Hello. I am not sure where this request should go, so apologies if it is in the wrong forum. Anyway, I have a kukri, chakmak and karda that belonged to a WW2 Army Major, while the kukri is in reasonable condition, both the chakmak and karda blades are covered with rust. Is there any good treatment for removal of same please?
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Rust removal
- Thread starter sulia
- Start date
Thank you , but I am almost sure naval jelly is not available in the UK, at least I have never heard of it,though I looked it up and found it is made by Loctite, and as for getting hold of hydrochloric acid...oh well...back to the old brillo pads!!! My thanks anyway!
Sando
Knife Maker
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2002
- Messages
- 1,148
You can collect naval jelly yourself by neglecting certain aspects of personal hygiene around your midriff. But it is a slow process to get enough for a chakmak. Alternatively you can ask for contributions from the guys with purple, spiked hair.
Steve
Steve
Don't use Naval Jelly, it's much to vicious for your average knife cleaning.
First, try this:
1) Coat the blade with a heavy coat of mineral oil, then let it sit for a bit.
2) The mineral oil should free up some of the rust, try just wiping off with a cloth. I use a bit of canvas, as it has a bit of roughness, but isn't abrasive to the original finish.
3) Small rust spots can be removed with a dental pick, razor blade, and finest steel wool.
4) If all else fails, start with mirco grit sand paper.
First, try this:
1) Coat the blade with a heavy coat of mineral oil, then let it sit for a bit.
2) The mineral oil should free up some of the rust, try just wiping off with a cloth. I use a bit of canvas, as it has a bit of roughness, but isn't abrasive to the original finish.
3) Small rust spots can be removed with a dental pick, razor blade, and finest steel wool.
4) If all else fails, start with mirco grit sand paper.
I will try that....I tried the strong tannin solution and it worked.....sort of! At least some of the original metal was visible...And I guess the same treatment would work for a regimental sword.....Queens Own Hussars....kept deliberately blunted for obvious reasons but the merest trace of rust on the tip.. Thanks guys!
Tardy response on my part...
The closest thing I've found to naval jelly in the UK is Jenolite (Halfords sell it). There is a newish rust remover that Hammerite do that is a citric acid based one which is much kinder to the steel (and the skin). Also available in Halfords. Hydrochloric acid (dilute) is used in brick cleaner.
For cleaning small amounts of rust off, I've used oil & very fine wire wool.
HTH
Peter
The closest thing I've found to naval jelly in the UK is Jenolite (Halfords sell it). There is a newish rust remover that Hammerite do that is a citric acid based one which is much kinder to the steel (and the skin). Also available in Halfords. Hydrochloric acid (dilute) is used in brick cleaner.
For cleaning small amounts of rust off, I've used oil & very fine wire wool.
HTH
Peter
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2003
- Messages
- 717
Try this:
kinsey (kinsey@uno.cc.geneseo.edu)
Tue, 9 Jan 1996 09:32:22 -0500
I wrote this up for the EAIA Chronicle a few years back. I stuck it on
rec.ww a couple of months back. It sounds like it's time to post it here.
Electrolysis is a standard technique in the artifact restoration business.
I wrote this up for the Chronicle of the Early American Industries
Association a few years back. Most of the tool collectors around here use
it:
A plastic tub; a stainless steel or iron electrode, water and washing
soda (NOT baking soda!!) and a battery charger. About a tablespoon of soda
to a gallon of water. If you have trouble locating the washing soda,
household lye will work just fine. It's a tad more nasty--always wear eye
protection and be sure to add the lye to the water (NOT water to lye!!!)
The solution is weak, and is not harmful, though you might want to wear
gloves.
The iron electrode works best if it surrounds the object to be cleaned,
since the cleaning is "line of sight" to a certain extent. The iron
electode will be eaten away with time. Stainless steel has the advantage
(some alloys, but not all) that it is not eaten away. The electrode is
connected to the positive (red) terminal and the object being cleaned, to
the negative. Submerge the object, making sure you have good contact, which
can be difficult with heavily rusted objects.
Turn on the power. If your charger has a meter, be sure come current is
flowing. Again, good electrical contact may be hard to make-it is
essential. Fine bubbles will rise from the object. Go away and come back in
a few hours. Rub the object under running water with a plastic pot
scrubber. Depending on the amount of original rust, you may have to
re-treat. The clean object will acquire surface rust very quickly, so wipe
it dry and dry further in a warm oven or with a hair dryer.
The polarity is important!! The surface rust is being converted to metallic
iron, so the process is totally self limiting. I have left things (by
mistake) for several days: the water was largly gone, by electrolysis, but
the object was fine. Reverse the polarity and your object is being eaten
away!!! The rust will go along with it, but that's not what you had in
mind, is it??
