# How to clean rusty hand tools?
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347
**Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic
**Created:** [March 3, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347 "2008-03-03T10:58:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Nikuk](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Nikuk)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/1 "2008-03-03T10:58:45Z")
I have alot of hand tools & parts that I need to clean up. They’d sat in condensation & water for quite a while (weeks), and are pretty rusty.
Anyone know how to clean them en masse?
I have prolly ~200 pieces - everything from sockets, ratchets, box wrenchs, etc.; jack stands, among other things.
Rock tumbler / polisher?
Media blasting?
Soak them in parts cleaner?
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### Author:  [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/2 "2008-03-03T11:01:37Z")
Go Amish. Put em in a tumbler full of motor oil and corn cobs.
Seriously. That’s how they roll.
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/3 "2008-03-03T11:02:25Z")
i read something on the bottle of por15 metal ready about soaking tools in it. check their webby!
[http://www.por15.com/Data%20Sheets/metal%20ready%20q%20and%20a%20sheet.pdf](http://www.por15.com/Data%20Sheets/metal%20ready%20q%20and%20a%20sheet.pdf)
> Can I use Metal-Ready to restore rusted tools?
> Yes you can. Fill a shallow tray with Metal-Ready and put in the tool overnight, or until all rust is dissolved.
i have a ton of this shit if you want to try it…
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### Author:  [@Krud](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Krud)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/4 "2008-03-03T11:02:25Z")
eaten or uneaten corn cobs?
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### Author:  [@Boomin99GT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Boomin99GT)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/5 "2008-03-03T11:03:21Z")
Guys at my shop used to leave tools to soak in PB Blast then just rub them down with a cloth. Seemed to work pretty well.
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### Author:  [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:04am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/6 "2008-03-03T11:04:28Z")
> [@Krud](#):
>
> eaten or uneaten corn cobs?
Can’t go wasting good corn.
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### Author:  [@Nikuk](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Nikuk)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/7 "2008-03-03T11:08:57Z")
I’m curious as to why Fry knows the Amish so well.
Newman, lemme grab a qt. off of you & see how well it works. I’m looking for zero effort here, and I don’t like corn _that_ much.
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/8 "2008-03-03T11:09:56Z")
> [@Nikuk](#):
>
> I’m curious as to why Fry knows the Amish so well.
>
> Newman, lemme grab a qt. off of you & see how well it works. I’m looking for zero effort here, and I don’t like corn _that_ much.
sure. bring a container and stop by tonight. i’ll be in the garage with a few people working on the car…
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### Author:  [@Nikuk](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Nikuk)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/9 "2008-03-03T11:12:04Z")
> [@newman](#):
>
> sure. bring a container and stop by tonight. i’ll be in the garage with a few people working on the car…
PM me addy or phone.
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### Author:  [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/10 "2008-03-03T11:23:51Z")
> [@Nikuk](#):
>
> I’m curious as to why Fry knows the Amish so well.
>
> Newman, lemme grab a qt. off of you & see how well it works. I’m looking for zero effort here, and I don’t like corn _that_ much.
My parents have an infatuation with “the good old days” and Amish culture and all that crap. Plus my dad is essentially an amateur carpenter, has a bunch of 100+ year old hand tools, etc. It was a goofy little tidbit of knowledge he passed on after I left an 80 piece drill bit set laying in the sun for a couple of days.
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### Author:  [@Zer0DazE](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Zer0DazE)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/11 "2008-03-03T11:35:39Z")
^ dude, you’re weird
i used that rust eater shit from auto zone. it worked as well as naval jelly, if not better.
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### Author:  [@Cavi\_Mike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Cavi_Mike)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 11:43am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/12 "2008-03-03T11:43:47Z")
> [@Boomin99GT](#):
>
> Guys at my shop used to leave tools to soak in PB Blast then just rub them down with a cloth. Seemed to work pretty well.
FTW
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### Author:  [@1995gts](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/1995gts)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/13 "2008-03-03T15:06:34Z")
beleive its corn husk…not the cobb
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### Author:  [@vt1992s10](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/vt1992s10)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/14 "2008-03-03T15:18:30Z")
coke, let them sit is it for ~30 min and wipe the rust off, had to do it last month
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### Author:  [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/15 "2008-03-03T15:19:49Z")
^Also works on the hooker.
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### Author:  [@walter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/walter)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/16 "2008-03-03T15:22:24Z")
WD50 works well on plated tools like sockets and wrenches.
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### Author:  [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/17 "2008-03-03T15:26:31Z")
> [@1995gts](#):
>
> beleive its corn husk…not the cobb
Cobb.
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### Author:  [@vt1992s10](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/vt1992s10)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/18 "2008-03-03T15:30:37Z")
> [@Fry](#):
>
> ^Also works on the hooker.
you would know?
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### Author:  [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/19 "2008-03-03T15:38:28Z")
:snky:
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### Author:  [@Violator](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Violator)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-to-clean-rusty-hand-tools/44347/20 "2008-03-03T16:46:26Z")
Leave them in Vinegar overnight. Cheap solution
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