Thread: Aviation snips and rust

Hi Ric ,
The Midwest aviation snips AFAIK are still made in USA and should be a good quality item. It is not only the metal quality that influences how a tool shows signs of corrosion but also
air quality -In our city the prevailing wing blows over a coal terminal and the salt air and sulphur traces are not good for ferrous metals
humidty
Excess salt in your perspiration.

I have a pair of Dads tinsnips somewhere and they have a patina like a brown oxide found on old rifles. Maybe our new tools migh get like that in thirty or forty years. Until then, a squirt of lanolin based oil squirted on the tool after use seems to work for me.

Grahame

Hi Ric
Were they new or secondhand when you got them? Maybe doctored up to sell? Or maybe the weather in Moss Vegas has something to do with it lol
The weather in is pretty savage
will

Hi Will,

They were brand spanking new a couple of months ago.

As far as the weather being a factor, none of my other tools have ever rusted as quickly, and the old Stanley snips had no rust on them after about 20 years.

There are only two types of weather in . Its raining, and if its not, its about to rain.

I live in a unique micro climate in the Highlands. Driving from Bowral to MV past the Briars and I can look west and see nothing but rain. Go past Hardys and it can be bucketing down, but drive up to my street and there is not a drop. Look over to Berrima and it will also be raining. All caused by one small hill.

Obviously ,if the rest of your tools where getting rusty you would not be posing the rust question here.bI had anew tool rust badly by inadvertently leaving it near an closed container of acid.I guess its nothing like that.

Here's the site for Midwest which has a contact button at the top.

http://www.midwestsnips.com/

Send them an email with a pic of your rusty tool .

You could tell them that you paid the expensive in Australia -price for them so you could own a quality pair of long last snips but get a rusty pair.

You could ask them why - the worlds best snips - their advertising motto- are rusting after a few months use? - If I recall they are in the mid $40 range.
Something tells me you will get action.

Grahame

Have quite a few pairs of midwest snips and various other brands, which I must say, probably do look better cosmetically in comparison. Do nothing special with them other than throw them back in the toolbox after use and that sometimes gets wet when I forget to roll it back in the shed!

After probably 20+ years, there's a bit of surface rust on the painted surfaces and maybe a few speckles on the plated forged blades - as long as the cutting edge is sharp and there's no movement in the hinge I'm easily satisfied. Best thing in snips are bulldog by the by.

Thanks Grahame,

I like your suggestion and will take the advice.