Get rid of blue marks on steel?

[DavidL41]

I have a tool that has blue marks from overheating. It is a soldering iron type product.

The steel is thick. Are these marks surface only? How can I remove this?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I have a tool that has blue marks from overheating. It is a soldering iron type product.

The steel is thick. Are these marks surface only? How can I remove this?

If it's a soldering iron, or wood/leather-burning tool, it may likely be normal. As hot as those tools are designed to get in 'normal' usage, it's inevitable. They will oxidize extremely rapidly when that hot, which turns the tip blue. If oxidized heavily, it interferes with heat transfer to the workpiece. A soldering iron needs to be 'tinned' frequently with fresh solder, and then wiped on a wet sponge to keep the tip 'shiny' and transferring heat reliably. On a wood/leather-burning tool, the oxidation can be scrubbed off with a wire brush as needed, or on some emery cloth, wet/dry sandpaper or similar.

If the tip is a plated metal of some kind, I'd be careful using emery cloth or sandpaper on it, which might remove the plating and make matters worse, effectively ruining the tip. Tips on tools of this type are usually replacable (tips unscrew from the tool); sometimes that's what's needed to keep the tool working decently.


David