Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

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leggo
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by leggo »

orvet wrote:
leggo wrote:Mothers
Blue Magic
SemiChrome
Turtle Wax red and the white compound.
If you've ever used any of those 5 metal polishes...how do they compare to Flitz ?
I've used all three on cars and bikes with good results.
In my opinion you can't beat SemiChrome for aluminum. I used it on my CB750 Honda to polish the case, worked great!
I don't like it as well on knives as I like Blue Magic. I think it is my fav of those mentioned here.
That said, California Custom's Purple Metal Polish is my favorite of all metal polishes!
Though it is a bit pricy at $14 for a 12 oz bottle. http://www.californiacustom.com/purple_ ... olish.html
Yea Dale I've wondered about the California Purple ,I'll give it a try .I've seen it and never bought it because of the price...but if it beats the others it's worth it. ::tu::
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TripleF
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by TripleF »

Just finished this CAMCO 772 today
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by jerryd6818 »

Ran on to these videos on rust removal. Don't know if it works or not but thought I'd post 'em up and y'all can decide for yourselves.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAI5SF3NBqg[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlcL_vHODkc[/youtube]
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deltaboy
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by deltaboy »

Thanks ::tu:: Good tips.
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deltaboy
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust..I Pitting How To

Post by deltaboy »

TripleF wrote:Just finished this CAMCO 772 today

Well done it looks factory New.
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TripleF
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by TripleF »

Thanks deltaboy!!!

Vinegar removes rust from axe heads I know that for a fact! ::nod::
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Edgewise
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by Edgewise »

image.jpeg
The tang of my prized Ablett got rusty through my prize neglect. ::dang:: I squirted oil in and worked the blade in a panic, then thought that oil prevents not stops rust. ::doh:: I also saw mention of wd40 on AAPK.
I have Fitz polish but can't disassemble the knife to reach the area around the pivot pin.
Do I degrease and then use wd40? Do I soak in vinegar? Do I bitch slap myself? ::undecided::
Getting to those hidden cracks and places is my problem. The exposed blade now has a liberal coating of ren wax. ::paranoid::
Is there hope for the tang? (is there hope for me?) ::disgust::
I also notice that the fine edge of some of my blades is prone to rust before the rest of the blade. Is ren wax enough to prevent that?
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TripleF
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by TripleF »

I would start by slapping myself, but then you should be ok.

Getting in and down around the pivot pin is near impossible, but you might try some dental floss. Then high pressure water and dawn liquid soap.
Then WD-40. Then compressed air.

Soaking in vinegar will make a patina that'll be tough to remove, BUT.....pouring a little vinegar then adding a little baking powder will create a "fizz" and may do some deeper cleaning.

Wax and polish are the last steps to a cleaned/polished knife.

Keep us posted!
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by stagman »

Just got a old knife (fixed) that needs this process....where do I purchase
all the different sandpaper grits and fine steel wool and what is the cost for this stuff
Really great results and looking forward to trying this out
thanks guys

Will
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by TripleF »

stagman wrote:Just got a old knife (fixed) that needs this process....where do I purchase
all the different sandpaper grits and fine steel wool and what is the cost for this stuff
Really great results and looking forward to trying this out
thanks guys

Will

Hey Will

I buy my stuff from ebay. Look for assorted sandpaper.
You should be able to begin for less than $40.00.

Keep us posted!
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by stagman »

Thanks Scott..got a great old stag fixed blade and really look forward
to getting into this....will keep ya posted.

Will
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by stagman »

Hey Scott...when you say sand left to right and then up & down....on a fixed
blade knife, do you just sand the length of the blade up & down with your strokes ???
Have not even got the knife yet, should be here in next 2 days
I will try to take before and after pics
Ordered the sandpaper & steel wool from ebay today

Will
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by TripleF »

Hey Will.......knife makes no difference.

Sandpaper is resting, face up on a hard flat surface. I hold the knife in my hand and swipe left to right, right to left.......like a real fast waving ::welcome:: motion.

Then up and down, down and up like the opposite.

Change grits when the knife begins toshow a blurry image of you, then change again, then again until all you can see the different colors in your eyeball pupil!!
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by WV Papaw »

This is a great thread! I hadn't ever heard of the No. 2 pencil lead idea but it sure works. This inspired me to finally try to clean up a couple of my Dad's old knives, though they aren't pocket knives, that I'd never thought about before. Thanks for the great post and tips.
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by orvet »

I missed Paul's post on preventing rust in a knife that has had some problems with rust.
I agree with all the steps used in cleaning it and drying it but my last step after it has been washed, WD-40ed, and dried with compressed air, but after that I apply a liberal coat of Eezox. Eezox is a product made for firearms and rust has always been a problem with firearms. Eezox works as a lubricant as well as a rust preventative.
EEZOX a.jpg
EEZOX b.jpg
Birchwood Casey's Barricade and CLP's Break Free are also supposed to help prevent rusting on firearms.
If it will work with firearms it should work with pocketknives!

