Help ! Rust on my chisels


RomainSaucourt

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WD 40 on your tools is generally a bad idea. WD 40 may displace water, but it seems to be a lousy protector.

I like to use steel wool or a Scotch brite pad and kerosene. I found it to be very effective on removing rust and leaves a thin coating that prevents oxygen from starting the rust process all over again. Wipe dry and then spray them with Camellia Oil, which is from Japan and is the preferred rust inhibitor. It can be found at most woodworking supply stores or online. Make sure you get the tool grade oil. There seems to be a lot of Camellia oil sold at health food and beauty stores. Every time you sharpen your chisels or use them, spray them with the Camellia oil and wipe them down with a rag that you use only for this purpose. Keep the rag in a sealed bag or plastic tub. Camellia oil will not interfere with finishes and that is why it is so popular.

If you have significant pitting, you can try electrolysis. Basically you use a battery charger, a tub of water, a sacrificial piece of steel and some sodium carbonite (baking soda). There are several websites that suggest this technique in great detail. It is mostly used for hand plane bodies when trying to preserve the patina of collector grade planes. I've done it and it does work. Just be clear on which lead goes to which item. If you reverse the leads, you will take metal off the tool and place it on the scrap metal.

Leather anything is bad for holding tools, especially if there isn't any chance of water vapor being allowed to escape. If you have a leather wallet, take it out and see if your paper money is damp during hot weather. There is just something about leather that lets moisture in but doesn't seem to let it out.

Use a canvas tool roll instead or better yet, a tool rack in a drawer with camphor or mothballs. I have a tool chest with drawer bottoms made from 1/4 inch peg board. In the lowest drawer I have a plastic tub, like one you might get at the grocery store for olives or cheese and fill it with moth balls or camphor. The fumes will coat the tools with a slight film that protects them from rust. This has worked well for me in unheated shop spaces.

Good Luck!

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Pits on your steel don't mean very much. Is the back of the chisel dead flat? Can you get a perfect bevel on your chisel? A micro bevel? Pits only matter if they are on your cutting edge. Once you flatten the back, you will never have to flatten it again. As you sharpen the bevel, you will be wearing away the steel and the pits will disappear.

Repeat after me: There is only one kind of chisel. A sharp chisel is a useful tool. A not sharp chisel is just a screw driver. There are no degrees of sharp. A not sharp chisel is just a screw driver. I will learn to use a sharpening method that works for me. Sidewalk, sandpaper, water stone, oil stone or other method doesn't matter. What matters is that I can sharpen my chisel with ease and can do it repeatedly before, during and after I perform my work. A not sharp chisel is just a screw driver.

Good Luck!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've heard vinegar can be good to remove rust. Also heard Marc and Matt talk about it on woodtalkonline that you can use molasses. Do a google search for removing rust with molasses and you will find the info you need. Happy woodworking :)

P.S. I have many screwdrivers, I'm lazy when it comes to sharpening.

Then again I'm lazy when it comes to doing anything. Forget the chisels, just use a router, if it has the wrong bit in it then buy a new router. <_<

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