Is it necessary to wipe down new chisels with a solvent before honing them? I have a set of new chisels that appear to have some coating on them, so do I need to take that off? Also, after sharpening, is there something I can wipe them down with to preserve them?
Thanks,
Brian
Replies
Chisels (and other tools, too) are frequently coated with lacquer to prevent rusting. Wipe them down with some paper towels soaked in lacquer thinner or acetone to remove the lacquer. Some people like to remove the lacquer on the wood handles, too, and then apply boiled linseed oil or other in-the-wood finish.
After sharpening, a light coating of oil or wax will preserve them. All you need is a very light application, such as you would get if you put a few drops of oil on a cloth and then rubbed the tool with the cloth. I use camellia oil, which is sold specifically for this purpose and has the supposed advantage that it won't stain wood. Other people use WD-40. I would recommend staying away from anything heavier. As for waxes, ordinary paste wax will work, as will the high-tech spray waxes now available, such as TopCote or Boeshield.
-Steve
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