Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19980826103121.007d7100@mail.itis.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 10:31:21 -0500
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
From: Dan Miller <5lakes@itis.com>
Subject: [baidarka] more tool reconditioning.
I pulled this bit from Dejanews (www.dejanews.com). It was posted
by Randy Roeder (nice guy!) back in September, 1995 to
rec.woodworking. It is a collectors perspective, but are you
sure your tool isn't worth anything?
PS (Check out www.findmail.com - it archives mailing lists. Baidarka
list isn't archived there (yet); perhaps that is a good thing).
Enjoy!
Dan
PS (Check out www.findmail.com - it archives mailing lists. Baidarka
list isn't archived there (yet); perhaps that is a good thing).
-------------
Randy Roeder's Rules for antique tool preservation
Warning!!! Dogmatic as all get out
1.
You should be attempting to preserve an antique tool, not "restore it."
I know we're quibbling about words here, but the idea is important.
An older tool will never look new again. Well-meaning, but misguided
restoration attempts have ruined a sizeable percentage of the antique
tools still in existence.
2.
Stripper should ever be used on the wooden parts of antique tools,
without ascertaining the degree of original finish remaining under the
gunk. Even after five years and hundreds of tools, I can't tell without
first lightly cleaning an area with dark-colored rubbing compound.
3.
The conservative tool buff never uses stripper on wood at all. Rubbing
compound, and very fine steel wool are preferred cleaning methods.
Strippers typically cause a loss of definition of owners and
manufacturer's marks. I've seen makers stamps disappear completely
from transition planes.
4.
Water-based strippers damage owner and manufactures marks most of
all because the inevitable reswelling of the wood as it absorbs moisture
begins to reverse the stamping process.
5.
Polyurethane is plastic! You haven't lived until you've seen an eighteenth
century molding plane that had survived for over two hundred years
stripped, sanded, and encased in poly. Puke, puke, puke! Which brings
us to the next sin......
6.
Sandpaper on original wood is reserved for those who want to spend
eternity burning forever in tool hell. It ruins edge definition, owner and
maker marks and destroys the patina of the wood.
7.
Tung and linseed oil are finishes generally accepted by tool buffs as
enhancers of the original, cleaned surface. These oils should be used
with care on boxwood and lighter colored rosewoods as they can
darken them significantly. One conservative I know uses lemon oil for
these two woods.
8.
Rubbing compound will remove paint splatters. It will be necessary to thin
big blobs of paint by scraping them with something first. Once rubbing
compound dries in a crack it is hard to remove. For this reason it is best
to avoid white colored products. Experiment carefully with coarser grits.
WHAT ABOUT METAL!
1.
The first thing to remember is that metal, like wood, takes on a patina
after time.
2.
The general principal is to remove surface rust without destroying the
underlying patina of the metal or remnants of original paint, bluing, or
plating, therefore:
3.
BELT SANDERS ARE FORBIDDEN!
4.
What to say about wire wheels??? Most tools buffs use them, but they
are capable of incredible damage. Use a wheel as a last resort, steel
brushes and steel wool are better.
5.
Aggressive use of a wire wheel tear pits in the soft parts of many types
of laminated 19th century cutters. Wire wheels give a "frosted"
appearance to rounded surfaces of most old tools. Wire wheels can
cause nickel plating to disappear almost instantaneously. They remove
paint from surface adjacent to the one being cleaned.
6.
Brass wheels are preferred over steel.
7.
On pitted surfaces, the overuse of a wire wheel polishes out the
bottoms of the pits so that they reflect light and become truly hideous.
Better to leave a bit of rust in deep pits and control it with the application
of a wax or oil. My favorite oil is Hoppes no. 9 of gun-cleaning fame. It
smells nice and leaves a protective film on the piece which will last a
year or two with proper handling. Hoppes, however, discolors nickel
plating, and is slightly caustic to pewter and lead.
8.
I don't know enough about waxes to recommend one.
9.
I hate to say this, but -- naval jelly leaves a piece looking naked and
destroys patina.
10.
BUFFING WHEEL? No, too shiny, patina gone.
11.
Polishing brass? It's basically a matter of preference. Buffing with a
wheel destroys edge definition and cases a loss of definition of marks
and stamps. The use of lemon juice and salt, fine steel fur, rubbing
compound or Brasso is less destructive. I have an early 19th century
beech brace with some brass trim around the box where the pad is
inserted. If I polished the brass, it would look like a whore dressed up
for a Sunday school picnic. On the other hand, I like a nice polish on the
adjustment knobs of my 20th century Millers Falls bench planes.
12. Sanding metal? In general, it's best to avoid it. If you try it,
remember
that the idea is to cut through the surface rust without destroying the
patina of the metal underneath. Typically, heavily rusted areas are lightly
sanded and then steel wool or a brush is used to finish the job.
13. Even a tool with 20 percent of it's original nickel plating intact is
better than one where all the nickel plating has been buffed away with a
wire wheel to try to simulate the original nickel plated look. Anyone with
an ounce of sense can tell the difference. This technique generally
results in a tool which otherwise would have graded as good being
downgraded to fair.
14. Repainting a tool? Basically, no. It's usually easy to spot. Many
collectors won't touch a piece that's been repainted. Most of the time the
piece will be worth less when you're done, and you'll earn the scorn of
those who appreciate the original finish.
15. In some cases much of deeper rust is left on the and it is waxed or
coated with thinned linseed oil. Old axes and primitives fall into this
category.
16. Cleaning old carpenters saws. The idea is to get the rust off the
blade without destroying the contrasting original designs etched into it.
This is a case where sandpaper, tightly stretched across a wooden
block might be used. You can use steel wool in areas away from any
etched designs. In the design-covered areas, start with a stretched
piece of paper just a bit coarser than crocus cloth. You can use crocus
cloth to finish off, but try not to get too shiny.
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE SERMON
As an avid collector, I see thousands of antique tools each year. The
number that have been destroyed by well-meaning attempts to make
them look like they did when they were new is distressingly high.
For the original poster:
Good luck with your tools and enjoy them. Really, I mean it. I butchered
a few when I started out, but fortunately they were Craftsman and
Dunlap items. I discretely moved them out of of the house by the garage
sale method after some tool collector friends bruised my ego while
simultaneiously raising my consciousness.
--- Daniel Miller - 5lakes@itis.com Five Lakes Wooden Boat Center http://www.paddlin.com/fivelakes/canoe.htm "So many boats, so little time..."