Rusty Sockets & Spanners

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

It looks like I stored my tool box in the part of my old shed which has a dodgy roof and the rain has got into it a while ago. I got an unpleasant surprise when I opened the tool box I noticed a lot of my original sockets and spanners I bought when I was in my 20s - a number of decades ago now - are very much worse for wear.

How will chrome vanadium stand up to rust treatment in a molasses mix?

What is the best coating after they come out of the molasses or whatever treatment that I can put on them straight away to keep the rust away? Is something like a lanolin based product the way to go?

They were the first tool set I ever bought so I am sort of attached to them - I suppose it is a blokey thing. :)

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Mick_Marsh]

If they're that important to you, you can always get them re-chromed.

[gavinwibrow]

Had a similar problem. 1 - high pressure water hose down. 2 - soak in rust converter, 3 - your call for future protection, remembering what you put on does not want to be too slippery, or a dirt attractor. If only surface rust to date, rechroming sounds good

[Lionelgee]

If they're that important to you, you can always get them re-chromed.

Hello Mick,

Do you know how expensive that process would be - would it compare to galvanising in pricing?

A couple of people have put up threads up in the Series Land Rover thread the latest pricing on galvanising so I could use that as benchmark to compare against cost per kilogram.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[UncleHo]

I would suggest that you get them Bead Blasted,there should be some company in your area that can do it.

Or you could do it yourself, a cement mixer and a bag if fine builders sand,all in together dry adjust quantity to suit.

[rhlushak]

I've seen a similar situation before, and he powdercoated the tools himself (most likely when the wifey was away- involves using an oven) which came out looking great. There are shops around that do this for small motorcycle parts, or bigger things like bike frames. Pick your favorite color and they will come out looking new.
Save a bit of $$ either by soaking them in acid to remove any chrome that's left or sand blast it off. I'd leave that part to the professionals, and let them prep the lot, that way you'll have no issues if the end result turns out poorly.

[Mick_Marsh]

Hello Mick,

Do you know how expensive that process would be - would it compare to galvanising in pricing?

A couple of people have put up threads up in the Series Land Rover thread the latest pricing on galvanising so I could use that as benchmark to compare against cost per kilogram.

Kind Regards
Lionel
Yep. And I know a few plating companies too. Bumpers for the Merc, $2k,
but it's worth it to me.

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Thank you for the replies - much appreciated.

While writing about sockets - once the original moulded plastic insert of the tool case for sockets broke down the sockets graduated to being stored loosely in a couple of trays of my cantilever tool box. This method never seemed as good as their storage in their original case. It seemed they became more prone to being damaged, lost or just got harder to get a hand on when they were needed. Invariably in transit over rough roads the tool box would get rattled around and their order would change, so it became a lucky dip to get the right socket first go.

What method do other people use on the forum to keep track of their sockets once they have outlived their original packing?

I bought a couple of the socket clip rails today to try them out - anyone have any better ideas for practical storage?

Kind Regards
Lionel

[DeeJay]

Worth a try :D:D

Coca-Cola rust removal. [VIDEO] (http://www.wimp.com/rustremoval/)

[UncleHo]

Well, I won't have a rusty innards :D Indo like my Coke :)

[strangy]

Molasses bath. Throw in a mix of feed type molasses and water in a tub. 1 l molasses to 3 or 4 of water. Mix it well and leave the stuff you want rust removed from in it for 2 or more weeks. Wash off with water and maybe scoured. It will be bright and clean. You have to coat or protect it quickly though afterwards. Fantastic for old delicate items like motorbikes, shafts etc. limited only by the size of your vat/tub.

Cost about .80 c /l
It does get a little ripe though:)

[Lionelgee]

Worth a try :D:D

Coca-Cola rust removal. [VIDEO] (http://www.wimp.com/rustremoval/)


Hello DeeJay,

Thank you for the link to the Coca-Cola rust removal YouTube. Since it is hot outside I have to postpone working on the Land Rover for a while. So I strolled around some of the other clips that came up after the rust removal clip. I found this very helpful and down to earth clip by a bloke called Stumpy Nubs about how to do finger joints on timber boxes. The tool storage system the bloke is building looks pretty sweet too. Now I have 13 or so other woodworking clips to watch.

Once I see my two dogs come from under the house where it is nice and cool and then see them walking around the yard I will emerge to work on a Land Rover or two.

Amazing Homemade Lead Screw Box Joint Jig Machine -Woodworking With Stumpy Nubs #13 - YouTube

Now to look at those other clips.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[gavinwibrow]

What method do other people use on the forum to keep track of their sockets once they have outlived their original packing?

Depending on how much you use them, you could get a thin piece of polystyrene and cut out to suit (won't handle much use or petrol etc), or I have used MDF with some success. A thin piece of MDF glued on after drilling your holes through the main piece works well as a base, or you can use something else eg thin foam rubber.

[Kev the Fridgy]

Last time I purchased a new socket set, first thing I did was to pour a mix of resin into the base of the plastic, this prevented it from cracking etc and has lasted well.... Dad has his mounted on pieces of square dowel.... you could use square or round dowel and just drill/glue the pieces into a piece of ply cut to the same dimensions of the case etc.

[bobslandies]

An alternative to molasses for small items like tools, nuts, bolts, etc with surface rust is cleaning vinegar (essentially that is the chemical acetic acid produced in molasses but without the mess). I use Vin-a-Clean (Riviana Foods - Riviana Coming Soon (http://www.rivianafoods.com.au)). It's very cheap, starts out clear and works well. You can watch progress and it's fast. Buy it at the supermarket - not all have it though. WD40 or similar afterwards as rusting will start pretty quick too.

Socket bars are they way - pop-rivet them into your tool box otherwise they get twisted if somebody treads on them:(

Bob

[Lionelgee]

An alternative to molasses for small items like tools, nuts, bolts, etc with surface rust is cleaning vinegar (essentially that is the chemical acetic acid produced in molasses but without the mess). I use Vin-a-Clean (Riviana Foods - Riviana Coming Soon (http://www.rivianafoods.com.au)). It's very cheap, starts out clear and works well. You can watch progress and it's fast. Buy it at the supermarket - not all have it though. WD40 or similar afterwards as rusting will start pretty quick too.

Socket bars are they way - pop-rivet them into your tool box otherwise they get twisted if somebody treads on them:(

Bob


Hello Bob,

I think I can remember someone writing about the virtues of vinegar before - was it you Bob?

I did a bit of a clean up of my shed this afternoon and used one of the socket bars. It re-organised a set of deep AF sockets which had started to spread around.

I think I might make a ply-wood box to fit two rows of socket bars into. The socket bars will be screwed into the bottom of the ply-box. That way the box can be lifted out and taken to the vehicle without having to lug my big main tool box around. Land Rovers, tools and woodwork :)

I will get some canvas from the upholster and make some rolls for my spanners since their original vinyl roll gave up the ghost years ago.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[sdt463]

Depending on how much you use them, you could get a thin piece of polystyrene and cut out to suit (won't handle much use or petrol etc), or I have used MDF with some success. A thin piece of MDF glued on after drilling your holes through the main piece works well as a base, or you can use something else eg thin foam rubber.


I went for the foam rubber about 20 years ago and it is still going strong today, so might be a good choice for you . Cheap too.
Dave

[d2dave]

I have fibre glassed inside the plastic inserts on some of mine. Strong as. Some of my sets would be over 30 years old, in tin boxes.

Although I haven't done it myself, I have heard of people filling the rear of the insert with plaster.