|
|
Post by mountainsylph on Aug 28, 2022 3:06:31 GMT
Like for instance in the case of Deepeeka's Xiphos, its got an exposed metal tang as well as a metal pommel attached to the handle. The handle is also made of wood though so rubbing it could damage things if done incorrectly.
How would you clean the rust off the exposed metal on any wooden handle?
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark Millman on Aug 28, 2022 3:48:20 GMT
Dear mountainsylph,
Carefully. Glibness aside, it depends on how bad the rust is and how the wood is finished. In this case, on the Deepeeka Greek Xiphos, I believe that the wood is oil-finished rather than, say, lacquered; but it's a light color. If the rust is mild any abrasive you use to remove it should be too fine a grit to change the wood's finish (if it were lacquered the lacquer might get scratched, which could be visible; but with an oil finish there should be no visible change, and it's easy enough to re-oil anyway). But because of its light color the wood may be stained by the material you remove and the broken-down surface of the abrasive. The best thing to do is to cover the wood with masking tape or painter's tape to prevent that from happening. If the rust is severe, masking off the wood (more thickly, in this case) would also prevent it from being scratched by a coarser abrasive. If you're worried about the adhesive damaging the wood, I very much doubt it will be a problem on the Deepeeka Xiphos. On other items with more delicate surfaces, using Post-It Notes might work, but I'd be somewhat concerned about their not sticking well enough except under very gentle handling. If the rust is very bad indeed, you might have to resign yourself to refinishing the wood after removing the rust.
I hope this proves helpful.
Best,
Mark Millman
|
|
|
|
Post by mountainsylph on Aug 28, 2022 4:59:27 GMT
Dear mountainsylph, Carefully. Glibness aside, it depends on how bad the rust is and how the wood is finished. In this case, on the Deepeeka Greek Xiphos, I believe that the wood is oil-finished rather than, say, lacquered; but it's a light color. If the rust is mild any abrasive you use to remove it should be too fine a grit to change the wood's finish (if it were lacquered the lacquer might get scratched, which could be visible; but with an oil finish there should be no visible change, and it's easy enough to re-oil anyway). But because of its light color the wood may be stained by the material you remove and the broken-down surface of the abrasive. The best thing to do is to cover the wood with masking tape or painter's tape to prevent that from happening. If the rust is severe, masking off the wood (more thickly, in this case) would also prevent it from being scratched by a coarser abrasive. If you're worried about the adhesive damaging the wood, I very much doubt it will be a problem on the Deepeeka Xiphos. On other items with more delicate surfaces, using Post-It Notes might work, but I'd be somewhat concerned about their not sticking well enough except under very gentle handling. If the rust is very bad indeed, you might have to resign yourself to refinishing the wood after removing the rust. I hope this proves helpful. Best, Mark Millman What about if in the case that the rivets on the handle become rusty? Also what type of tool would be used? A cloth with a rust cleaning agent like WD-40 or one of those wire-like sponges? How did people deal with this in pre-modern times anyway before any of these tools existed? Especially with wooden - metal handles? |
|
pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 9,519
|
Post by pgandy on Aug 28, 2022 14:57:21 GMT
You don’t state to what degree the rust is. I assume it’s not deep nor caked on. I’ve used #000 steel wool with WD-40 for years for rust removal. Nearly all of my wood is oil finished and it does not affect the finish. I have one that the vendor says is natural, but I think some type of overcoat is applied? I just checked and the wool does not affect that one. Actually #000 steel wool and light oil is a very mild abrasive and safe to use in every case I’ve used it and think it will work as you would like. If not, then go with something more aggressive.
There is also another rust removal method using aluminum foil and water. I’ve used it only once and it worked. No wood was involved but I see no reason that it would scratch the wood regardless of the finish.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mark Millman on Aug 28, 2022 15:55:59 GMT
Dear mountainsylph, What about if in the case that the rivets on the handle become rusty? You do the same thing. If you choose to mask off the wood, the masking is a bit fussier. As pgandy indicates, you need an abrasive; using just a cloth is unlikely to do the job. WD-40 will not remove rust on its own; for a substance that will remove the rust through chemical action you'd need something like naval jelly, which I think would be severe overkill here. I often use emery paper, but occasionally use plastic scouring pads. It depends on how much area I need to cover and what shape it is. In the past, like pgandy, I've also used fine steel wool. Again, as pgandy says, it often helps to use a lubricant with the abrasive; I agree that WD-40 is a good choice, but many kinds of oil (for example, 3-in-1, Japanese choji oil, gun oil, light machine oil, mineral oil, linseed oil) will do. They expected to refinish the wood if they had to. If the rust was bad, they expected to disassemble and reassemble the item. They tried very hard to prevent rust in the first place. A soldier's life has consisted mainly of cleaning and polishing for a very, very long time. Most people didn't have piles of weapons, as modern collectors often do, and the weapons they had got regular attention. In most cases they probably didn't care very much about merely cosmetic blemishes, so scratches or staining on a wooden component wouldn't have been likely to bother them. The vast bulk of weapons were working tools, not showpieces. It's always a good idea to wipe down swords with an oily cloth after handling them, especially if you don't wear gloves. Many forum members use wax on their pieces because it's more durable than oil and will endure light handling without needing to be re-applied after every handling session. Use the search function if you're interested in pursuing that option. Sometimes rust develops in shipping, which is unfortunate but hard to predict from the recipient's perspective. I recommended masking the wood not because of scratching--as I say, and pgandy agrees, that seems unlikely--but because of possible staining. If you can find a bit of wood that's not easily visible, you can test to see whether it will stain by taking your rust-removal tools and using them on some other bit of rust that isn't on the sword. Then rub the used abrasive on the wood. If it doesn't stain, then you don't need to mask the wood to prevent that from happening when you work on the sword. Or if it seems likely to stain but masking is a problem, you can rub the used abrasive over all of the wooden parts to give a consistent appearance. And if you don't care about a little staining, then you don't have to worry about this at all. Best, Mark Millman |
|
pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 9,519
|
Post by pgandy on Aug 28, 2022 18:04:40 GMT
Mark pretty much pointed out key factors. So this is pretty much a rehash. The military spends much time cleaning and polishing. The modern collector has more than the man of yesteryear and maintains his better. I’ll add a little FWIW. During medieval times the squires would clean his master’s plate with urine and sand, as for mail in a sack with sand and vigorous shaking. I suspect he probably prevented rust on the weapons by frequent wiping and perhaps sand if rust should occur. Frequent handling will also reduce if not prevent rust. This is not to be confused with handling then set the weapon aside for a period with no wipe down, for knives probably through use. Also what was expected or accepted was different from the modern collector. Below is a video of what the average Nepalese villager has. The people are looking for yarsagumbas, a fungus that is in much demand in Nepal. So much so that the government has had to put restrictions on their harvest. You will notice spots of deep rust, repairs, and patches. In all cases the blades appear dry and probably are. Oil will cause debris to stick to the blades and they probably cannot afford wax. A far cry from what a westerner will accept. I have no photos but can testify the machetes used in my country are in the same condition, except mine of course. What the modern collector expects and what was done yesterday, and in some cases today by those who use blades are not necessary the same.
|
|
|
|
Post by durinnmcfurren on Aug 28, 2022 19:05:02 GMT
It's worth noting that wood can be polished, so if you do scratch the wood, just use finer and finer grit to polish it and the metal, then re-oil it. This should work ok unless the wood was lacquered. Then you could have an issue.
Actually, depending on the wood, you can get it really polished, and it's quite fun!
|
|
Things have changed!