De-rusting bits....

Re: De-rusting bits....

Walt C

>Done that with lightly rusted bits. Sand off the worst of the rust, then use Rustoleum rust treatment (forget the real name) which is mostly phosphoric acid. Brass wire wheel does the lead screw, then hand smoothing with fine grit sandpaper, wet or dry, on the outside face. I find that the special file for sharpening brace bits sharpens them much easier.

I've also used a buffer wheel with green compound, but I have launched a few of them when an edge caught the wheel, or vice versa.

I get a good user, looks are still a bit rough.

Walt C

Why not....

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Electrolysis? This is probably the best way to de-rust bits.

Re: De-rusting bits....

Bob Hackett

>I know you must have a tailed drill and a rusty old brace that`s too far gone to save(usually $1 or less each for parts up here).

Cut the chuck off leaving enough of a stub to grip in the power drill.

Get your trusty 5 gallon bucket and a bag of sand.Dump the sand in the bucket,tighten auger into chuck/powerdrill assembly and run it in the sand for long enough to clean it.Rinse and repeat.

Mainely,Bob

Re: De-rusting bits....

Glenn Madsen

>That, sir, is an excellent idea.

I don't have a 'scrap' brace, yet, but soon...

Wow!

Jack Guzman from Maine

>That's a gem Bob.Thanks---Jack

Re: Wow!

Bob Hackett

>You can thank Cecil Pierce for that one.

That was the advice he gave me when I showed up at his place with a 5 gallon bucket of rusty barefoot augers.

He gave me an old brace chuck.I already had the bucket.Got the sand from the town barn.

Cecil was an encyclopedia of common sense,low cost,yankee tips like that.

Mainely,Bob