Here is a rust removal tip from @silverandseajewelry - “I places the items in a plastic bin and let them soak in white vinegar and salt for about 3hrs. I’ve never added salt in the past, but I’ve heard that it speeds up the process by making the solution more acidic. I’ve also read that you’re supposed to soak overnight, but most of my items were not very rusted, and I’m extremely impatient, so 3hrs was enough for me.
After soaking I use a light abrasive (steel wool grade #00) to clean the rust off. This takes a little bit of elbow grease. I imagine that if I let the tools soak longer in the solution it would take less scrubbing with the steel wool.
After the scrubbing, I soak the tools in a water and baking soda mixture to neutralize the acid from first solution.
Then I use a heat gun to thoroughly dry the tools.
Last step is applying an oil to the tools to protect them from future oxidation. One thing I did notice is that the vinegar solution removed the black paint from the dapping punch, but I soaked my ring mandrel and it had no negative effect on the laser etched size markings.” Thank you so much for sharing this with us! For lubrication and preventing rust we’ve had Frog Lube suggested by @dangbravegirl in the past! So many people asked about it I listed it under “Studio” on my Amazon Storefront. Link in profile. #rustremoval #rustedtools #jewelrytip #makingjewelry