever used Shellac or clear coat to protect a tools finish?

Which Superlube do you use for oiling and which one for greasing? They seem to have a lot of different versions of each on their website. I always wanted to try it, i remember rreading that it's the stuff Snap-On recommend.

 

[tym]

Have you ever used Shellac or clear coat to protect a tools finish?

I've used a couple of thin coats of boiled linseed oil to protect a cleaned/restored tool. If it's laid on too thick, it'll stay tacky forever and impart a faint yellowish color.

 

[RatFinkleton]

Thanks for the advice. Some good tips.

I'm thinking of picking up a bench grinder for wire wheel and buffer work. What RPM do you use, i'm guessing 3500rpm is too high, so maybe like a 1750rpm? Also, what wire and buffing wheels do you use?

Sorry for the delay, I have been working on a build thread that eats up most of my GJ time.

As far as the RPM on my bench grinder I believe it is 3500, but I can't say for sure. It was just an el cheapo Skil I picked up a few years back. It works pretty good. I do use an angle grinder and a plug in electric drill with wire wheel attachments for certain areas as well.

The brushes I use are just your run of the mill course brush from any hardware store nothing fancy there. They are good for powering through tough rust where I am not worried about damaging the base metal. The brass brush I believe I bought from Lee Valley. It was a little spendy but works amazing for cleaning things where I am worried about the course brush being too aggressive for the base metal.

The buffing wheel I believe came from Lee Valley as well. Its nothing fancy either just a regular buffing wheel. I use a veritas green honing compound to load the wheel. It works good enough for most of the jobs I need it to do. Although for really tedious parts I use my dremels buffing wheel.

Hope that helps mate

 

[RiseAbove]

I've used a couple of thin coats of boiled linseed oil to protect a cleaned/restored tool. If it's laid on too thick, it'll stay tacky forever and impart a faint yellowish color.

I've been meaning to try Linseed Oil. I just bought some Shellac, so if that doesn't work out to good i'll try the Linseed Oil.

Sorry for the delay, I have been working on a build thread that eats up most of my GJ time.

As far as the RPM on my bench grinder I believe it is 3500, but I can't say for sure. It was just an el cheapo Skil I picked up a few years back. It works pretty good. I do use an angle grinder and a plug in electric drill with wire wheel attachments for certain areas as well.

The brushes I use are just your run of the mill course brush from any hardware store nothing fancy there. They are good for powering through tough rust where I am not worried about damaging the base metal. The brass brush I believe I bought from Lee Valley. It was a little spendy but works amazing for cleaning things where I am worried about the course brush being too aggressive for the base metal.

The buffing wheel I believe came from Lee Valley as well. Its nothing fancy either just a regular buffing wheel. I use a veritas green honing compound to load the wheel. It works good enough for most of the jobs I need it to do. Although for really tedious parts I use my dremels buffing wheel.

Hope that helps mate

Thanks for the advice.

Does the brass brush make a big difference in terms of not damaging the surface beneath the rust?

I really do need to pick up a small multi tool such as a Dremel. I was looking at a cheaper alternative from B&D, but unsure if it's as good as a Dremel.

 

[RatFinkleton]

I've been meaning to try Linseed Oil. I just bought some Shellac, so if that doesn't work out to good i'll try the Linseed Oil.



Thanks for the advice.

Does the brass brush make a big difference in terms of not damaging the surface beneath the rust?

I really do need to pick up a small multi tool such as a Dremel. I was looking at a cheaper alternative from B&D, but unsure if it's as good as a Dremel.

Exactly the brass brush doesn't remove rust or tarnish as fast as a course steel wheel would, but it is harder to screw up your work piece.

I debated the same thing when I bought mine. I cant really speak for the alternatives as I have a Dremel. I would however recommend whatever rotary tool you go with you get a variable speed one.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I get transfer from the brass brush sometimes, so I try to find fine stainless ones.

 

[RatFinkleton]

I get transfer from the brass brush sometimes, so I try to find fine stainless ones.

Hmm interesting, I guess I haven't noticed this before. I could see how it could happen though. I will have to keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the info Slew