vinegar for rust removal, can it be used with axe head on

chickenfried

chickenfried

Joined
Feb 27, 2003
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Found a True Temper Boy Scout hatchet/axe in a backyard with a metal handle . Pretty good condition for just sitting exposed to the elements all these years. So I'm interested in removing some of the rust on the head. I've heard about vinegar. But wondering if I can just stick the axe head in vinegar without removing it from the handle?
 
Backyard with a metal handle, or, hatchet/axe with a metal handle?
Vinegar (as derived from spoiled/fermented fruit) is a dilute acid. For all the hype about vinegar soaks to miraculously (and lazily I might add!) clean-up crusty old steel the one time I tried this (recently) didn't do much of anything for me. Wire brush attachment on your drill or grinder is gonna be better and faster. And the handle (if it's wood) is not going to chemically stain or 'further decompose' while all this is happening.
 
the hatchet has a metal handle. My first instinct was wire brush wheel. But I noticed the faint outline of logos on the head. In hopes of exposing more of the logo or at least keeping what's there intact. Exploring more subtle methods.
 
Emery paper, or you can find rust remover* at your local hardware store. (*Wear rubber gloves.) WD-40 also works, with some elbow grease.
 
I usually use a wire wheel for light removal. I reserve the vinegar for really crusted heads, as the wire wheel turns those into rust clouds. I can protect my lungs but the stuff still gets everywhere. The vinegar usually takes a few days. I soak for a day then brush it off under running water, then back in the vinegar for another day until its all gone. After it's dont i scrub it with a brush to remove all the carbon build up then then dry and lightly sand to get the gray color off of it. I don't enjoy the process and only do it when I have to. Wire wheel is better if you can deal with the rusty dust somehow. It's too cold to bother going outside to do it right now.
 
Evapo-Rust works wonders too. It's expensive, about $25 per gallon at Harbor Freight, but it can be used over and over again. Overnight, no fuss no muss, all the rust washes away.
 
I've heard naval jelly mentioned a lot in this regard. Never used it though, always a wire brush, elbow grease, and then oil.
 
Put some good old yellow mustard on it. Works good for me...I put it on then cover it with a plastic bag or saran wrap so it doesn't dry out .
 
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