Rust Removal with Tomato Paste

A. G. Maisey · 17th April 2008, 08:37 AM

That's good lateral thinking, TC.

Tomatoes = acid, tomato paste = acid paste. Good!!

I have removed a great many rusted on, glued on---with both western glues and native glues---handles, and I have never yet come across one that would not move with the application of heat.

Heat the area of the blade for a few inches below the handle, a candle or a small kerosene lamp is safe, but if you can control the heat, a propane torch is quicker and cleaner. Hold the blade with your bare hand a few inches below where you are heating. When it gets too hot for your hand, back off the heat until it cools a bit. Firmly moving the handle back and forth, up and down, will eventually loosen even the most resistant handle. If you cannot free it up with just one try, put it away, let it cool completely, and try again tomorrow. It will eventually loosen up enough to come free.

kahnjar1 · 17th April 2008, 09:56 AM

I still believe that Pineapple juice is by far the best means for NON DESTRUCTIVE rust removal. You do not have to remove the handle. Make yourself a suitably sized "bath" out of a piece of plastic pipe with 1 end capped. Suspend sword/knife in juice by using a wire bent to suit. See pics herewith. All you need for serious rust is PATIENCE, and plenty of it. Take blade out every so often and rub it with SCOTCHBRITE> no scratching and in fact it will polish eventually.
GOOD LUCK!!

A. G. Maisey · 17th April 2008, 12:29 PM

Yeah, you're right, pineapple juice is the ducks guts.

I've been recommending it anybody who will listen for about 50 years.

In fact, if I was doing this blade, I'd demount it first, then juice it.

However, TC didn't know how to get the blade off. Personally I think that tomato paste option is pretty smart thinking. OK, its got limited use, but I really do like the idea, and I intend to try it when something suitable falls into my hands.

t_c · 18th April 2008, 04:42 AM

I agree with both of you on using pineapple juice, I have used it on a keris, and it does work really well. I don't have a proper shop right now, so making the PVC tube would entail making a stand for it to hold it upright (I've been working out of my bathroom), but I like the idea. The tomato paste really does have limited uses, and it wasn't my first choice either, but it came in handy in this specific instance.

I'll try using the heat method to remove the handle - I always hesitate to take heat to a tempered blade, but I understand from your description not to overdue it.

thanks, tom

A. G. Maisey · 18th April 2008, 06:00 AM

Heat doesn't hurt a heat treated blade as long as you keep it within the range the blade was drawn to originally. Bearing in mind these low tech blades were probably made from something like spring steel and drawn to a blue, as long as you're within that heat range, you're not doing any harm. There's another thing too:- a lot of these sort of blades were not hardened and drawn all the way up to the tang. If you etch the blade you can see where the hardening has occurred, and more often than not its along the edge, and tapers off completely before it gets up to what would be the ricasso area. In practical use terms, this makes a lot of sense.

An easy stand for an upright soaking container is a box of sand---cardboard box, put some sand into it, or even earth if you don't have sand, and sit the pipe upright in the sand.

Dmitry · 9th July 2009, 06:14 PM

Does the pineapple juice etch the blades, being acidic in its composition?

kahnjar1 · 10th July 2009, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitry

Does the pineapple juice etch the blades, being acidic in its composition?

VERY slightly but is easily polished off.
Regards Stuart

17th April 2008, 09:56 AM	#2
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,810	PINEAPPLE JUICE!!! I still believe that Pineapple juice is by far the best means for NON DESTRUCTIVE rust removal. You do not have to remove the handle. Make yourself a suitably sized "bath" out of a piece of plastic pipe with 1 end capped. Suspend sword/knife in juice by using a wire bent to suit. See pics herewith. All you need for serious rust is PATIENCE, and plenty of it. Take blade out every so often and rub it with SCOTCHBRITE> no scratching and in fact it will polish eventually. GOOD LUCK!! Attached Images

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17th April 2008, 08:37 AM	#1
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,085	That's good lateral thinking, TC. Tomatoes = acid, tomato paste = acid paste. Good!! I have removed a great many rusted on, glued on---with both western glues and native glues---handles, and I have never yet come across one that would not move with the application of heat. Heat the area of the blade for a few inches below the handle, a candle or a small kerosene lamp is safe, but if you can control the heat, a propane torch is quicker and cleaner. Hold the blade with your bare hand a few inches below where you are heating. When it gets too hot for your hand, back off the heat until it cools a bit. Firmly moving the handle back and forth, up and down, will eventually loosen even the most resistant handle. If you cannot free it up with just one try, put it away, let it cool completely, and try again tomorrow. It will eventually loosen up enough to come free.

17th April 2008, 12:29 PM	#3
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,085	Yeah, you're right, pineapple juice is the ducks guts. I've been recommending it anybody who will listen for about 50 years. In fact, if I was doing this blade, I'd demount it first, then juice it. However, TC didn't know how to get the blade off. Personally I think that tomato paste option is pretty smart thinking. OK, its got limited use, but I really do like the idea, and I intend to try it when something suitable falls into my hands.

18th April 2008, 04:42 AM	#4
t_c Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: ca, usa Posts: 92	I agree with both of you on using pineapple juice, I have used it on a keris, and it does work really well. I don't have a proper shop right now, so making the PVC tube would entail making a stand for it to hold it upright (I've been working out of my bathroom), but I like the idea. The tomato paste really does have limited uses, and it wasn't my first choice either, but it came in handy in this specific instance. I'll try using the heat method to remove the handle - I always hesitate to take heat to a tempered blade, but I understand from your description not to overdue it. thanks, tom

18th April 2008, 06:00 AM	#5
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,085	Heat doesn't hurt a heat treated blade as long as you keep it within the range the blade was drawn to originally. Bearing in mind these low tech blades were probably made from something like spring steel and drawn to a blue, as long as you're within that heat range, you're not doing any harm. There's another thing too:- a lot of these sort of blades were not hardened and drawn all the way up to the tang. If you etch the blade you can see where the hardening has occurred, and more often than not its along the edge, and tapers off completely before it gets up to what would be the ricasso area. In practical use terms, this makes a lot of sense. An easy stand for an upright soaking container is a box of sand---cardboard box, put some sand into it, or even earth if you don't have sand, and sit the pipe upright in the sand.

9th July 2009, 06:14 PM	#6
Dmitry Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 607	Does the pineapple juice etch the blades, being acidic in its composition?