Best way to clean light rust on a knife blade.....

[MrEd]

Okay peeps.

i made the mistake of putting a knife away (my second favourite of 2 I own) when it was obviously damp. The blade now has some tarnish/rust spots on it.

leave as is or try to clean it off?

what ways shall I clean it? Wet and dry emery paper? Wire wool? I am
not sure.

thanks

ed

 

[janso]

Have you tried light oils like WD40?


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[Shelley]

Flitz works a treat.

 

[santaman2000]

Leave the tarnish as is (it protects from further rust) "Light" rust can be removed by simply wiping with oil or by sticking the blade into clean, dry earth a few times (this will also promote a better tarnish)

 

[Robson Valley]

Your best advice will come from the writings of Tombear of this parish. He's a tool collector/restorer of the carboot tool threads.
Citric Acid and/or Oxalic acids are his preferences.

WD40 is a Water Displacing formula and a really weak lubricant when compared with Fluid Film.
It's OK for washing parts and cleaning sand out of hood latches and drying door locks.
FF is an all season, foaming, penetrating lubricant that we use here at 53N in our winters. $20.00 rattle can to last a lifetime.

 

[Robbi]

This is all you will ever need.......

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autosol-Ch...qid=1506453343&sr=8-2&keywords=solvol+autosol

 

[MrEd]

Cheers guys, will try polishing it see what happens.....

 

[Nice65]

Autosol, 00 grade wire wool, even superfine wet and dry will do it.

If you want to put patina on the blade as a protective layer, jam it in a spud overnight. Or make patterns with mustard, lemon, onion, vinegar etc.

 

[Janne]

Ballistol ovrrnight, then polish with a rough cloth or those non abrasive square kitchen thingies.
Leave what you can not remove.

 

[janso]

Forgot about autosol! WD40 works well on cleaning light corrosion on chrome at work and some of the galvanised structures onsite.


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[tombear]

For a user that's not pitted (rather than a collectors piece that's just going to be smeared with Renaissance Wax and left in a draw) I just use a Garryflex abrasive rubber block, usually the 240 grit "fine" one. I've been lucky and picked mine up cheap but they are usually about a fiver a pop and last years. Infact i've not worn out one yet. You can cut them up if you want to just carry a small bit around and you can use them in conjunction with a lubricant although personally i just keep one fine one separate for that.

But if you've got it instead wire wool, fine wet and dry or a rag with some slightly abrasive polish will do it. The only advantage of the garryflex blocks is convenience, they can't spill, break, go rusty, leave a smell, drip into the mechanism or go off etc.

ATB

Tom

 

[Muskett]

Flitz works a treat.

This^ Or Toothpast, or and chrome polish. If bad then scotchbrite, if that fails then wet and dry but you will be taking real steel off and any tumble finish. Use a good oil, anti rust oil, when cleaning.
Wax after use if being stored for any length of time.

If its a user knife then mine get "some history". If a drawer queen then regular checking is mantadory. But think how a knife is made, it was polished when made and can be again.

 

[MrEd]

Thanks guys, have given it a go over with autosol (mother in law had some) and wire wool.

looks much better, the rough stuff is gone, but there is a patina kind of stain on the blade I quite like, it's not eaten into the metal as I can't feel it under my nail so am going to leave it. It's a carbon steel knife

 

[MartiniDave]

Remember for the future that prevention is better than cure, if you pop onto youtube and look up a master woodworker called Paul Sellers he has a video showing what he calls his "rag in a can", basically a big oiler. Dead easy to make and so useful to just have sitting in your shed. I make use of mine every time I sharpen, and sometimes just because I'm passing, on all my knives, axes, billhooks chisels etc. Highly recommended.

Dave

 

[MrEd]

Cool thank, will make one of those tomorrow.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=npKo1y2e8RI

 

[MartiniDave]

I should warn you that watching Paul's videos has led me in a whole new direction, dabbling with a bit of "proper" woodwork, as well as green woodwork.

Dave