I have used all three products but Eezox is my personal choice for rust prevention on a knife that I suspect will be at risk for rusting.
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MTHall720
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by MTHall720 »

leggo wrote:Mothers
Blue Magic
SemiChrome
Turtle Wax red and the white compound.
If you've ever used any of those 5 metal polishes...how do they compare to Flitz ?
I've used all three on cars and bikes with good results.
I have found Mother's to be a good, general purpose polish, and use Flitz as the final step.
Mark in PA
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by Mark in PA »

Thanks for the post and instructions Scott,

You have inspired me to find an old knife in dire need of a cleaning and trying my hand at it. Just one question. What do you use the pencil lead for?
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by WV Papaw »

Mark in PA wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:16 pm Just one question. What do you use the pencil lead for?
Not Mark but the pencil lead is harder than the rust, softer than the blade, so it removes quite a bit of the rust without scratching the blade. Just “scribble” over the rust spots.
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by Mark in PA »

That makes sense. Thanks.
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by Mark in PA »

I'm curious. If you are going to clean up and do some refinishing work on an old knife with the intent re-sell it for a profit, should you make it as shinny as you can or leave the old patina? To me, it seems like one would want to make it look like it did when it was new.
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by Mark in PA »

I have a large fixed blade that was given to me years ago that I had left in my truck and discovered that it began to rust. It was a mistake to do that. I know. No name or tang stamp on the knife so I have no idea who made it. I was going to use this to experiment on. I had in mind to sand this down and make it as shinny as I could. I had already sanded it down with a 160 grit sand paper and steel wool just to get rid of the red rust. I was looking at the dark spots from the carbon steel and wondered how deep I would have to go to remove them. I thought I would use some white vinegar on it to see if it would touch the dark spots. I wiped it down with a paper towel soaked in white vinegar and didn't really notice anything. I then wrapped the paper towel around the blade and walked away for awhile and came back. I knew the vinegar would start to react to the blade but was surprised to see that it already had a dark patina to it. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it. I think I'm going to go back and sand some more of the rust out and try some of the vinegar again. I saw some forums where people will try different methods to put a design in the patina which I may try.

What are your thoughts?
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by Reverand »

I cleaned some badly rusted blades in vinegar, then went over them with a brass wire brush. It cleaned all of the rust out of the pitted spots and made the blades all one color. To me they looked much better that way, and I did not want to remove thick layers of steel by sanding.

As to an earlier question, polishing an old blade until it shines does not make it look like it did when new. Most blades did not have a mirror finish. Polishing blades only make them look polished.
"Shiny sells" may be true when selling knives to the general public, but it makes them look worn and reworked to me.
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cudgee
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by cudgee »

Reverand wrote: Sat Jul 03, 2021 12:19 pm I cleaned some badly rusted blades in vinegar, then went over them with a brass wire brush. It cleaned all of the rust out of the pitted spots and made the blades all one color. To me they looked much better that way, and I did not want to remove thick layers of steel by sanding.

As to an earlier question, polishing an old blade until it shines does not make it look like it did when new. Most blades did not have a mirror finish. Polishing blades only make them look polished.
"Shiny sells" may be true when selling knives to the general public, but it makes them look worn and reworked to me.
The vinegar bath is an old garden tool restorers trick, they remove shovel head, rake, saw etc. from the wooden handle and soak them in vinegar for up to 7 days, then clean them with a stiff brush, this is a method that they were using before i was born. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways, those previous generations used what they had at their disposal and they got things done. You have a good holiday weekend, especially tomorrow. ::handshake::
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by dlr110 »

I've probably overlooked it but I'm looking for the best way to remove rust from
Damascus Blades. While my knives were in storage this past year many of my
fixed blade knives with Damascus steel developed a fine layer of rust on them.
Could someone let me know the best method or point me to the thread with
the answer I'm looking for. I've been using an eraser but that's not getting all
of it.
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Re: Knife Polishing Removing Rust Pitting How To

Post by edge213 »

dlr110 wrote: Fri Nov 04, 2022 2:41 am I've probably overlooked it but I'm looking for the best way to remove rust from
Damascus Blades. While my knives were in storage this past year many of my
fixed blade knives with Damascus steel developed a fine layer of rust on them.
Could someone let me know the best method or point me to the thread with
the answer I'm looking for. I've been using an eraser but that's not getting all
of it.
Try a no.2 pencil. It works on mono-steel, so I suppose it will work on damascus.
David
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