Cleaning Rust off of metal?
I was given a WW2 Nazi SA ceremonial dagger. This is a cool looking knife, with a wooden handle that has a one inch wide Nazi eagle with swastika on it.
The blade is bright metal, and says "Alles fur Deutschland" on it in Germanic script. There is light surface rust all over the blade. The blade is not pitted, it is just surface rust. I rubbed it a little with fine steel wool, and got some of the rust off. I would like to really clean it up.
What would be the best way to get this light rust off? Kroil?
The blade is bright metal, and says "Alles fur Deutschland" on it in Germanic script. There is light surface rust all over the blade. The blade is not pitted, it is just surface rust. I rubbed it a little with fine steel wool, and got some of the rust off. I would like to really clean it up.
What would be the best way to get this light rust off? Kroil?
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[:)] wouldn't it be something if that did the trick? 0 -
It can't be free! Your gas running your truck has got to be outrageous. How many times have you idled it for 15 or 18 minutes. I've been cracking up reading all the solutions that everyone has. I think my wife thought I was playing with myself from all the laughing she heard from me. I almost took off out to the shop to look for something rusty. This forum rocks. 0 -
Allen: I was just told if that onion is not a Texas Sweet, then you might end up with only the hilt! [:o)] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
I shoved the dagger into an onion an hour ago, will give it a four hour treatment in the onion.
So.....What happened.
It's worked wonders for me.0 -
The onion ate the dagger. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by He Dog
The onion ate the dagger.
No way!?!?!0 -
Allen when you do get it clean, rinse it off with hot water, dry it and "pickle" the metal with phosphoric acid. It is a fairly mild, cheap acid that prohibits the flash rust from returning before you oil or do whatever you plan to keep it clean. 0 -
The onion trick was a bust. It just made more magnatite on the blade.
I only idled the truck once, for 18 minutes to recharge the battery. Not too expensive. This morning I had to go into town, anyway, so that 30 minute recharge drive was "on the house."
After 1 1/2 hours of electrolysis yesterday, the battery seemed to be still at full charge when I cranked the truck up. Next, I will try for a 2 1/2 hour electrolysis session. I have another vehicle, so I can jump start the truck if the battery goes dead.
We have 40+mph winds today, not good for my outdoor electrolysis lab.
I will try again tomorrow.0 -
We used to boil our traps in water and walnut shells in a 55gal barrel with a decent fire under it for a day.
No rust....treated the metal with the oils and chemicals in it to boot. That's survival info tho....not restoration.0 -
I gave the damn dagger five more hours of the electrolysis today.
It is just not working on the black, mottled magnatite stains. I may give one of the other recommended products a try. I am getting tired of messing with the thing; the wooden handle and metal hand guards are pretty well beaten up, anyway. It is supposed to have a little round SA rune on the wooden handle, that is missing, looks like it was pried off. Ah, if the dagger could talk, I bet it has a story. Could have been on the belt of one of the brownshirts at the big Nurenburg rally in 1934.
I used the simichrome to get off the magnatite marks that the onion made.
The electrolysis did remove the rust from the heavily rusted tang. I can now read the number "10" there, and can barely make out some other marks.
Fortunately, the guy who gave me the SA dagger also gave me a 98K bayonet. The blade for this knife was well protected by the scabbard. That scabbard is utterly ruined by rust. The blade is blued and in really nice shape. The metal of the handle was rusted; I took off the bakelite grips, which are in great shape. I got onto that rusty metal with the wire brush on the drill, and it really cleaned up nice. That is one good looking bayonet; those Krauts know how to make military stuff.
Thanks for all the info, guys.0
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