Re: preventing rust

2
Hey,

There are a number of things you can do. Lets start from the beginning. Before you do anything, it's best to learn the differences in metals and why they rust in the first place. This information isn't just for swords either!

However, since I believe that educating yourself is the best way... i'll leave off things that don't apply here so that you and others can go on and learn as I once did.

The Witchking's sword, as well as all of the other LoTR swords except those in the Mueseum line, are made of stainless steel. So we all know that it's not entirely stainless and it will rust overtime if not taken care of. Our fingers and dust are our worst enemy in this situation. Our entire bodies are covered with oils and our hands pick up dirt and other particles that are left on a blade when you touch it. When you stick your finger on the blade, it leaves a mark. Overtime, if not wiped down, moisture will be attracted to the dirt and other oils and they begin to eat at the blades surface. Long story short... you've got rust. Moisture is also a cause of rust. Dust is attracted to your swords and overtime, moisture builds up in the dust and it sinks to the metal where it too begins to eat away at the metal. The two best things to do are as follows:

1: Wipe your entire sword with a soft clean cloth, removing all dust, dirt, and whatever may have collected.
2: If you or someone else touch the blade and leave a fingerprint, wipe it off soon. Take a soft cloth and spray, sparingly, some windex. Wipe the blade down with the windex and make sure that you dry it afterwards. There should be no residue left over. You can also use WD-40 to take the fingerprints off.

It may seem a bit more difficult on the witchking's and ringwraith's sword because they are artificially aged and it's hard to tell. My recommendation is to do those steps periodically and if someone is handling your sword, wipe it down soon afterwards. Stainless steel is quite resistant but not perfect. Overtime, it will being to rust if left alone.
Valar morghulis

Re: preventing rust

6
I've met a blade maker last week. He is specialized in hand forged damascus blades. He makes only one of a kind blades and swords.
I've seen a lot of damascus blades and I can tell you this guy is the best I've ever seen.
We have talked a lot about blades and my future project of swords making.

AND he gave me a very useful advice concerning rust on blades : in order to keep the blades safe without using oil, you can use bee wax like the one you use on wooden furnitures, apply it on the whole blade (sparingly) then warm it softly with a blowlamp for example, this will make thin protection which will prevent from rust and fingerprints consequences.
UC Sting ; UC Sting Scabbard ; UC Glamdring ; UC Narsil ; UC Shards of Narsil (2735/5000) ; UC MC Sting (323/3000) ; UC MC Glamdring (105/1000) ; UC Anduril UE + scabbard ; UC Herugrim ; UC Uruk-Hai Scimitar ; Kropserkel Gondorian Vambraces ; IndyProps Redbook of Westmarch ; IndyProps Thror's Map ; NC Crown of Elessar ; NC Evenstar ; NC Phial of Galadriel ; MR The One Ring of Sauron 1887/2500 ; Danbury Minas Tirith & Barad Dur ; Knife of Sharkû the warg rider; The Sauron sized One Ring ; Albion Armorers Conan's Atlantean Sword (61/1000)
my props collection : http://www.yourprops.com/view_items.php ... e=oldtobby

Re: preventing rust

7
I use two different methods:
For non-stainless steel, I use Gun Oil to clean my blades twice a year. However, if the sword is handled quite a bit, then by all means, clean it more often.
For stainless blades, Windex works great for removing fingerprints soon after being handled. But i'd still recommend using oil once a year.

In terms of household products...i once had a "sword emergency" while at university down in Ontario...had to clean up a sword for a martial arts show..lol. Not having my trusted gun oil or windex on hand...i ended up using Vegetable Oil (cooking oil) as a last resource. It is not as thick (so not as protective) as gun oil, but it did the job until i got home and cleaned the sword up.

Another note though, I also heard about this thing called "Silicon Strips". I used them when working in a sword store last summer. They are good for adding an extra tough coat of protection on the blade (which, as u can tell, is good in a sword store when countless customers touch the blades even after you ask them not to! lol)

Re: preventing rust

8
Great tips! I was un-aware of how damaging a fingerprint can be. Recently, I left a fingerprint on a my MC Glamdring in the case on the wall. I noticed it once in awhile in the right light, then forgot about it. I'm not sure how long it was there, but I finally wiped it off, and a bunch of small rust(?) spots won't come off. I had know idea it would corrode so quickly. It's not alot by any means, but still. I finally ordered some proper sword oil, but how do I get the rust off, and stop it from sreading?!?

Steel wool, or SOS pad, or something? What won't damage it? And how do I stop it permanently?

Thanks.
Head of the Department of Evil, Canadian Division.

"All that Longbottom gave me the munchies."

Re: preventing rust

10
Yeah, I coated the blade in sword oil, and let it sit for abit. I then took very fine steel wool, and every 5 minutes or so, I would scrub that one tiny area, then re-coat in the oil, and repeat. It seemed to work. I can't tell if all the rust is removed due to the tiny pit marks from the rust. I'm keeping a close eye on it, and you wouldn't even notice it if you weren't actually looking for it. Also, I'm pretty sure I recieved the sword with this rust damage from the supplier, but it was factory sealed, so when the makers (UC) packaged it, that would have been a finger print from the person who put it in the box. Oh well. Any feedback is appreciated.
Head of the Department of Evil, Canadian Division.

"All that Longbottom gave me the munchies."

