>They all have a rusty patina (and in some cases a thick coating of rust)
>from being stored in wood boxes in a barn with no heat. They are also quite
>dirty.
>
>Any thoughts on cleaning these pieces to prepare them for sale or personal
>use?
I spent an afternoon trying to clean old tools and it simply depends on how
much corrosion is present. Lightly corroded steel cleans up with steel wool,
heavier corrosion needs sandpaper. Then you simply jiggle the switch on your
HF buffer until it runs and an emery compound will quickly tell you whether
your
tool will polish up satisfactorily. I brought back some pliers and hammers
to the
point that they were keepers. Pieces that I used a file or grinder on
looked pretty
sad.
Planes, saws, and drills can be resharpened if you know how. A file can be
cleaned
but if it's dull its scrap.
Some of those tools are probably not being used anymore. I think I have
seven of
those old brace&bit drills. You got one of those in Gramp's collection, right?
Grab the best tool that catches your eye and go to work. You'll quickly
figure out
what's worth the effort and what is good for scrap.
Steve Shipley
Steve Shipley
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