How to clean rusty Old Timer blades

[OTC]

First post, sorry if it's in the wrong forum. I recently acquired a 33OT and a 34OT that have rust on the blades. It seems the worst down by the model numbers and inside the body. I would like to clean up the knives without doing damage. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Saddlebum]

I look forward to reading what more experienced guys than me have to say.
I have been having great results using a product called NEVR-DULL wadding polish. You can get it at Walmart's auto section or auto parts stores. It is a petroleum based chemical soaked wadding, like cotton. It takes the tarnish and rust off gently without marring the metal. On heavier oxidation deposits it may take alot of rubbing and mulitple applications. But it does restore an eye-popping shine to dull nickel and brass bolsters and brass liners. It will not, of course, remove pitting underneath the oxidation, but it removes the discoloration and rust deposits and polishes the metal surface without removing any metal. If you have a rotary tool like a Dremmel, you can pursue more aggressive tactics using different grit polishing compounds and buffing wheels. There are buffing/polishing kits available for the rotary tools. And then there is wet sanding with super fine grit wet/dry sandpaper that can be had at auto parts stores by the sheet as opposed to Home Depot where you have to buy bundles of one grit. There are some good youtube videos and other info on the the web about this topic where you can get some ideas and tips. I am working up the nerve to do a wet sanding project and I think I'm going to start by doing an action job on my S&W 3913 pistol to get a feel for it before I take a chance on trashing a knife blade. I'm using a youtube 4 video series detailing how to do it and all of the parts are internal and not a safety issue. The guy does get a mirror image polish on some of the parts with just wet sanding and Mother's Mag Polish on a Dremmel buffing wheel. Don't know if this helps, but it's all this rookie has got.

 

[tongueriver]

You can get most of the looser deposits off with an ordinary pencil (not the eraser). You might be surprised. I bought a little package of dental tools off the bay, Chinese cheap and they are useful for the inside of the knife, especially, but also working very gently at little dark spots on exterior surfaces. Oil the joints with Latana Quick Release; it is the best. Once you get into sandpapers, steel wools, buffing wheels and the like, you have upped the ante considerably, so beware; you can't go back.

 

[powernoodle]

Mother's Mag Wheel Polish from Wal-mart or anywhere else can be used with a rag or Q-tip to remove light surface oxidation, light scratches and other boo boos. It may not get rid of serious rust, but you will see an improvement. You just polish the affected area for a few minutes and continue until you get the desired result. A possible downside is that it will shine up the blade in the process. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but just something to be aware of if you want to keep the original satin finish or whatever it is. A prolonged application will result in a mirror finish.

Mother's is pretty much like Flitz, though at about 1/10th the cost.

 

[OTC]

Thanks for the reply's. Don't think I want to do any grinding so I'll just try some of your other ideas, like the pencil!

 

[Saddlebum]

Thanks for the reply's. Don't think I want to do any grinding so I'll just try some of your other ideas, like the pencil!

For sure! All of the radical suggestions I put out there are more for resoration than touch-up. Your knife doesn't need that. I cringed when I read steel wool in tongueriver's post. He is right about that! I see no use for steel wool on a knife. Sand paper sounds really harsh, but when you get down to 1000 or 1200 grit, it actually just polishes up pretty nice. But again, that's just for total blade restoration. Good luck!

 

[Bob W]

I'd just drop some 3-in-1 oil or mineral oil in there, depending if you're going to use the knives on food. The rust will work itself off with use. :thumbup:

 

[OTC]

Will the 3 in 1 help remove the rust? I have cleaned the knife a lot with the pencil lead. Don't know if I want to shine the blades. I'll post new pics soon.

 

[Bob W]

Will the 3 in 1 help remove the rust? I have cleaned the knife a lot with the pencil lead. Don't know if I want to shine the blades. I'll post new pics soon.

Oil will work down into the rusty joint and make it smoother to open and close; it's really the opening and closing that'll remove the rust off the metal surfaces. After the oil gets rusty/dirty, clean the knife with dish soap and running water. That'll flush out the rust particles. Then add fresh oil. Repeat.

The rust on the face of the blade, I wouldn't worry about much at all. That'll come off as you use the knife for cutting things.