Re: preventing rust

11
Sounds like it's going well Rough666,
That (to my knowledge) is the safest and easiest way to remove rust spots.
It's just too bad it came like that from the factory - maybe UC/factory that made MC lineup for UC just is not used to handling high-carbon swords...but even that is no excuse. This is why i'm liking the other companies (Hanwei, MRL for example) putting a huge amount of oil before they ship - you never know how packagers and customs handle swords...

Re: preventing rust

12
Its also possible that during the oiling process, it was spread unevenly and in that one spot it did not get coated with the same thinkness and then overtime, between the time it was oiled and the time it was opened, that the oil dried up. There are any number of factors and possible combinations.

Overtime, any blade is bound to show discolouration and show signs of the patina... which is actually a good thing. :) When I was on the tour at Albion, the guys kept saying to me, if we ship you a sword that doesn't rust, they'll take it back free of charge and send me a new one that will. :D
Valar morghulis

Re: preventing rust

16
[quote=""Sirjump""]What are your e xp erience with Reneissance Wax? I have cleaned and coated all my swords with Ren wax. Does it need to be repeated, if so how often?[/quote]

Works very well.
If the directions don't say how often it should be applied, go the the Ren Wax website for more info.
If the info isn't posted then email them and ask.
I did that for a question about cleaning off excessive buildup of the wax (Someone didn't read the part about "A little goes a long way").

They responded within a day or two with a very comprehensive and detailed answer about how to clean it off, what to use etc ...very helpful.
Give the website a shot. :thumbs_up

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: preventing rust

17
Resurrecting this old thread.

This year I acquired my first piece of plate armour - Demi gauntlets. I really like them but they rust so easily. I feel like I just look at them and they start to rust. Luckily it’s just surface rust and none of it has really started to eat the metal away to a great degree. Now I know a product like renaissance wax would be ideal for the gauntlets but I’ve also ordered a chainmail hauberk as well.

The chainmail is mild steel and I’m worried about maintaining it. Does anyone here have chainmail and have any tips on how to keep it from rusting? I feel like trying to apply renaissance wax to chainmail would be a very labarious process and I’d imagine a lot of wax would be used in the process.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: preventing rust

18
I'm no expert on the matter, but from a mere practical standpoint, I think using wax on something like chainmail would be a serious mistake. Wax is thick and sticky and will no doubt get stuck everywhere inside the chain links, making it a laborious task to rub in and remove the excess. You will be be finding chunks of wax for months to come. I think oil is what was typically used for chainmail because a fluid will provide greater coverage to all the links. Not sure what type of oil should be used though.
This Space for Rent

Re: preventing rust

19
I guess it partly depends on if you plan to wear it for whatever reason (Cosplay, Ren Faire).
But if you plan to only display it, say by hanging it, then I would wipe it down with a lightweight oil, even a lightweight motor oil would work.
Dampen a soft cloth or rag with the oil, and start wiping, working the cloth well into the rings.

Or, depending on how much maille there is, get a shallow pan, layer the maille so it all fits, then pour the motor oil over the whole thing and let it sit for awhile, maybe working the maille a bit with your hands. Hang it up to "drip dry" , then do one last wipe down to get rid of any remaining excess.
It uses more oil than the first method, tho'.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: preventing rust

20
Thanks for the responses guys. Val, that’s exactly what I was thinking in regards to wax. I remember being filled with instant regret when I used the wax on Thranduil’s sword. I spent an hour or so trying to remove little chunks of wax from in the cutouts haha

Deimos, the armour will be worn a few times for photos and also I want to try it on just to see how it feels. Would something like WD40 work? I just use the stuff to help clean my gauntlets along with some distilled vinegar which made short work of the thin layer of rust that had started to accumulate on the surface.

I’ll look into some oil though. I do like the idea of the pan method :)
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: preventing rust

21
The only problem with oiling it and wanting to wear it (and this applies no matter what type of oil you use) is that oil will get on whatever the maille is worn over.
If you put it over leather, like a jerkin, then it's OK, good, in fact, because oil is good for leather. Anything else will get an oil stain on it.
WD-40 is very light, a graphite "oil", but it will still stain any textile.

If the photo shoot is soon, do that before you oil the maille.
If it there will be several sessions spaced really far apart, like months, then use the WD-40.
But when you need to wear it again (unless you are OK with the staining or are wearing leather) wipe it clean really well with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol or acetone. Once you are ready to just display it and no longer wear it, clean off the WD-40 and use the motor oil or similar.
Mineral oil (aka baby oil) works too, but I think motor oil would be cheaper than mineral oil....it is here.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: preventing rust

22
Thanks for the further advice Deimos :)

It shipped to me lathered in oil or grease and it took me a while to get the majority off. I ended up using sawdust to absorb the grease and then used a floor brush to scrub the clumps from between the rings and then finally blasting it with pressurised air to remove the final clumps.

It’s very heavy. It sounds silly, but I couldn’t quite imagine how heavy it was going to be and how that new weight slows a simple sword swing. Admittedly, I’m not a particularly physically strong person so other people probably wouldn’t have much of a shock at its weight. Maybe I should wear it as often as I can to try and improve my strength :lol:

I figured out how to get it on but then I got stuck in it as I mentioned in the New Year thread, but realised you have to wriggle out of it, like a snake shedding its skin haha

There’s gonna be a few times where it’ll be worn so it’s good to know that WD-40 will work. I’m probably gonna buy a leather jerkin or padded gambeson for the model to wear underneath to avoid ruining his clothes.

I have a plackart coming and some simple vambraces which I’m looking forward to getting and trying on. I only try it on for the geeky satisfaction as I’m not gonna be the one wearing it in the photographs :lol:
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."
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