For Cleaning Wrenches and Sockets

[AndrewV]

Some of you make mnj, look like he is normal with these ocd cleanings.

To each, his own i guess.

 

[panknuckshovel]

Coca-Cola. Eats rust, cuts grease, tastes good.

 

[Adam.C]

Adam.C - My apologies if I came across as rude. We had some things going on here that had me a little wound up.

~Chris

All good. I started using my dishwasher to clean old (natural) oil stones. People said they same things; I'm going to ruin my DW, my wife is going to kill me, all the dishes are going to come out with 100 yr old goo on them. None of that was true. But nor it is a panacea.

FWIW, I restored the impact sockets in my avatar from rust using Brownell's Oxpho Blue Creme. It was designed to touch up blued gun barrels/parts. I found if you heat the parts over a candle, the creme produces a deeper black that looks very similar to Black Oxide.

Fro batches of sockets that have lost their chrome, I would try Caswell Black Oxide plating kit and make them look like the Snap On industrial finish sockets. I think the black tools are cool looking.

Couple more tips- Once I restore the black, I apply a light film of oil and then wax. I often use black crayon, again with a bit of heat to get it to melt into the pores of the tool. I think this produces a finer smoother feel to the tool while adding some additional corrosion protection.

The white lettering is white crayon. I've done it to a couple tools to help me read the markings (allen keys mainly).

So if you do have sockets that have lost their plating, this is something you could try.

 

[Crow Horse]

ultrasonic cleaner.....

 

[Fretters]

Kerosine or varsol work well for ordinary greasy mess. Might not need the stronger stuff.

I use paraffin or kerosene for degreasing too. Started using what we term as kerosene recently, (heating oil), and it seems to cut the grease a bit better than paraffin, though it does have a more notable odour, which some might not like.

Turpentine? (smells good)

Doesn't it just. I love gum turpentine. I use it for loads of things, as much for the smell as owt else. It needs to be the proper stuff though. Turps substitute isn't anything like, and I believe you have something over there which is called turpentine but just made from crushing/pulping wood, which again isn't the same.

 

[Fretters]

Some of you make mnj, look like he is normal with these ocd cleanings.

To each, his own i guess.

It's nowt to do with OCD. Some of us just tend to appropriate tools which are cacked upto the hilt with rust, grease and other dross, on occasion. A tool which is in everyday use just gets a wipe down with a rag or a brush down after use. You need to get tools in usable condition before you can use them though.

 

[woody 73]

David water and tools is never a good idea.

I bought a 6inch wheel (a very special wheel not made out of brass but rather soft nylon-read as super expensive) that takes off all the old crud without harming the old chrome.

When I am done I coat all my tools in oil and grease to keep rust at bay, everyone is different and they might want super clean tools which is ok; but in my small man cave rust is the #1 killer.

Brake cleaner from any of the auto parts stores in the spray can form work well with cleaning the insides of sockets, but as soon as it dries I coat them with the above mix that stops any rust.

Hope that helps you out.

 

[Davefr]

After you get them squeaky clean you polish them with Zaino All In One then a coating of Poorboy's Ex Sealant.

Now you carefully place them in your lined toolbox drawer. (use a rag so you don't get any finger prints on them!).

Now when you have real work to do, you grab your rusty "beaters" from a 5 gallon bucket to save wear and scratches on your good wrenches. (CM raised panels, HF or mismatched G-sale wrenches.)