A tip for refreshing your tools.

My combo square that I bought used on ebay, the rule was looking hazy or tarnished, and getting harder to read. I wanted to polish it, but didn't want to remove the black from the tickmarks or numbers. I used to work for Dremel and thus I have a bunch of little Scotchbrite buffs that they now sell. One is coarse(tan) and one is fine(gray). So I tried the gray on my rule and it worked great to remove the haze and brighten up the rule without hurting the ticks or numbers. I then pulled a mortice machine bit out that was all surface rusty and I used the coarser buff on that one. It took about 15 minutes, and one and a half buffs, but man did it polish up almost like new. Since it's a wheel on a shaft, it could get up in the spiral of the bit(1-7/16ths bit). Lo and behold, it's a Jennings bit. It came in the mortising machine I bought. I don't work there anymore, but those small buffs really work well for shining up tools like that. I finished by wiping some gun oil on the bit and rule (like I do with my chisels).

Brad, will you be using the mortiser? What make?

Tim

I use the Scotchbrite discs on my pneumatic 3" disc sander for cleaning up chisels and axes. I use these Sandflex blocks for cleaning squares and rulers, they work great

Tom, if you have a dremel, pick up a set of these buffs and try them on a rule or a bit. I think you'll like doing it this way a lot better. I used my cordless dremel.

Timbeal, I believe Jim R. ID'd it for me as a Snell. I'm sure gonna try it the next chance I get to cut a mortise. I used the Millers Falls in my last class and like it alot. I'm not expecting this one to be quite as nice (no depth stop or reverse of the rack). I'll have to rig up a depth stop for sure.
Brad