There are lots of variants: suspending an electrode inside to clean a
cavity in an object; using a sponge soaked in the electrolyte with a
backing electrode to clean spots on large objects or things that shouldn't
be submerged (like with lots of wood)
The surface is left black. Rusted pits are still pits. Shiny unrusted metal
is untouched. The method will cope with any degree of rust, from surface to
heavily scaled.
Use plastic and junk iron for electrodes. For electrodes, I buy cheap
stainless spoons at the flea market for treating small stuff in a dishpan
and large iron things as electrodes in my trashcan bath. The bath will last
until it gets so disgusting that you decide it is time for a fresh one.
There is nothing especially nasty about it-it's mildly basic-so disposal is
not a concern, except you may not want all the crud in your drains.
One caution: Painted surfaces *may* be damaged.
On antique tools, I generally treat immediately with a hard paste wax,
applied with the tool hot enough to melt the wax.( the oven or a heat gun
is handy here)
Try it--it beats any other method, especially for antique tools, where that
pickled look that acid gives totally destroys the value.
Ted Kinsey
----------------------------------------------------------------
Private replies: kinsey@uno.cc.geneseo.edu
Public replies: oldtools@listserv.law.cornell.edu
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When quoting, edit severely.
kinsey (kinsey@uno.cc.geneseo.edu)
Tue, 9 Jan 1996 09:32:22 -0500
I wrote this up for the EAIA Chronicle a few years back. I stuck it on
rec.ww a couple of months back. It sounds like it's time to post it here.
Electrolysis is a standard technique in the artifact restoration business.
I wrote this up for the Chronicle of the Early American Industries
Association a few years back. Most of the tool collectors around here use
it:
A plastic tub; a stainless steel or iron electrode, water and washing
soda (NOT baking soda!!) and a battery charger. About a tablespoon of soda
to a gallon of water. If you have trouble locating the washing soda,
household lye will work just fine. It's a tad more nasty--always wear eye
protection and be sure to add the lye to the water (NOT water to lye!!!)
The solution is weak, and is not harmful, though you might want to wear
gloves.
The iron electrode works best if it surrounds the object to be cleaned,
since the cleaning is "line of sight" to a certain extent. The iron
electode will be eaten away with time. Stainless steel has the advantage
(some alloys, but not all) that it is not eaten away. The electrode is
connected to the positive (red) terminal and the object being cleaned, to
the negative. Submerge the object, making sure you have good contact, which
can be difficult with heavily rusted objects.
Turn on the power. If your charger has a meter, be sure come current is
flowing. Again, good electrical contact may be hard to make-it is
essential. Fine bubbles will rise from the object. Go away and come back in
a few hours. Rub the object under running water with a plastic pot
scrubber. Depending on the amount of original rust, you may have to
re-treat. The clean object will acquire surface rust very quickly, so wipe
it dry and dry further in a warm oven or with a hair dryer.
The polarity is important!! The surface rust is being converted to metallic
iron, so the process is totally self limiting. I have left things (by
mistake) for several days: the water was largly gone, by electrolysis, but
the object was fine. Reverse the polarity and your object is being eaten
away!!! The rust will go along with it, but that's not what you had in
mind, is it??
There are lots of variants: suspending an electrode inside to clean a
cavity in an object; using a sponge soaked in the electrolyte with a
backing electrode to clean spots on large objects or things that shouldn't
be submerged (like with lots of wood)
The surface is left black. Rusted pits are still pits. Shiny unrusted metal
is untouched. The method will cope with any degree of rust, from surface to
heavily scaled.
Use plastic and junk iron for electrodes. For electrodes, I buy cheap
stainless spoons at the flea market for treating small stuff in a dishpan
and large iron things as electrodes in my trashcan bath. The bath will last
until it gets so disgusting that you decide it is time for a fresh one.
There is nothing especially nasty about it-it's mildly basic-so disposal is
not a concern, except you may not want all the crud in your drains.
One caution: Painted surfaces *may* be damaged.
On antique tools, I generally treat immediately with a hard paste wax,
applied with the tool hot enough to melt the wax.( the oven or a heat gun
is handy here)
Try it--it beats any other method, especially for antique tools, where that
pickled look that acid gives totally destroys the value.
Ted Kinsey
----------------------------------------------------------------
Private replies: kinsey@uno.cc.geneseo.edu
Public replies: oldtools@listserv.law.cornell.edu
To subscribe, signoff, to digest: listserv@listserv.law.cornell.edu
Other housekeeping: owner-oldtools@listserv.law.cornell.edu
Hypermail archive: http://www.law.cornell.edu/listservs/oldtools/
When quoting, edit severely.