I accidentally left some of Mom’s tools on the side of the house this winter. Now that it’s sunny she’s gonna start gardening and want ’em back. Oops:
Quick rust removal tool:
Growing up in Oregon, we’d have left it alone. But here in California it takes effort to get something to rust. So bare metal is just fine. Progress:
I am now the official neighborhood weird old guy who sits on the front porch puffing a cigar and polishing yard tools. Sigh.
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A plastic bucket, one can of drano, add water and you have a rust removing solution.
Let it soak for a few hours or overnight.
This will take care of rusty and crud caked things.
Aluminum will dissolve.
Have a place to dump the liquid and rinse the shovel.
Wear safety glasses and watch out of spills and splashes.
Works great on garage sale cast iron cook wear and tools that look ruined.
At least you are not the old guy seen buffing cigars and puffing your tool on the front porch.
David, send me your snail-mail addy to my email as embedded herein, and I’ll send you a few astonishingly good cigars. When you send your note, list a few of your favorite smokes there, so I’ll know what variety to send along.
Thanks!
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
Ummm, wouldn’t it be easier just to go to Home Despot or Lowe’s and buy a shovel and a rake?
Just sayin’.
Gerry N.
Well, yeah, but then I’d just be the son who negligently let her tools rust in the rain.
Now I’m the son who negligently let her tools rust in the rain, but brought them back better than when she loaned ’em to me!
Once you have your tools like you like them, put a bag of play sand in a 5-gallon or 3-gallon bucket, and mix a can of motor oil into the sand. Then, after each time you use your tools, drive them into the sand five or six times until they’re clean. This will clean and protect the tools.
(H/T to Paul James, the Garden Guy on HGTV)