How do I remove rust from a multitool.

Z

Zemapeli

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Jan 26, 2013
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I have a Leatherman wave that the in-erds are getting rusty on. Problem is that the pivot screws on the wave (which is the first run which takes a pentalobe ts 10 security torx wrench) So I don't have a way to disassemble it. Is there anything that I can soak my multitool in that will remove all the rust? I have heard mineral oil mentioned here, not sure how well it works or how. :confused:
 
Give it a good soaking in WD 40. Let it sit for a day or so, then wipe it out/off. Most of the rust should come off.
 
Zemapelli,

I just restored a nice old Boker camp knife ( screwdriver, punch, corkscrew, etc) which had rust and pitting. I had good results using "Barkeeper's Friend" which has oxalic acid in it applied with a toothbrush and allowing it to soak only a minute or two before rinsing it. A couple of applications did most of the job and I removed the rest with Scotchbrite and SemiChrome polish. Some pitting remains but this treatment was effective.

Also, a product called "Rust Reaper" is a good rust treatment as it softens crusty rust deposits. I used this a a pre-treatment.
 
Try wd40 or some gun cleaner first. Maybe use a brass brush. Don't try the ”rust” removers right away. They are usually acidic and can eat at the metal, especially in the pivot areas where it might not get flushed out thoroughly. That can cause all the pivots to get play in them. And since you can't adjust those screws, that would suck.
 
Again, it's acidic. Most rust removers are phosphoric acid. In some shape or form. Wd40 works pretty well up to extreme situations
 
Do not leave Naval Jelly on the surface for long periods of time. Its fast and quite effective. He's working on a Leatherman tool not an heirloom Spanish sword.
 
I've seen the car restoration people use a product by WD40 that is made for rust removal- you soak the item in the liquid. I don't know how well it would work on knife steels or what the side effects might be.
 
For sure different areas of a knife or multi-tool require different approaches. Blades are the easiest areas to work with, being open and no crevices. I began with an alcohol or mineral spirits wipe down so whatever rust removal solution is used has clean metal to work on. The word acid has an alarming sound but concentration and time are the key variables. In this case I used caution and was conservative in approach with a rinse sink close at hand. I applied the Bar Keeper's Friend with a toothbrush, waited a minute and rinsed, then inspected for results. Repeated as needed.

The pivots on the other hand responded nicely to Rust Reaper, an excellent oil like rust penetrant which loosed tight creaking blades and made the pivots smooth and free working.

As for WD-40, in my experience it makes a great adhesive removal solvent and grease remover for the underside of the motorcycle.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Give it a good soaking in WD 40. Let it sit for a day or so, then wipe it out/off. Most of the rust should come off.
Click to expand...

^^That's how I cleaned up a rusty Victorinox SAK; most of it's tools/blades wouldn't even open, it was so rusty. I soaked it in WD-40, wrapped the whole thing in WD-40-soaked paper towels, and sealed it up in a Zip-Loc bag for 3-4 days. No worries about acids or too-strong solvents. The soaking will loosen up the deposited rust, after which more flushing out with WD-40, while working the blades/tools open & closed, will help dislodge what's left. Keep doing that until the WD-40 runs essentially clean off of the tool. Then, if desired, give it a bath in warm/hot soapy water (liquid dish detergent, like Dawn, Palmolive, etc), exercising the pivots again; then rinse it all out, dry it off and lube as desired.


David
 
Many methods and materials used but bringing back an old knife to nice usable condition was one fun project. I think I enjoyed that as much as opening a package with a new knife in it... well. almost. And the old Boker, pitting and all, has character, something a new blade is missing.
 
I second Barkeeper's Friend, water and a tooth brush. After scrubbing with that, dry it off with compressed air or WD40. Then lube it.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
^^That's how I cleaned up a rusty Victorinox SAK; most of it's tools/blades wouldn't even open, it was so rusty. I soaked it in WD-40, wrapped the whole thing in WD-40-soaked paper towels, and sealed it up in a Zip-Loc bag for 3-4 days. No worries about acids or too-strong solvents. The soaking will loosen up the deposited rust, after which more flushing out with WD-40, while working the blades/tools open & closed, will help dislodge what's left. Keep doing that until the WD-40 runs essentially clean off of the tool. Then, if desired, give it a bath in warm/hot soapy water (liquid dish detergent, like Dawn, Palmolive, etc), exercising the pivots again; then rinse it all out, dry it off and lube as desired.


David
Click to expand...

The solvents in WD-40 are known to be hard on some plastic parts, something that is well known among ski technicians (plastic is often used in ski bindings) and bike mechanics. Generally the effect is to make the plastic more brittle and prone to cracking.

Course, you're talking about an SAK here and those scales aren't the toughest thing to begin with.
 
Had the same problem with my leatherman supertool 300.

Dremel with a wire wheel took care of everything I could see, and the WD took care of the rest.
 
pinnah said:
The solvents in WD-40 are known to be hard on some plastic parts, something that is well known among ski technicians (plastic is often used in ski bindings) and bike mechanics. Generally the effect is to make the plastic more brittle and prone to cracking.

Course, you're talking about an SAK here and those scales aren't the toughest thing to begin with.
Click to expand...

The scales on the SAK weren't fazed by the solvent in WD-40, even after the 3-4 day soak, which is a testament to how mild it actually is. I've noticed in subsequent years, that the scales on SAKs (Victorinox, anyway) can be softened by something as seemingly innocuous as rubbing alcohol. I 'embossed' my own thumbprint in the scale on a Vic cadet once, after wiping it down with some isopropyl; it softened the plastic that much in the short 30 seconds or so that it was in contact. Good news was, it was equally simple to wipe it off in the same manner.


David
 
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Thanks all for your knowledge and help. This all helped me much. :thumbup:
I first tried a kerosene bath. In my opinion this does nothing more than penetrate some oils and remove debris from the metal. I would recommend this for cleaning before oiling. After the kerosene failing to remove the rust on my multitool, I bought some CLR from my local hardware store and soaked the multitool for a few hours in a glass mason jar, brushed with a toothbrush, and the rust came right off. Then I re-soaked the wave in kerosene and oiled with remoil. Just FYI ~ do NOT leave any metal to soak in CLR for more than 5 hours. It will rust and pit to shit. For application, just use a toothbrush to transfer onto surface and brush. For heavy rust, only soak for 2-3 hours in CLR and brush. Make sure you soak the tool/knife in kerosene after to penetrate the CLR left on your knife so it doesn't hurt the metal.
 
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