jwatersphd

thanks, I like the article and I do also "restore" older tools. Something I find helpful, however, is to clean the tool with something gentle, whatever works, like Dawn, then dissassemble it, and, instead of removing the rust (i.e., iron oxide) with something harsh/destructive like a wire brush, use electrolysis to change ("reduce" - a reduction reaction, opposite of oxidization) the oxidized iron (rust) back to elemental iron. This way you are not losing any of the original tool and don't have to worry when you are wire brushing it or polishing later. Use a simple battery charger, hook up the positive terminal to a sacrificial anode made of scrap steel or iron, and make the tool itself the cathode where reduction takes place. The material from the anode, which "...

thanks, I like the article and I do also "restore" older tools. Something I find helpful, however, is to clean the tool with something gentle, whatever works, like Dawn, then dissassemble it, and, instead of removing the rust (i.e., iron oxide) with something harsh/destructive like a wire brush, use electrolysis to change ("reduce" - a reduction reaction, opposite of oxidization) the oxidized iron (rust) back to elemental iron. This way you are not losing any of the original tool and don't have to worry when you are wire brushing it or polishing later. Use a simple battery charger, hook up the positive terminal to a sacrificial anode made of scrap steel or iron, and make the tool itself the cathode where reduction takes place. The material from the anode, which "rusts" (oxidizes), makes the rust on the tool, at the cathode, turn back to iron. How: Put both in an electrolytic solution made with, for instance, washing soda or even dishwasher powder. More extensive instructions are on line, e.g.,http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/Miscellaneous/rust_removal.htmbut it is easy to do. Once you are done with that, proceed as you like to clean it up more, wire brush or scotchbrite pad, viz, 3M scotchbrite non-metallic gray finishing pad No 10144. You will probably want to spray it with some kind of rust preventative, Boeshield or TopCote, afterwards so it doesn't happen again, and that probably is better than using oil which can attract dust.

i answered once separately but i did want to ask, is the spindle shaped mandrel with the threads at the end screwed into the bar with two holes in it? that's what I gathered but it was hard to tell. do you use it in that vertical position, then? I thought I'd seen mandrels mounted horizontally so you are working with the ring or other item lying atop the mandrel

great - just was hoping it was OK and also raise the issue for folks who might not know some of this stuff is pretty irritating. maybe was using purpleheart or padauk. thanks

Thanks for all this! So much great info, especially on turning metal if you do not have a metal lathe or machining set up. I would raise a question, just a possibility, you mentioned the smell of the oak. Some woods are toxic; not sure about oak but I think it might be. So I bought a very fine respirator with filters that fit in it. Knew about it because I was in an infection control program at the hospital I work at and you can get respirators that remove even odors - i.e., everything. But I am so happy to have gotten all this info.