Last week I turned some green red oak, acouple of days later my tools were covered with black acid stains from the wood. How can I clean them and avoid this in the future? Thanks
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tools covered with acid stains
- Thread starter Gary Chapman
- Start date
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Green oak is one of the worst that I turn for rusting everything it touches. I wax my lathe and rub down my tools and chucks before I start and then clean everything right afterwords.
I've only cleaned the lathe and tools with 4/0 steel wool and WD-40 so I don't know what else might work.
I've only cleaned the lathe and tools with 4/0 steel wool and WD-40 so I don't know what else might work.
Richard Baker
RIP
I spray the lathe bed with oil and then cover that with plastic before turning wet oak, and clean up everything immediately when done turning.
The tannic acid plus steel or cast iron makes iron acetate (I think), which is black. Similar to putting steel wool (or whatever) in vinegar to make ebonizing solution which (I think) reacts further with tannin in the wood. Or maybe not. My wife the chemist is out of town for the day.
The tannic acid plus steel or cast iron makes iron acetate (I think), which is black. Similar to putting steel wool (or whatever) in vinegar to make ebonizing solution which (I think) reacts further with tannin in the wood. Or maybe not. My wife the chemist is out of town for the day.
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Won't hurt the tools themselves, though corrosion will dull your edge. One of those things like the common cold, where doing nothing gets you to the same place as dosing every symptom. Mechanical removal of the rust is fine. Prevention is NOT 100%, so I tend to go with the flow and clean up afterward on those things I can't isolate. The blue stains on your hands will respond to lemon juice pretty well.
Go through your shop and look at all cast iron you may have in line with the throw from the lathe, or even horizontal surfaces outside the throw zone. Brushing shavings off yourself can leave some ugly rust on the jointer table if you you don't notice. DAMHIKT
Oh yes, tannic acid doesn't make an acetate, acetic acid in the vinegar does. It's converted by the tannin in the wood.
Go through your shop and look at all cast iron you may have in line with the throw from the lathe, or even horizontal surfaces outside the throw zone. Brushing shavings off yourself can leave some ugly rust on the jointer table if you you don't notice. DAMHIKT
Oh yes, tannic acid doesn't make an acetate, acetic acid in the vinegar does. It's converted by the tannin in the wood.