day one potato bath for Rust removal...

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02blues

New User
john
OK Guys. Thanks to your advice I am going to try the potato bath experiment. Spud preperations were made today and the brew placed outside..(thanks Jim). Photos to follow in 2 weeks!

This spuds for you!:gar-Bi
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DaveO

New User
DaveO
When you're done make some potato salad and bring it to the picnic....with different potatoes please. How does that work????


Dave:)
 

froglips

New User
Jim Campbell
Not that I'm out here eagerly awaiting confirmation that potato bathing works, but.....

Monday is 2 weeks in the tub.

If it doesn't work, I'll have egg on my face......

Jim
 

02blues

New User
john
Jim...Thanks for keeping me honest and holding my toes up to the fire!
My "spud tub"(all rights reserved)is basking in the sun along a western facing wall beneath a large fig tree trimmed to resemble a bonsai (all part of the not so secret formula that all are welcome to reproduce). Like a kid on Christmas morning I want to rip it open...however being mothers day I am not even allowed to talk about it or even glance at the tub....(self imposed house rules) though the smell of rotting tatters, no doubt, would be a highlight for miles around. Tomorrow the gloves are off (actually on) and I will reveal my sparkling and completely rejuvenated Disstons as I draw them from their time capsule and prepare them for future battles, for today I am an optimist! For tomorrow ...I am not so sure...:icon_scra
 

02blues

New User
john
fresh from the potato bath...how ironic

Hello all. Just a follow up for you. My 14 day potato bath bath was a success!
Two rusty old saws were placed in a tub of cut potatoes and water...the tub was placed in the backyard and left for 14 days. I did remove the wooden handles. I placed the screws in the bath too. Advice I received from Jim / Froglips was right on It worked like a charm. I think he is moving up to St. Schartz and St. Roy status!

When the lid was opened the smell was horrid. Definitely do this outside. I actually dug a hole and poured the water in to the hole and buried it. I did this during a light rain and the "stench" didn't last to long. The saw blades were covered with a thin black slim which I rubbed off with 0000 steel wool and a hose. I then used some "soft scrub" used to clean the sink (with bleach) like comet followed by some denatured alcohol and some lysol wipes. Paste wax was applied with 0000 steel wool and buffed.

The screws were buffed with steel wool and also cleaned up very nicely.

Finally a single coat of seedlac shellac on the handles then paste wax with more 0000 steel wool.

The only catch is having to waiting 14 days and dealing with a nasty smelling tub. Otherwise I give it A+.I like the fact that it is old school too. No fancy solvents just spuds and water. Wow.

Thanks Jim. Right again!:icon_thum
PS several more photos in my gallery.
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ptt49er

Phillip
Corporate Member
Re: fresh from the potato bath...how ironic

That looks awesome!

Kudo's to Jim for sharing the process.

I might have to try that trick next time I get some rusty tools.
 

DaveO

New User
DaveO
Wow, now that's just plain cool. I was wondering how it would work, and obviously it worked great. I am finding that Mr. Lips de Frog is quite the smart cookie, in addition to being very hilarious at times.
I guess we ain't getting any Potato Salad out of those spuds :cry_smile

Dave:)
 

michaelgarner

New User
Michael
Ok ok, you got me! This method will work great for me becouse I have like ZERO personal time right now ( getting ready to deploy to war, AGAIN! :5sigh:) Coming from an Irishman what potatos did you use? How many? and what size was the tub? Thanks for the info. Have a blessed day.

Michael
 

02blues

New User
john
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Michael
This plastic tub was about 1.5 by 3 ft.I filled with 2 inches of water and cut up about 6 small 2 inch diameter potatoes. Not many. I think they were "New potatoes". Hope that helps.
John
 
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froglips

New User
Jim Campbell
Wow, great "solution", if not smelly too!

I like the hole in the ground idea. Last time I did it, I got to clean up after my dog who found where I'd dumped the solution.....

You found out my ultimate ambition. St. hood. I'm torn between St. Bernard and St. Pauli Girl..... To be honest, The Saint is my goal. Roger Moore's version, Val Kilmer was ok, but no one touched the Rog!

Now we can start packaging this. Evapotato? Spudtoleum?

Kudos to you for taking the time and effort to try this out. Not to mention sharing with the group.

Jim
 

02blues

New User
john
My pleasure. Another old school trick up my sleeve not too mention I have gained a vintage tool, rehabed it and did not loose the original vibe.
Thanks again. I'll have more questions for you. Reading through Several Eric Sloane's books now. Lots of old school info there. I think one of the books talked about mashed potatoes to wash your hands with.Might have been his "Do and Don't" book. Working on Early American life,Reverence for wood, Old tool Museum, and "Do and Don'ts" Highly recommended for all you neander types.:icon_thum
 

willarda

New User
Bill Anderson
That potatoe technique is great! The end result looks good. I have used electolysis to remove the rust from my saws. I recently did a workshop in Brasstown, and rehabbed 16 back saws for the class. I made up a rubbermaid container (5 gal type with a wooden bar across the length to hold 8 saws at a time. Around the inside edge I placed rebar hooked in series. The saws were all connected to the negative wire from a battery charger and the rebar to the positive wire. The solution required sodium carbonate (aka washing soda, not to be confused with bakin g soda!). You can make this by heating baking soda in the oven for about an hour at 200 or 300 degrees to drive off a mole of water. The electrolysis took about 2 hours. The rust (ferric oxide) leaps of the saws and migrates to the rebar. I cleaned the sawplates with water and a scrubbie, then oiled them. If you have a brass backed saw, you need to carefully tape the brass part with some tape that will not slide off in water (I used duck tape). Also, no stainless steel parts! The solution can be reused, then just poured out (unless you had some stainless steel in there). Those backsaws were all 12" long, but now I want to do this with my panel saws, so I need to get a longer container (30" or so).
 

sapwood

New User
Roger
That potatoe technique is great! The end result looks good. I have used electolysis to remove the rust from my saws. I recently did a workshop in Brasstown, and rehabbed 16 back saws for the class. I made up a rubbermaid container (5 gal type with a wooden bar across the length to hold 8 saws at a time. Around the inside edge I placed rebar hooked in series. The saws were all connected to the negative wire from a battery charger and the rebar to the positive wire. The solution required sodium carbonate (aka washing soda, not to be confused with bakin g soda!). You can make this by heating baking soda in the oven for about an hour at 200 or 300 degrees to drive off a mole of water. The electrolysis took about 2 hours. The rust (ferric oxide) leaps of the saws and migrates to the rebar. I cleaned the sawplates with water and a scrubbie, then oiled them. If you have a brass backed saw, you need to carefully tape the brass part with some tape that will not slide off in water (I used duck tape). Also, no stainless steel parts! The solution can be reused, then just poured out (unless you had some stainless steel in there). Those backsaws were all 12" long, but now I want to do this with my panel saws, so I need to get a longer container (30" or so).

Ah, Bill!
Very similar to my setup. However I upgraded the rebar to four old lawn mower blades . . . more surface area and therefore faster action :mrgreen:

Besides, I couldn't waste perfectly good potatoes :wink_smil

Roger
 

froglips

New User
Jim Campbell
I've tried rebar, iron pipes (found in my yard), scraps of who knows what.

Most success and fastest was when I sprung for some sheets of steel at a home center. Yeah, it was costly and wasted good metal, but I was young and foolish back then.

Now I'm just older.

Jim
 
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