Rusted Marples Chisel disaster

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20920
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    Rusted Marples Chisel disaster

    I got these chisels a while back, I think they are the Pre-2008 English Sheffield-made Record Marples before they moved the production to Asia.

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    I stored them in a nice foam lined plastic box, shown, which turned out to be a bad decision - either foam or the plastic outgassed and rusted the chisels all to ****.

    I'm looking for some suggestions to de-rust these and perhaps polish these poor guys and turn them back into a badass chisel.

    What products, processes procedures would you recommend?
    Evaporust any good? I just ordered some.

    Click on the attachments for larger images.
    This guy on eBay wants $199 for this set which I think is the same as mine. His picture from eBay listing, not mine
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    https://www.ebay.com/itm/22430810699...YaAnC7EALw_wcB
    Attached Files
    Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-05-2022, 03:38 AM.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • mpc
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2005
    • 979
    • Cypress, CA, USA.
    • BT3000 orig 13amp model

    #2
    I've had good luck with Evaporust... with one caveat: keep an eye on the items being de-rusted; once they are pretty much rust-free get them out of the Evaporust. If they are left in there way too long, the metal discolors to a darker color. Keeping the Evaporust warm, and occasionally stirring or sloshing it around so fresh stuff stays in contact with the tools, speeds things up. Some of that rust looks worse than surface rust. From the pics, it looks like the blade protector caps kept the blade edges fairly rust-free... at least they won't have rust pit damage.

    My dad has used electrolysis with good results to salvage garage sale hand planes. I've never tried it myself.

    What happened to your chisels sucks... if those were made in Sheffield it's a shame they didn't get along with the foam. Once they are cleaned up a bit, see if you can see the word "Sheffield" stamped in the metal.

    mpc

    Comment

    • twistsol
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2002
      • 2893
      • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
      • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

      #3
      I've been successful with mineral spirits, a 3M scotchbrite pad and some elbow grease. I generally use the green ones because that is what I have around the house.
      Chr's
      __________
      An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
      A moral man does it.

      Comment

      • dbhost
        Slow and steady
        • Apr 2008
        • 9209
        • League City, Texas
        • Ryobi BT3100

        #4
        Originally posted by twistsol
        I've been successful with mineral spirits, a 3M scotchbrite pad and some elbow grease. I generally use the green ones because that is what I have around the house.
        This.

        I need to do this to components of the drill press. The exposed cast iron is getting gunky...
        Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

        Comment

        • d_meister
          Established Member
          • Feb 2009
          • 184
          • La Conner, WA.
          • BT3000

          #5
          I think the real problem is that the foam is hydrophilic and sucked moisture out of the air. If you used that same foam for other tool cases, it may be a good idea to search them out.

          Comment


          • LCHIEN
            LCHIEN commented
            Editing a comment
            I was surprised. The box was one that expensive and sensitive electronic or optical components came in that was empty. It was foam padded and just the right size for chisels so after we used the stuff inside I put my chisels in it for safekeeping.
            Clearly whatever was in the foam released a lot of oxygen or moisture to attack the high carbon steels.
        • Jim Frye
          Veteran Member
          • Dec 2002
          • 1051
          • Maumee, OH, USA.
          • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

          #6
          When I inherited tools from my FIL, some were rusted from being stored in a detached, uninsulated garage. I removed the rust with some wet/dry sandpaper (600 grit and greater) and mineral spirits. I did final polishing on my variable speed grinder fitted with 2" wide cotton wheel charged with black and brown oxide. The Craftsman butt chisels turned out pretty much like new. The little block plane looked good for a couple of years, but has started to rust again. Here's my set of Marples. Notice the plastic storage separator. Also the stamping on the chisel irons.Click image for larger version

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          Last edited by Jim Frye; 01-05-2022, 09:31 PM. Reason: added pictures
          Jim Frye
          The Nut in the Cellar.
          ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

          Comment

          • Black walnut
            Administrator
            • Aug 2015
            • 5438
            • BT3K

            #7
            Sad for you Loring. I have had things rust as well. A pink pencil eraser will remove light surface rust. I have not tried the chemical you plan to use so can't say but be sure to let us know how it works. I have used electrolysis for good effect on an old plane, but I would try less drastic means first. Other than being ugly as all get out I don't think it will effect function as long as you can keep the back flat. You will be grinding and polishing away the bevel with each sharpening. Reminds me of guns that have been stored in cloth gun cases, usually bad rust issues.
            just another brick in the wall...

            Boycott McAfee. They placed an unresponsive popup on my pc.

            Comment

            • Jim Frye
              Veteran Member
              • Dec 2002
              • 1051
              • Maumee, OH, USA.
              • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

              #8
              Woodcraft wants $50 for a four chisel Marples (Irwin) set. There is a used six chisel set like mine on ebay for $198. I don't think I paid anywhere near that much for mine. I did buy the set at a woodworking show in Novi, MI many years ago, late '90s, and I never went to the show with more than $100 to spend.
              Jim Frye
              The Nut in the Cellar.
              ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

              Comment

              • LCHIEN
                Internet Fact Checker
                • Dec 2002
                • 20920
                • Katy, TX, USA.
                • BT3000 vintage 1999

                #9
                Originally posted by Jim Frye
                Woodcraft wants $50 for a four chisel Marples (Irwin) set. There is a used six chisel set like mine on ebay for $198. I don't think I paid anywhere near that much for mine. I did buy the set at a woodworking show in Novi, MI many years ago, late '90s, and I never went to the show with more than $100 to spend.
                Yeah, the Sheffield England made Record Marples with the blue chip handles seems to be going for $150-200 bucks a set on eBay. The current ones are made in Asia, now that Irwin owns Marples.
                Makes me doubly sad.

