rusted folder

J

Jon

Joined
Nov 8, 1998
Messages
276
Trying to free the blades of an old rusted folder, any help is appreciated.
I got a few older carbon steel folders at a garage sale, any tips or techniques on cleaning them up would be appreciated. I have a Dremel Tool, along with the usual household "tools" such as WD40, steel wool, etc.
Not looking to make them show pieces, just a summer project to clean them up, sharpen, then probably give them away.
Thanks.
 
Spray the entire thing with WD-40/Liquid Wrench and let it sit for a few hours in a sunny/warm area, reapply as needed. Then spray the entire thing with Brake Cleaner, let it sit for a while. Clean with a blast of compressed air (canned air works in a pinch too). This should have penetrated enough to allow for some movement. At that point you can reapply the Liquid Wrench and see how much movement you get, go slowly so you don't fudge it up.
 
Thanks folks, appreciated. WD40 & Liquid Wrench + pliers :) freed up the blades. Letting it sit after a "heavy" spray of Liquid Wrench.
Any ideas on cleaning up the blades? I always used a penny with WD40 to clean rust, but I'm sure there are better ways these days. Does a pencil eraser clean the blades of "crap" without removing the patina?
 
Glad it worked out. LIquid Wrench is awesome. Been uing it for a long time on automotive stuff. To remove rust, you can either sand it down or try using some steel wool (dry). That should get it to a point where you can better see what kind of damage the rust has done.
 
Pencil erasers are very abrasive and can scratch the steel. I like the copper penny method, but soaking in vinegar for a few days will soften the rust. For aggresive and fast rust removal I have brass wire wheels on my bench grinder, 4" angle grinder, and for my dremel to cover all bases. Nice thing about the brass wheels is they will not remove patina.


-Xander
 
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