Flooded Tools

[skruft]

This weekend I bought a box of tools that had been in a flood over the winter without anything being done to fix them. Here are photos of what they looked like after I washed off all the mud, without doing any more.

I guess the moral of this story is, don't leave your toolbox where it floods!

 

[JASTECH]

Vineger is what my rusted tools are in at this moment and time. Actully time to remove & rinse them. Spray with WD-40 to rid them of water.

 

[MarkH]

Looks like what we dig out of the machinery tool boxes every year. We use them and put them back. Bouncing around adds a few more scratches and dings. High polish that everyone brags about looks like a polished turd in 2 days. As long as they work they stay when they quit working and cannot be fixed it is usually followed by a throw for distance.

 

[skruft]

These were in the basement of a house near the shore, that was flooded, so the whole box was rusted and full of dried mud. Everything in the bottom drawer was pretty much solid rust and thrown away, nothing of much use anyway.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Here's some bedside reading for you on flooded tools. Enjoy.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50169

 

[TwoInch]

Vineger is what my rusted tools are in at this moment and time. Actully time to remove & rinse them. Spray with WD-40 to rid them of water.

you can get them mostly cleaned up with just vinegar. rinse with the hottest water you can handle out of your tap, as they will dry in about 5 seconds, then wipe down with WD40 on a rag.

they all look salvageable to me!

 

[Eric Nordstrom]

Hello vinegar!

 

[skruft]

Of course I used the vinegar and most of these tools are now cleaned up. I'm not sure how it will go with the Mac ratcheting box ends in the photo because they do have mechanisms that need to be freed up. Thoughts on those?

 

[Tamper84]

If you want to get rid of the rust. I have heard some guys having good luck with evaporust. You can find it at parts stores or harbor freight.

 

[Wrenches of Death]

Looks like what we dig out of the machinery tool boxes every year. We use them and put them back. Bouncing around adds a few more scratches and dings.

Same here:

"Wrench! I banish thee to the tractor box for all eternity. May rust have mercy on your soul, along with your springs and other small operating parts..."

I've found that if the box stays packed on the loose side, it allows the tools to slide and bounce around enough so that the constant scuffing motion keeps the rust down even long after the chrome is worn away.

WoD

 

[camarotoolman]

I wire wheel them, then oil, quick and easy. I like GiBBS oil, much better than other stuff.

 

[Hetman]

Use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphoric_acid
You shouldn't have problems with buying 20-30% solution. It also gives protective coating, not only removes rust.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

i use a wire wheel on the drill press then wipe them down with oil. i havent tried viniger yet

 

[stonesfan68]

Of course I used the vinegar and most of these tools are now cleaned up. I'm not sure how it will go with the Mac ratcheting box ends in the photo because they do have mechanisms that need to be freed up. Thoughts on those?

It won't hurt to put WD40 or PB Blaster around the ratcheting mechanisms. Then try and push some Permatex 81950 ("red lub of lube") in there. I did this to a small Gearwrench that was stuck last weekend and it freed it up considerably.

 

[Danglerb]

Nothing that messed up is suitable for work on the engine where one flake of chrome could do too much damage, so most would not be keepers for me, and I would never use wire wheel on a tool.