                History of Marples Chisels


                Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-06-2022, 01:01 AM.
                Loring in Katy, TX USA
                If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                Comment

                • dbhost
                  Slow and steady
                  • Apr 2008
                  • 9209
                  • League City, Texas
                  • Ryobi BT3100

                  #10
                  Those English Marples chicels are works of art for sure. Well worthy of being restored. But do put them in a less moisture attracting material once polished back up. My Chinese Stanley chisels have been out in my garage workshop now for 15 years with no ill effect, but they stay on their original hanger thing from Stanley so they breathe well.
                  Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

                  Comment

                  • LCHIEN
                    Internet Fact Checker
                    • Dec 2002
                    • 20920
                    • Katy, TX, USA.
                    • BT3000 vintage 1999

                    #11
                    Evaporust just arrived...
                    Bad news. Says do not use at 65°F and below. Hello, its wintertime here! That means that the shop is out of the question for many days. if I need 24 hours.

                    That means I have to use it in the house. My wife has the nose of a bloodhound and is super sensitive to strongly smelling things.
                    If I use WD-40 or Johnson's Wax or Gogone anywhere in the house she complains about the strong odor.
                    She can smell a skunk on the road about 1/4 mile before I can. And in a room full of babies she will alert me that someone needs a change and sure enough in five minutes a parent will grab one of them and make a rush for the changing room. If I eat anything while she's out she'll tell me what I cooked... Which makes it hard to cook foods for myself she doesn't like.

                    So Can I use Evaporust in the house? Does it have any smell at all?

                    Or, what's a safe warming device I can leave unattended for hours in the garage to keep it at say 90 degrees.

                    Maybe one window of opportunity Saturday...
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                    MSDS sheet not much help: "slight odor" what does that mean?

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                    Attached Files
                    Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-06-2022, 08:55 PM.
                    Loring in Katy, TX USA
                    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                    Comment

                    • Jim Frye
                      Veteran Member
                      • Dec 2002
                      • 1051
                      • Maumee, OH, USA.
                      • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

                      #12
                      I use a fiberboard box with a small electric space heater blowing in one end to warm small items. I locate it at one end of the workbench below the shop exhaust fan to keep any odors from escaping the shop. SWMBO also has the nose of a bloodhound and can tell upstairs if I've use MS down in the shop. I'm lucky, my basement shop stays around 62 - 64 degrees year round. We had a high of 28 here today.
                      Jim Frye
                      The Nut in the Cellar.
                      ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

                      Comment

                      • LCHIEN
                        Internet Fact Checker
                        • Dec 2002
                        • 20920
                        • Katy, TX, USA.
                        • BT3000 vintage 1999

                        #13
                        I have a HF ultrasonic cleaner that also heats. Too bad the chisels are 10 to10-1/2 inches long and the compartment of the US cleaner is 9-1/2 inches long.
                        Heats to 145°F which would be helpful but it only stays on while the US cleaner is working which is timed and can't be left heating.

                        I'm eyeing our food warmer tray which we've probably used only a couple of times in 40 years... need to find a shallow glass tray 11 inches long
                        Last edited by LCHIEN; 01-07-2022, 02:27 AM.
                        Loring in Katy, TX USA
                        If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                        BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                        Comment

                        • Jim Frye
                          Veteran Member
                          • Dec 2002
                          • 1051
                          • Maumee, OH, USA.
                          • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

                          #14
                          Originally posted by LCHIEN
                          I have a HF ultrasonic cleaner that also heats. Too bad the chisels are 10 to10-1/2 inches long and the compartment of the US cleaner is 9-1/2 inches long.
                          Heats to 145°F which would be helpful but it only stays on while the US cleaner is working which is timed and can't be left heating.

                          I'm eyeing our food warmer tray which we've probably used only a couple of times in 40 years... need to find a shallow glass tray 11 inches long
                          9x11-12 pyrex baking pan. I have one in my shop for such things along with a couple of cast off metal baking pans.
                          Jim Frye
                          The Nut in the Cellar.
                          ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

                          Comment

                          • cwsmith
                            Veteran Member
                            • Dec 2005
                            • 2737
                            • NY Southern Tier, USA.
                            • BT3100-1

                            #15
                            I've got a set of four Marples chisels that I purchased in January 2004 from Home Depot for around $30. These were about a year or so before Irwin switched to China, IIRC. These are not the "Record" chisels, as they have metal caps and oval-shaped handles. More utilitarian use I think, but the steel has held up fairly well considering I use rhem for general carpentry work. I keep them in a drawer in my shed and just wipe some oil on the blades after use. There is some darker spots on the blades, but no rust.

                            I also have a fairly decent set of Narex chisels which I keep in an adjacent drawer. After reading this post I went out to the shed this morning to check a few of the tools and found them rust free. But it is a concern with the high humidity that generally exists in this area.

                            In my last home the basement area was terrible, too much moisture and an extremely low ceiling. Anything down there rusted, even though I ran a de-humidifier almost constantly. I had some tools that showed rust and I tried electrolosis. That worked pretty well, but it turned the steel black. Still a mess to clean up and I was told that it could possibly weaken the steel. It might be worth looking into.

                            I've had a few other things get surface damaged because of long-term storage, even it the manufacturer's supplied case. Foam or flocking looks good, but after a few years of storage it can still be an awakening. I had a airbrush, kept in it's original storage case, that I found a real mess. Just this past week I went our the the shed to grab a plastic drafting triangle, which I found resting directly on the rubber-like draw liner, and it was stuck like glue. I had to pull it loose and and scrape it off the triangle with soap and water. I went back and lined the drawer with paper.

                            CWS

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                            Think it Through Before You Do!

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