cleaning impact sockets with vinegar

[stage20]

ive cleaned some chrome stuff with good luck. wash off with brake cleaner or window cleaner and usually end up with some decent looking sockets.

picked up some snap on impact sockets over the weekend that were pretty rusty. i think they have been sitting in the bottom of a water bucket. ive soaked them since saturday and i dont know if its the black coating from the socket, or just the chemical reaction to all the rust. i have this black ink that i cant get cleaned off the sockets or my hands.

im out of vinegar, or i was going to try soaking them in clean liquid. the stuff ive been using is dirty, but it has been doing a good job of cleaning, so i just keep using it.

 

[IOWNJUNK]

Clean them up with soapy water and a stiff nylon brush or toothbrush. The black will wear off your hands in a few days. Light coat of oil or WD after.

 

[WildwoodChuck]

I used vinegar soak for 24 hours then immediately scrubbed the tool with hot running water. I then sprayed the tool with orange oil cleaner like goo gone. I have heard the black is a flash corrosion that more vinegar would get off. Got any pickles in the fridge? The juice is mostly vinegar and could get the black off the tool and your hands.

 

[1950mercury]

Vinegar will take the black oxide off. I use oil on a green scotch bright pad with the socket on the air tool and let it rip griping the socket. Gets the good enuff. The more you use them the more they will clean up. Keep them lightly oiled

 

[just a noob]

have you tried spinning them in a rag coated in wd40 or something similar?

 

[stage20]

Vinegar will take the black oxide off. I use oil on a green scotch bright pad with the socket on the air tool and let it rip griping the socket. Gets the good enuff. The more you use them the more they will clean up. Keep them lightly oiled

Good tip! All I had at the moment was silicone spray and fluid film. They cleaned to to a nice grey, almost like blasted iron. Ill give it a go tomorrow and see what I can do.

 

[ALREBEL]

X-2 on the vinegar. Just make sure and wipe them down with a lightly oiled wrag when finished soaking.