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Post by Kuro93 on Dec 22, 2012 20:25:19 GMT
Hi everyone, newbie here
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Dec 22, 2012 20:45:29 GMT
Welcome to SBG!
If you plan to use it, you should either get a kit, or a couple of items that work as well or better than the kit.
1. 91% or higher alcohol. Cuts through grime/oils very well, and is non-abrasive. Lower than 91% contains too much water, and could conceivably encourage rust.
2. Soft cotton or flannel cloth. To wipe down blade after use or during general upkeep. I just cut up old t-shirts and that works well. Just make sure to use a clean cloth each time.
3. Mineral Oil. Used to inhibit rust, and is absolutely essential. Light mineral oil, as found in many stores and pharmacies works well, as does 3 in 1 oil and sewing machine oil. I use camellia oil from sevenstartrading personally.
4. Metal Glo, Mothers Mag and Aluminum, Flitz metal polishing paste. Any of those are good. They are a lightly abrasive polishing paste that works well to remove very stubborn gunk and reduce extremely light scuffing.
So, to clean simply wipe down the blade, then wide down with a cloth with the alcohol. Wipe down again with dry cloth, then apply a very thin coat of oil. Just enough to barely see, but not enough to bead. If you see any gunk or rust, apply the polishing paste, then wipe down with alcohol again and finish with a coat of oil.
Do this after every cutting session, or every two weeks when not in use.
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Post by Kumdoalan on Dec 22, 2012 23:29:15 GMT
what do they mix alcohol with?
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Dec 23, 2012 1:10:54 GMT
The lower the grade, the higher the water content. Alcohol evaporates quickly and almost completely, but the lower the score the more water that will be left behind.
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Post by chrisperoni on Dec 23, 2012 2:14:39 GMT
all good advice from Adrian- remeber though if your sword has a hamon metal polishing creams may make them disappear. Some other options- Windex- works well to clean the blade before oiling and putting away. With any cleaner it's always a good idea to wipe it down thoroughly before oiling.
For light cleaning using the same oil as for protecting can work. Just keep your cleaning and protecting rags separate. I keep one cloth just for final oiling in a ziploc bag for the final wipe before putting the blade back in the saya/scabbard.
I usually wipe the blade down before cutting with it but that's just because I like to inspect it before and after cutting to see if the cutting session caused damage/scratches etc.
It's okay to touch the blade just don't let fingerprints stick around for long. It's better to use a piece of cloth or paper towel to hold the blade with when checking it out.
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Post by Kuro93 on Dec 23, 2012 13:52:56 GMT
thanks for your help i will take all this into account, but i think the first thing im going to do is wipe all the oil it came in off, because im gagging to have a proper look at the Hamon without the oil on it, but i dont have my maintenance kit yet, stupid christmas holiday so i didnt want to take the oil off without putting something back on it, so after ive finished gawping at the blade, is 3 in 1 oil okay? just until i get my maintenance kit? thanks guys
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Dec 23, 2012 19:42:30 GMT
3 in 1 is just fine. What comes in the kit is simply mineral oil. If it's a higher-end kit, it'll be mineral oil or camellia oil with a drop of clove for scent.
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Post by Rafael on Dec 24, 2012 14:36:39 GMT
Rubbing alcohol sold at the pharmacy made with Isopropanol usually is just 2-propanol and water.
If you buy rubbing alcohol made with ethyl alcohol,(same as ethanol) then it's going to be alcohol, water and also something else added by the manufacturer so that you get really sick if you try to drink it. What they add to make it poisonous varies by manufacturer but can include isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and/or denatonium.
I'm not sure what acetone or MEK or other random stuff (literally thousands of different compounds are used to make natured alcohol by different makers) would do to metal. it would definitely act as a solvent but it might cause discoloration or oxidation.
To sum up, read the label and make sure you buy rubbing alcohol made with isopropanol, not ethyl alcohol, to clean your sword with.
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Post by Rafael on Dec 24, 2012 14:42:46 GMT
High proof Iso-propanol is also going to basically evaporate clean leaving just traces of water behind which will then be easily removed when you wipe it down with oil.
Otoh, with denatured ethyl alcohol, traces of denaturing compounds could stay behind on the blade and potentially interact with the oil chemically to produce unexpected results.
Unlikely to happen if it's just been denatured with methanol or Isopropanol, but even buying from the same manufacturer overtime you might end up with different compounds being used to denature, depending on what happens to be cheaper by volume at any given time.
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Taran
Member
Posts: 2,621
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Post by Taran on Dec 24, 2012 22:43:26 GMT
Also, if you are a gun-owner, silicone gun cloths or silicone spray works VERY well for protecting the blade (just as it does for the barrel and other exposed metal parts of a firearm). That's what I use. I also use microfiber cloths for the fine cleaning and the silicone application. Jeans work well for the bulk cleaning (basically, I use whatever cloth is handy for the initial wipe-down).
The silicone can last more than 6 months in a humid environment like PA with no rust. I haven't really pushed it yet to see how long it will last. Just been forced to go that long by Army responsibilities...
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Post by Kuro93 on Jan 2, 2013 14:11:02 GMT
Thanks everyone for your input, very detailed answers, i learnt a lot from your posts! Thanks again
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