Whats the best way to clean/restore used hand tools?

[malcky]

Adjustables/wrenches and spanners for example...what tricks do you guys know of to get stuff back in good working order?

 

[Best]

Don't get them in bad order in the first place!

Always give any moving parts a dot of oil the odd time & especially if the tool has been in water. Try not to leave them out in rain. Don't get chemicals on them or sulphur from boilers & if you do, clean them & then wipe them with an oily rag. Spray of WD40 is a good quick way of cleaning them up. A soak overnight in a container of oil sorts a rusted spanner.
And buy tools that are quality. I have a few cheap chromed spanners & the chrome is blistering as rusting beneath. A Teng set I have is like new but costs a bit more.

 

[Best]

If it's literally a clean up of a rusted spanner, I use some steel wool & elbow grease tbh.

 

[malcky]

Im talking about cleaning up any things i might buy on ebay or at car boot sales...not from my own miss use.

When you say soak in oil...are you just talking about bog standard motor oil?
Then just wipe clean with a rag or wire brush it afterwards?

 

[Best]

Motor oil would do, but thinner oil would be better. Any of the spray oils like WD40 (which you can buy cheaper in a large container with a pump spray) are best as they penetrate well but also contain solvents that clean. That way, it does the work, not you.
Guess usually just steel wool or emery or wire brush may be needed. A brush attachment on a drill or a Dremel would be great.

 

[Best]

One tool that is impossible to restore is a hand saw. The metal seems to be so pure it rusts badly if damp, so keep them dry & give them a wipe with oily rag or else you end up with a ruined saw.

 

[malcky]

ok cool...thanks. Im going to check out what bargains i can find in car boot sales seeing as a lot of older stuff is better produced/made than it is today.

 

[malcky]

It was suggested on another thread that the Bahco 224 saw was decent...these are not too dear new that i wouldnt bother looking second hand for them....wrenched/spanners/hammers/pliers are the kimd of things i was thinking could pick up.

 

[Glenwils]

My grandad found a an old pair of his 24" Record stillsons in the loft. They were rusted to **** but worked fine. I soaked them in a container of distilled vinegar for a few days. Pulled them out wiped them over, gave them a coat of blue Hamerite and they were good as new.

I now use them all the time.

I always give my other tools a little wipe down at the end of the day and a spray with wd40 every now and again.

 

[malcky]

I just tried the vinegar method on a cheepy hammer that had loads of surface rust all over it....plastic tub with enough vinegar to cover the head of hammer and left it for a few days, just wiped it of with a wheel brush and cant believe its come up like new...still a crap hammer but its clean now. Thats got to be the cheapest and easiest tool cleaner ever.....not quick though.

 

[Mike Jackson]

I thought that we all just bought a complete new tool kit for every job. With the extortionate sums we all earn a new tool kit is a drop in the ocean.

 

[malcky]

Haha i reckon there's a joke in there somewhere. lol

 

[Resolute]

You could always try coke, it cleans most things!

 

[Barry98]

Powder or liquid

 

[Mike Jackson]

You could always try coke, it cleans most things!

Has to be real coke though. I tried some cheapo cola and it just put a sticky residue over everything.

 

[malcky]

Think will just stick to the vinegar method from now on as easy and cheap too...read you can add some baking soda and lemon juice for a bit extra removing oomph...anyone done that?

seen a cracking video on youtube using loctite naval jelly and only takes 15 mins to do....results were incredible but not found it in the UK, unless its got a different name here?