Cleaning up old tools

[Gyrass]

Hello.
I'm just getting started in the world of machining. I have a bunch of old tools and tooling from the 70s and 80s from an old machinist (my father). One thing that I am running into is how to clean up flat tools with out modifying their flatness or parallelism. I'm dealing with 123 blocks, parallels, combination squares and other various measurement/setup tools that have minor surface rust and pitting on. My question is when it comes to the things that need to be flat and or parallel, what is the best way to go about cleaning those up with out modifying them? I just got finished cleaning a Starrett 4 inch combination square. My method was to take any flat spot and sand the face on a flat granite surface using lapping paper. This did a great job for the blade and seems to have done a good job with the 90 degree side with out modifying it too much. It also revealed that the trailing edge of it is worn out and not all that flat anymore (there was no rust, just dirt and black oxide). Is this a good method? With out using things like a surface grinder or a mill, how would you go about cleaning these tools to keep them flat and even?

 

[Moderatemixed]

Hey there..... I’ve tried everything from Vinegar Dipping to Electrolysis. The best “hands down” for EXACTLY what you have to clean is Evaporust. It is gentle on the tools, on your hands and gets rid of the rust completely. Let the stuff soak submerged overnight and in the morning give it a light rub with some blue Scotchbright. Then rinse with hot water and finally coat with something like Starrett M1. Let that soak in for an hour or so and wipe lightly with a dry shop towel. Guaranteed results!

No I’m not sponsored but I have been at this “buy and restore” thing for 5 SOLID years...... and for what I have spent on many other products to arrive at this procedure I should be!

Good luck.

Cheers,

Derek

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[Moderatemixed]

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[Ed ke6bnl]

Evaporust in my wife's old croch pot plus heat makes fast work of evaporust

 

[Nutfarmer]

I like Evaporust ,but be careful. Don't use on spring steel like the c type spring on the top of the old style calipers. You may find it in pieces from hydrogen embrittlement. I ruined a gauge block by soaking it over night. It etched the highly polished surface. It works great for a lot of things. It just has its limitations.

 

[Moderatemixed]

I used Vinegar overnight on a bunch of Starrett Spring Callipers and in the morning the springs were garbage..... I threw away the callipers too, only to learn later that I could have bought replacement springs. 2 lessons, 1 event.


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[mikey]

Evaporust is good stuff but I would be cautious about the soak time. For things you don't care about, going overnight works but if you leave it in too long it takes on a dark cast. Most small items will be fine with a few hours soak time. The great thing about Evaporust is that it is paint-safe. If you use this stuff, be sure to completely cover the part or it will leave a permanent line at the air:fluid interface.

Electrolysis is also really good, pretty safe and allows you to do really large items. It is NOT paint-safe but you can safely soak a really rusty part for several days if needed without affecting the part.

 

[Moderatemixed]

Evaporust is good stuff but I would be cautious about the soak time. For things you don't care about, going overnight works but if you leave it in too long it takes on a dark cast. Most small items will be fine with a few hours soak time. The great thing about Evaporust is that it is paint-safe. If you use this stuff, be sure to completely cover the part or it will leave a permanent line at the air:fluid interface.

Electrolysis is also really good, pretty safe and allows you to do really large items. It is NOT paint-safe but you can safely soak a really rusty part for several days if needed without affecting the part.

I find that if I give everything a good little scrub with a stainless steel bbq brush after it comes out of the Evaporust, all the black tarnish cleans off and leaves a beautiful aged steel look. As though the metal never rusted..... just got old and seasoned!


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