Help!...Little Surface rust.....

[d.weglarz13]

Hey guys. I just got a Gransfors Bruks Felling Axe, and as I was using it the first time ever yesterday, a bit of surface rust appeared. Now, the finish is beautiful, partly because of the forge scale still left on the face of the axe. So I NEED TO NOT HARM the scale, but remove the surface rust. Can you guys tell me what I can do? It's only a small bit, but I want to get rid of it.
Thanks for the help
Dave

 

[d.weglarz13]

It's only a bit of rust on the parts where the steel is exposed through the scale. But it really bothers me to see rust, do would a brass brush or Brillo work without hurting the scale? Plastic brushes and wd40 isn't doing crap.
Please give me some ideas.

Dave

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Not sure I'd use Brillo. It may be caustic and/or too abrasive.

A brass-bristled wire brush may work better with the WD-40. More aggressive than plastic brushes, but still soft enough to avoid scratching the steel or (I assume) the scale.

At the very least, the WD-40 should be softening up the red rust somewhat. To test for that, spray on the WD-40, let it work for a little bit, and then wipe it with a clean paper towel or rag. You should see some red/brown rust residue staining the paper towel. If the rust is pretty bad, wetting the steel with WD-40, then wrapping it in WD-40-soaked paper towels for a few hours can do a good job loosening up the rust. Works even better if the wrapped tool is further wrapped or enclosed in plastic, which keeps the WD-40 from evaporating off.

Sometimes, scrubbing a rusty blade or tool with a brush and baking soda (mixed into a paste with water) can loosen up and remove rust. This is a good treatment for cleaning up blades that've been exposed to acids. The baking soda will help neutralize the acid, to slow/stop the corrosion.

 

[d.weglarz13]

Well I tried the wd40 thing, and yea, a little is coming off on the rag, but not much... I was thinking PB blaster, that you get for loosening up rusted bolts, but i don't want to hurt the scaled finish AT ALL. Thanks so far, this is really driving me nuts. I am very obsessive with keeping my tools and knives rust free...

dave

 

[davek14]

Rust converter will turn it black and it won't spread if that would blend in with the scale. I think it turns it to iron phosphate.

 

[d.weglarz13]

I'm not sure I want to use a rust converter unless I really have no choice....I'd rather use something that I can just brush the rust off with, but without harming the finish. Would a brass brush hurt it?

 

[JWRobinson]

apply lots of wd-40 as a lubricant and rub the spots lightly with the edge of a penny.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I'm not sure I want to use a rust converter unless I really have no choice....I'd rather use something that I can just brush the rust off with, but without harming the finish. Would a brass brush hurt it?

If the scale finish doesn't hold up to a brass brush, it won't likely hold up to anything else either, including normal use expected of an axe. Good thing about brass is, it's harder than rust (which is quite soft & breaks up easily), but still considerably softer than steel, which means it shouldn't scratch or otherwise harm the steel's finish.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about the scale, which is only cosmetic anyway. It looks nice, but doesn't add anything to the functionality of the axe, and it's coarse texture might even create additional nooks & crannies in which dirt, moisture & other rust-makers get held and trapped against the steel. Trying to protect the scale itself only makes it more difficult to remove & control the rust, which is a far bigger problem in the long term. The rust, which is porous, will trap moisture and will continue to corrode the steel underneath.

As stated earlier, I'd first start with a good soaking of the axe head in WD-40, letting it work on the rust for a while, perhaps hours or a day or two. This is important; give it time to work. The longer the WD-40 is allowed to dissolve the rust, the less aggressive scrubbing you'll need to do (I usually use an old toothbrush for tasks like this). Then douse it again in WD-40, and use a brush to scrub it thoroughly. Keep flushing & scrubbing with WD-40 until you don't see any more rust discoloration coming off the steel.