Thread: Cleaning up old rabone square

Looks nice, but is it square?

Checked against my other two and the new combination square and it sits perfectly, so unless they are all out by the same amount then the answer is yes

Pythagoras also say yes

Then you got yourself a real bargain there fella.
Don't take it to work, the lads'll just think it's some kind of weird knockometer.

Originally Posted by Burnsy

As I have said before I have trouble driving past second hand stores so on my way home today I did my usual and stopped in as I had five minutes to spare. I have been on the lookout for some decent site chisels and a combination square as I have a problem with paying $40 for one when they seem to get lost too often. My eyes lit up whilst scrounging around in a tool bin as a nice stanley combination square makes it way to the surface, look closely, you beuty it is an all round metric one and is in nice working order. Turn it over and even better, no price tag (I like to find the person who looks like they have the least clue and ask for a price). Stick my head back down for a last poke around and stumble on a 8 inch Rabone square - also no price tag, nice

Up to the counter, act dumb and uninterested, hand over $10 and leave the store smiling all the way to my car.



Anyway, to get to the point. I would like to clean up the Rabone square and coat the blade with something to keep it looking good, it will be used regularly so I don't want to make a museum piece. It has No 1905 stamped into it next to the Rabone and Sons logo on the blade. The logo and graduations seem to be slightly etched in and I would like to make sure they stay legible. the handle seems to have jappaning in it and it in good condition so I don't want to remove any on it. How do I best clean up the blade? What finish if any was on these blades originally?

They were just a plain bright metal finish ,susceptable(sp?) to finger print rust and any other rust promoting stuff.
To clean the rust off ,get some cleaning vinegar from the supermarket ,put the square in a plastic bucket and pour the vinegar over it and leave it over night.
Im sure the vinegar wont lift the Japaning , but don't quote me on this ,I haven't tried japaned finish in vinegar.Might be better to brush the vinegar on with an old brush so you can keep it away from the japaning.
Next day clean the blade and exposed metal with some turps and polish with 400 , 600 and 800 wet and dry lubed with turps.
Then wax it .
I do my hand saw saw blades using this method.

Good find .
Kev

Originally Posted by Woodlee

They were just a plain bright metal finish ,susceptable(sp?) to finger print rust and any other rust promoting stuff.
Then wax it .
Kev

Thanks Kev, I figured that they came untreaded, I will try the vinegar just on the blade to clean it up. What type of wax? I was thinking of spraying it with a clear sealer anyone had any experience with this option?

Hey Burnsy
Where'd you learn to check a square?

Basic - mark a square line on a bit of straight board, flip the square 180,
it should still be square. If your line is 1mm out, your square is 0.5mm out.
Every time you drop it, kick it, throw it at a dog, check it again. - basic.

You would't use another level to check a spirit level, would you?

Regards
Bill

Originally Posted by billbeee

Hey Burnsy
Where'd you learn to check a square?

Basic - mark a square line on a bit of straight board, flip the square 180,
it should still be square. If your line is 1mm out, your square is 0.5mm out.
Every time you drop it, kick it, throw it at a dog, check it again. - basic.

You would't use another level to check a spirit level, would you?

Regards
Bill

I was in the shop so couldn't just mark off a line on their counter, I checked the two against each other in the shop as that would have shown if one was out. I then checked them both against mine in the ute in the carpark. My desk here has two nice pencil lines on it from checking them again when I got them home as per the method you described. I just added pythagoras as an edit to be a smart a%%%

And ........... I have been known to sit three or four new spirit levels on top of each other in the shop when purchasing as a quick check to make sure the one I take is reading correctly. Have been caught out before with a new quality level that was out. It is easier to check in the shop than wait till you get to site to find out it is on the and have to drive back.

Good on yer Burnsy,
I can see you're the the cautious type.
I nearly bought a plumb bob from Cash Converters once, but it looked so battered it was sure to be out.

Regards
Bill

Nice find.

I think there's a thread somewhere here on electrolysis or rust removal. Also a useful article on various techniques for removing rust in an old Australian Wood Review.

btw ... how's the for-wrecking No 4 coming along?

Apart from vinegar you can also try tomato sauce, lemon juice or molasses.

Well they have always told me I go like a bull at a gate!!

I just done an old square and also cleaned up my rabone Set square etc etc but went with the trusty Wire Wheel on the bench grinder, then polished em up on the cloth wheel. final touch usually is Inox I must admit them numbers are dissapearin each time

but it is interesting when you find some old rusty tools in the bottom of a bucket of rubbish you score at a clearance sale and upon polishin them up they are Sheffield or made in germany etc

Originally Posted by billbeee

I nearly bought a plumb bob from Cash Converters once, but it looked so battered it was sure to be out.

lmao

Originally Posted by rsser

Nice find.

I think there's a thread somewhere here on electrolysis or rust removal. Also a useful article on various techniques for removing rust in an old Australian Wood Review.

btw ... how's the for-wrecking No 4 coming along?

Electrolysis can remove jappaning acording to some reports so I am steering clear of that and will try the vinegar or molasses approach. The No.4 is still in the post - I will email you pics as soon as I have it in my hot little hands.

Originally Posted by givusabrake

Well they have always told me I go like a bull at a gate!!

I just done an old square and also cleaned up my rabone Set square etc etc but went with the trusty Wire Wheel on the bench grinder, then polished em up on the cloth wheel. final touch usually is Inox I must admit them numbers are dissapearin each time

but it is interesting when you find some old rusty tools in the bottom of a bucket of rubbish you score at a clearance sale and upon polishin them up they are Sheffield or made in germany etc

I am usually this way but thought I don't want to loose the numbers or Rabone and Sons etching, so thought this time I would ask, you have confirmed though what I thought would happen if I went at it with the wire wheel.

Originally Posted by Iain

Apart from vinegar you can also try tomato sauce, lemon juice or molasses.

The cleaning vinegar is made from sugar cane or so it says on the bottle .
Its stronger than normal wine vinegar .Just get some in a cut on your skin and youll know what I'm talking about.

Ive just used six litres of the stuff to clean my metal working files ,it works , I left them in 24 hrs and cleaned them up with soapy water and a fine wire brush ,They came up like new. Just givethem aspray with wd40 or CRC and stand them on end for a few minutes to let any water run off.

Cheers
Kev

Hey Kev, do you reckon you could add your technique to this thread of Schtoo's on file sharpening?


Cheers..................Sean