Thread: WD40 Rust Remover

I bought this stuff (WD40 Rust Remover Soak) to use on some crusty tools I'm trying to rescue.
Looking at the pile of razors I have to restore, I wondered if you all think it would be safe to use on them, since they are presumably a different steel than chisels and hand planes.

Toss the worst one of the bunch in and see what happens

I would trust WD40 more than most others

Well, one sure way to remove rust on a blade is actually to use WD-40 and another carbon blade to scrap.
Try one blade you don't favor too much and time will tell, but I dont't think that could hurt a lot.

General advice though about soaking : never mix metals. So try avoiding soaking a full razor, just the blade, since the metals you can find for example on the washers might create an oxydo-reduction reaction. And try soaking razors that are "alike" in the same bath.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Toss the worst one of the bunch in and see what happens

I would trust WD40 more than most others

Good idea on a guinea pig blade, definitely some of those lying around.

Originally Posted by Aggelos

Well, one sure way to remove rust on a blade is actually to use WD-40 and another carbon blade to scrap.
Try one blade you don't favor too much and time will tell, but I dont't think that could hurt a lot.

General advice though about soaking : never mix metals. So try avoiding soaking a full razor, just the blade, since the metals you can find for example on the washers might create an oxydo-reduction reaction. And try soaking razors that are "alike" in the same bath.

Thanks for the mixing advice, I was planning on taking all of the razors out of scales first, because I really wasn't sure what it would do to plastics or bone/horn materials!
Maybe I'll try to keep them in very small batches.

If it is a non toxic formula it is probably similar to Evaporust, which doesn't work well at all for razors. I think rust loosener was probably a better description.
Evaporust worked about like soaking in vinegar. It loosened up the surface rust, but turned the steel a dark grey/black color that I would've required additional sanding.
Keep in mind that even if you dipped a rusty blade in acid long enough to strip off the rust, you will still have ALL the pitting. And the only way to remove the pitting is with an abrasive (sandpaper, grinder, etc).
If you want to remove the surface rust, you can scrape it off with a blade like Aggelos mentioned. If you want rust out of pitting without sanding down the surface of the metal, I would use steel wool.

I made a thread showing my experiment with Evaporust, but I would have to find it.

Here it is.

https://sharprazorpalace.com/worksho...en-razors.html

There are several “green rust removers” on the market since Evaprorust came out a few years ago. Interestingly many come in the exact same gallon jug as Evaprorust, (just saying). I have tried some and they work for removing rust but leave a grey finish that still needs to be sanded and buffed.

The best and fastest way to remove rust from a razor is with a single edge razor blade, then sand and buff. Care should be taken with razor scales as some chemicals can kick off Cell rot on celluloid razors, when soaked unpinned.

It has been said many times, restoration begins at purchase. Buy razors in the best condition possible. A heavily rusted razor will have edge and steel quality issues once restored.

I restore a lot of antique tools, and the best bang for the buck is white vinegar at about $1 a gallon

Thanks all,
I've restored a fair amount of razors in the past, always sanding through the rust and pitting by hand with paper.
Now that I want to dedicate more of my free time to refurbishing my stock of blades, I was looking for a more time effective method (eg soaking the blades while I'm at work or asleep).
Even if it helps loosen the debris then at least it'll make the rest of the polishing process a little easier and use less paper.

To elaborate Euclid's point of private labelling. My company deals with material handling on dry bulk good; sand, grains, softener salt, you name it. Many companies, especially softener salt is a glaring example I have seen, only change the packaging in the factory. Would not be surprised if WD40 just pays a bit to slap a label on there. WD's product description is pretty similar to boot.

Evaporust worked pretty well for me, just took a couple minutes with some 0000 steel wool then polish and good to go. My goal whenever I use it is for blades I don't want to or can't sand out pits, but remove/neutralize the rust in them. There is some patina/dulling from it that does stay on the metal without sanding, but 90% of the blackening was removed pretty easily.

We were discussing this point in Texas last weekend. The machinists use Mistic Metal Mover to soak things. Another is PB Blaster. I've found that G96 Gun oil will also lift and penetrate and smells much better.