Vintage wrench rust removal. Before & After

[KZ1000J]

Picked up some rusty wrenches the other day at the pawn shop. Soaked them in Vinegar for about two days and finished the clean-up today. Here's the before and after pics:

The top and middle ones came out ok, the bottom one was just too rough. I was, however, able to make out "Craftsman" on the bottom wrench where I had no idea what brand it was before the vinegar bath.

KZ

 

[cbacres]

What are you going to coat with?

 

[AnonymousToolGuy]

Aerosol polyurethane would probably work well. Not so sure about a dip since that might affect tolerances too much.

 

[dadsEH]

Hit em with a brass wire wheel first to polish em up.

 

[nine4gmc]

Hit em with a brass wire wheel first to polish em up.

This^, then hit them with some Fluid Film to protect them.

 

[Gmonkee]

Now put them to use! Greasy hands and frequent handling will keep the rust at bay.

Just because they look rough doesn't meant they won't make jobs get done. I started a career in mechanicing on stuff like that. Good brands for pennies on the dollar.

 

[KZ1000J]

After the vinegar bath I rinsed them in water then let them soak in fresh water and baking soda to neutralize any left over vinegar. After that, another rinse in water then towel dry and a steel wool scrubbing to knock off left over rust film. From there I put on a light coat of 10W-40.

After reading my replies, for my next move, I'll wash off the oil coating, dry, then coat with the fluid film. I'll probably give it some more steel wool before the fluid film.

 

[stewed baker]

Two days ?
I'm impatient.
I have left far rustier tools than that in cheap white vinegar for just an hour or two.
Scrubbed the major rust off with a brass wire brush under running water.
Put them back in the vinegar for another couple of hours, scrubbed them again and they came out looking like yours.
The first scrub takes off a majority of the rust and lets the vinegar work quicker to remove the remainder.
A quick final soak in clean vinegar leaves the tools really clean.
Leave the tools in too long and the acid starts to remove good metal.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

.
Leave the tools in too long and the acid starts to remove good metal.

I did that once, I put a 6 inch ruler in a jar and forgot about it for a week, lets just say that 6 inch ruler became a bunch of small rulers.

 

[Gojeremy]

I stuck a rusty golf club in coca cola overnight and used a dish scrub pad on it the next morning and rust came off. Gave it kind of a dull gray color after.

 

[unslow1]

I usually paint mine with a cast iron color paint after cleaning.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

Why go through all the trouble of timing it scrubbing and baking soda when there is Evapo-Rust. It works wonders and $20.00 Dollars a gallon at Harbor Freight using 25% coupon. You can use it over and over again.
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I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit

 

[KZ1000J]

XxTool, I've heard of Evaporust here many times and I will purchase some sometime but for this event, Kroger was 2 miles away and vinegar is only $3.46 per half gallon compared to our Harbor Freight that is 20 miles away and as you said, $20.00 per gallon.

unslow1, I've given paint some thought as well.