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Guy at the flea market showed me how he uses 0000 steel wool on old hand planes
He just wiped it once on a rusty Stanley #4 and the blade came out mirror smooth, so I went home and tried it on the 1880s spoke shave I picked up for $8, now I won't touch anything coarser than 0000 for vintage tool restoration.
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kai46311d ago
Yeah 0000 steel wool is kind of a game changer once you try it. It's amazing how gentle it is but still gets that shine back without scratching up the metal. I've seen so many people ruin old tools by hitting them with sandpaper or wire wheels right away. The patina and history just gets stripped off forever. Steel wool lets you keep that old look while still getting the rust off. Maybe it's just me but I think 0000 is the sweet spot for most vintage tool work.
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the_seth10d ago
I read somewhere that 0000 steel wool is actually a 600 grit equivalent, so it's basically polishing without cutting into the metal. I saw a video where a guy tested it on a 1910s hand plane and you could still see the original manufacturer's stamp clear as day after wiping it down. That convinced me to switch over too. Have you ever run into issues with the steel wool leaving tiny bits behind in the nooks?
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