How/can I get the rust off a machete?

[the simple life]

I hear you there, we call my husband the undertaker around here.
He has had to bury more animals than he has ever cared to and some of them weren't so pretty after being attacked by some kind of animal in the first place.
He had to take care of a rooster that had been attacked just yesterday.

 

[Icu4dzs]

somehow this one got sent off in another direction. Not sure what cooking a mean bird had to do with this but here goes. To answer the question of rust off of the machete, there are a couple of ideas that work really well and have not been mentioned so I will do so here. Of course the old wire brush will help, especially if it is mounted to an electric grinder assuming that you have one and are careful about using it. WD-40 really does a good job of helping with this since it is really a cleaner not a lubricant.

1. Naval jelly (phosphoric acid) left on for a while and washed off will remove rust (its raison d'etre) if you read the label. This works well for things you are not able to immerse in water. If you CAN immerse the entire object in water, item 2 is great for removing rust!

2. If you get an old car battery and set it up to connect to different pieces of rebar, you put the two pieces of rebar into a bucket with a solution of baking soda and place your item in the water. Connect the two battery terminals to the separated by an insulator and the rust will be removed by electrolysis. Be careful when doing it but it works really well and your item will be rust free (even in the pits where the rust corroded deeply)
Trim sends

//BT//

 

[Toulle]

took rust off a lot of machetes

steel wool + wd40 + elbow grease = clean machete

 

[~gd]

somehow this one got sent off in another direction. Not sure what cooking a mean bird had to do with this but here goes. To answer the question of rust off of the machete, there are a couple of ideas that work really well and have not been mentioned so I will do so here. Of course the old wire brush will help, especially if it is mounted to an electric grinder assuming that you have one and are careful about using it. WD-40 really does a good job of helping with this since it is really a cleaner not a lubricant.

1. Naval jelly (phosphoric acid) left on for a while and washed off will remove rust (its raison d'etre) if you read the label. This works well for things you are not able to immerse in water. If you CAN immerse the entire object in water, item 2 is great for removing rust!

2. If you get an old car battery and set it up to connect to different pieces of rebar, you put the two pieces of rebar into a bucket with a solution of baking soda and place your item in the water. Connect the two battery terminals to the separated by an insulator and the rust will be removed by electrolysis. Be careful when doing it but it works really well and your item will be rust free (even in the pits where the rust corroded deeply)
Trim sends
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/1808_images.jpeg
//BT//

Method 2 works even better if one terminal is connected to the item you want derusted. Sorry I don't rembember which terminal gets attached to what but bubbles will rise around the item being cleaned, You will have to resharpen as the edge will be lost dry well and give a coat of oil. this is also how I clean rusted cast iron cookware.

 

[k15n1]

You'll have to grind that rust off. You can get it off with chemical means, but it'll leave the surface pitted, which makes it hard to clean and invites more rust. Get some kind of mildly abrasive wheel for a drill or angle grinder and go to it.

Chopping heads off can be tricky. Cervical dislocation or the cone method may be easier for a normal person.

 

[StupidBird]

A nice sharp machete needs a nice sleeve. I'm planning on making them for my tools out of double or tripled old jeans, with a loop for hanging up, and a tie-string to snug up at the top. Leather would be nicer, but this is what I've got on hand.

 

[~gd]

You'll have to grind that rust off. You can get it off with chemical means, but it'll leave the surface pitted, which makes it hard to clean and invites more rust. Get some kind of mildly abrasive wheel for a drill or angle grinder and go to it.You can do what you want but the fact is that once pitted it is pitted and all the grinding in the world isn't going to change that. Unless you grind down to the very bottom of every pit it is still going to have rust. and it will start again there. chemical or electro cleaned steel can be protected better than steel where rust remains. it is one thing to be traditional but when newer is better give it a try ~gd

Chopping heads off can be tricky. Cervical dislocation or the cone method may be easier for a normal person.

 

[~gd]

A nice sharp machete needs a nice sleeve. I'm planning on making them for my tools out of double or tripled old jeans, with a loop for hanging up, and a tie-string to snug up at the top. Leather would be nicer, but this is what I've got on hand.

Garden hose makes good edge protectors, just split the hose on one side and slip it on

 

[tyler569]

This video really helped me with my machete