Restoration and Preservation

R

Rod Allen

Joined
Oct 26, 2002
Messages
477
I would appreciate some advise as to what are the best methods/ products for cleaning old rust of blades , also what is best for preservation of leather. I have heard of a product called Renaissance wax . But can not find a supplier here in Oz. Rod
 
well, the main place I've ordered rennaisance wax from has been museum replicas ltd. http://www.museumreplicas.com Part # 9-264. It's $28 for a 7oz jar.

I'll also defer to the masters when it comes to rust removal, as I was going to post the same question after I posted some pics of some older stuff I've got.

TC
 
No master here, but I got a small 'sandpaper pen' from walmart for around 2 bucks. It is pretty helpful for rust in spots where sandpaper or brillo pads can't reach.

There is a nifty product called a 'rust eraser' which if you haven't seen one, its an standard block eraser made out of eraser gum materials mixed with some sort of sandpaper. Those work great if you can find one. I had one years ago but have had a hard time locating another.
 
A.G. Russell (www.agrussell.com) sells Simichrome polish & an item called a 'rust block.' Rust block will take off rust & corrosion pretty quick. I either use the rust block or 0000 steel wool + oil & work the rust off, then dry the blade & go over it with polishing compound like you find at the auto parts store. After this, if the blade is to be put up, I give it a couple of coats of the Simichrome polish, which has some sort of rust/corrosion inhibitors in it. If storage is to be long term, or humidity is really high, I then store blade & sheath in a 'No-Rust Bag.' The bags are available by doing a search for 'No-Rust Bags' & they really work. I have stored guns & knives for 10+ years in them, & never had a problem or rust.

If all else fails, get ahold of Manoucher & tell him to get in touch with Vanessa for you!!! She may not help the rust, but just like my homemade wine, after a short time, it won't make any difference.
 
Originally posted by Dakmar
There is a nifty product called a 'rust eraser' which if you haven't seen one, its an standard block eraser made out of eraser gum materials mixed with some sort of sandpaper. Those work great if you can find one. I had one years ago but have had a hard time locating another.
Click to expand...

You can visit Wholesale Tool.......

http://www.wttool.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv

They have all sorts of goodies and I'm fortunate enough to live in a city where one is located so I can go visit them.
Just click on abrasives, then rubberized, then blocks and sticks, etc. Be patient you will get there and when you do you will find all sorts of rubberized abrasives.
There a bit more than the $2.00 bucks you paid at WalMart, but then they last longer too.:)
There's several different grits from coarse to extra fine IIRC.:)

I did a quick search on Wholesale Tool on Google to get this and then a quick run down on the website and got this...

http://server1.wttool.com/cgi-bin/m...en=CTGY&Store_Code=WT&Category_Code=53500630p

You can take it from there. Cruise around thier website as they have all sorts of goodies at reasonable prices.
We used a lot of supplies from Wholesale Tool when I was still in the machine shops and I'm sure they still do. Wholesale tool is a very popular outfit around Tulsa.
I get a new catalog from the store when I go in at least once a year. Their catalog is well worth the miniscule price if they're still selling them.:D

Enjoy.;)
 
Thanks DKP and Yvsa . you guys in the States have lots more good gear than we appear to in Oz , I will go through the Cattle dogs and see if I can order from the Web, Thanks again. Rod
 
When Greg brought my khyber knife back, I gave it a few swipes with a diamond steel to knock the rust off the blade and found a pretty good edge under there. Put some oil on the thing all over and wiped it down, period. I could have used naval jelly to remove the rust, but that would somehow deny it the right to show it's well earned condition.
 
Renaissance Wax works very very well, it really shines the blades up nice and protects them from staining and rust. It's alittle expensive, but worth it's weight in gold. :D
 
Rod are you asking about rust removal on antique blades or work blades? Improper rust removal on an antique, can greatly devalue a piece, so I would encourage caution if dealing with an antique. Also rust removal methods vary from type of piece, as certain things that are acceptable for certain types of pieces are un-acceptable for others.
 
That changes things quite a bit. Cleaning depends alot on the type of weapon, and the collectors attitude towards cleaning. Cleaning traditions can vary greatly from culture to culture, but when in doubt gentleness is most advisable. Stabilized rust, or patina, for many antique weapons should not be disturbed as its removal can greatly devalue a piece. There are situations where it can be removed, but again it depends on the piece as well as the collectors attitude towards cleaning. Some collectors care less about money, and more about tradition, so they clean their blades traditionally. However, in general, especially if you think you may eventually sell a piece, this type of cleaning is un-advisable. It is also more difficult to do, and depends heavily on the eye of the one doing the restoration. In general patina removal is unadvisable, because if done in-correctly it can destroy the value of the piece. Live active rust, on the other hand, must be destroyed with a vengeance. Live rust is the bright red rust, that is actively destroying your blade. In general, when dealing with antique blades gentleness is key. Overly invasive cleaning can damage patina.

What I do when I get a new piece, is first to clean it with acetone. This helps remove any old dirt and grease. After cleaning, if there is significant active rust, I scrub very lightly with #0000 steel wool. The logic behind using such a fine steel wool is as follows, the soft steel wool is harder than the non-stable rust but softer than the stable patina, so it will remove the live rust, but break apart when it meets the harder stable patina. If there is alot of rust, or if its stubborn I will soak the blade in a penetrating oil, such as wd-40 and then repeat with the steel wool. For harder rust spots, what I like to call rust scabs, a copper penny or a brass brush can be used. Again the logic is the softer metal will not scratch the hard steel. This type of cleaning is very time consuming, but is the gentlest way to treat the rust. Avoid chemical cleaning such as naval jelly, as it will remove patina. Also, when in doubt do nothing, and just keep it oiled. Repairing bad cleaning is possible, but in the long run once the blade is damaged, the value is lost for good. You can remove 100 year old patina, but there is no way to put it back.
 
Frederico . Thank you very much that has been very helpfull , and most likely saved some unrequired work. Regards Rod.
 
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