Old tools make me wonder

[Ed62]

I tried electrolysis on my jack plane. It was so easy, I grabbed an old adjustable wrench that has been in my garage, probably since we moved here, 19 years ago. I think the previous owners left it because it was so rusted. For some reason, I never got rid of it, even though I never used it. After most of the rust magically disappeared , I finished it up with a brass brush, then gave it a light coat of oil. It works like new!

I found the initials "HW" on it. That must be the initials of the guy who owned it at one time, because it was not the manufacturer. Now for the last few hours, I've been wondering who "HW" was/is. Why did I wind up with his wrench?

Then I was wondering about the history of the jack plane. How did it get some very small nicks on the sole? How many owners did it have? Did the original owner take care of it, or was it just thrown in a tool box with a bunch of other tools? What was it used for? Woodworking? Carpentry? Why was it rusted? So many questions from an old tool.

Don, thanks for the great hand holding on the electrolysis. It was actually an enjoyable experience.

Ed

[pelligrini]

I just pulled a #7 out of the tub and the electrolysis method is pretty cool. I did hate seeing the deep pits on the last 3/4" of the heal it revealed though.

I was just thinking something similar today when I was working on the cutter. I was wondering what the previous owner was thinking with the grind that was on it. I believe he tried to make the #7 into a scrub plane judging from the curved grind.

[crokett]

I have a small block plane I am thinking of refurbing. Problem is the iron has a big chunk missing out of it. I think it might be cheaper just to find another plane at a yard sale somewhere.

[jackellis]

I should probably ask this question in Tool Talk but why bother with the mess of electrolysis? I used household vinegar to remove the rust from a bunch of old planes I bought in various places. It leaves a dark, oxide coating but I intend to use them so the color doesn't really matter.

The best part is no guilt about disposing of the leftovers. It's like flushing a mixture of salad dressing and rust from old iron pipes down the drain.

[Ed62]

I guess I was intrigued by the process of using electrolysis, and I saw 3 or 4 places where it was said to be the best method for rust removal.

Vinegar would have been my second choice. If something is bad for the environment, and I know it, that would put it far down on my list of methods to try. In fact, I'm probably the only one on the site who uses baking soda to clean my blades. To the best of my knowledge, sodium carbonate is not detrimental to the environment, and it was simply washed down the drain with the residue from cleaning.

I'll probably try the vinegar approach, to see which one I like best.

Ed

[Pappy]

I found the initials "HW" on it. That must be the initials of the guy who owned it at one time, because it was not the manufacturer. Now for the last few hours, I've been wondering who "HW" was/is. Why did I wind up with his wrench?


Don, thanks for the great hand holding on the electrolysis. It was actually an enjoyable experience.

Ed

First off, you are welcome. Glad I was able to help.

I have one wooden plane that has a previous owners initials and last name on it. I spent some time trying to find information on him or his family but never got anywhere. It would have been cool to offer to return the plane to his grandchildren or maybe even great grandchildren.

I should probably ask this question in Tool Talk but why bother with the mess of electrolysis? I used household vinegar to remove the rust from a bunch of old planes I bought in various places. It leaves a dark, oxide coating but I intend to use them so the color doesn't really matter.

The best part is no guilt about disposing of the leftovers. It's like flushing a mixture of salad dressing and rust from old iron pipes down the drain.

I am not sure about the end results with vinegar, but electrolysis is not just a cleaning step but stops the oxydation by stabalizing the surface rust. Everything I read in my original research on the process says the residue produced from the process is environmentally friendly.