clamps (rusted)

[Ric]

I have 4 deep throat steel clamps that I used often, I stored them in a cardboard box in a friends garage and they got rusted. I was thinking of wire wheeling them and mabee waxing. Any other thoughts .. Thanks Ric....

[Allan Johanson - Surrey,]

Wire wheeling sounds good to me. When I've used the wire cup on my grinder when working on cars I've liked how they worked. Easy on the metal but gets rid of almost everything else.

But watch out for those flying strands of wire and be sure to wear eye protection. I got in the habit of wearing a full face mask when using that thing.

Allan

[Romeo, Ontario]

Don't wax the bar of the clamp, otherwise you won't get the friction required to get any clamping pressure.

[Jeff Seaman]

Hi Ric, after you get the loose rust off, treat them with Navy Jelly. It is a phosforic acid that will convert the rust back and leave a protective coating. Available at Canadian Tire or local body shop supply store.
Cheers, Jeff

[Ken in Regina]

Jeff, that's "naval" jelly. If anybody uses it they should do so with great care, including sturdy rubber gloves. It's an acid, therefore it's very toxic and can cause burns on the skin. Because it's in gel form it really clings and smears. Also it should not be left on the metal for more than 10 or 15 minutes or it will start to pit the metal.