Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

pinkandgeek · 06-12-2006, 06:18 PM

i have had my foil for about 2 months, its just a $25 starter foil. it is starting to form some rust on the blade, the rust is rust light surface stuff. i live really close to the ocean (5 miles) so the air will rust things quickly. is this rusting an issue, should i sand off with some emery cloth. also, is this a result of the area in which i live, or is it my cheapie weapon with a poor blade?

rac · 06-12-2006, 06:29 PM

You are correct just lightly sand it and all should be well. You might want to coat it lightly-I live near the Gulf of Mexico and have similar problems. I carry a light oil and wipe the weapons down after use (when I remember). Seems to help a bit.

You can also purchase sanding blocks which make the work go quicker. There are coated blades which are "blue" or other colors which help somewhat but in a situation such as you and I are in I don't think that they help all that much.

RAC

KD5MDK · 06-12-2006, 06:29 PM

The answer to all 4 of the above is roughly "Yes".

pinkandgeek · 06-12-2006, 08:45 PM

thanks guys

fencerbill · 06-13-2006, 03:58 PM

The other thing that is convenient is an abrasive sponge. The advantage over a sanding block is the sponge conforms to the shape of the blade better.

WhipLash · 06-13-2006, 10:32 PM

i would suggest the 3M heavy duty scouring pad. It is black in colour and removes rust more efficiently than a sanding block. cheap too. costs about $1. but this should not be used for coloured blades as it will remove the finish.

in our army days, one of my friends removed the black oxide coating on his rifle with this. and you know how hard that oxide layer is.

ShadyLane · 06-14-2006, 04:41 AM

I tried those rust remover creams that automobile mechanics use to polish engine parts. It works wonders too. After you remove the rust, you can coat it with a light oil, car wax or vasoline to slow down rusting of the blade. The coat won't last forever so re-coat it once in a while.

erooMynohtnA · 06-14-2006, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipLash

i would suggest the 3M heavy duty scouring pad. It is black in colour and removes rust more efficiently than a sanding block. cheap too. costs about $1. but this should not be used for coloured blades as it will remove the finish.

in our army days, one of my friends removed the black oxide coating on his rifle with this. and you know how hard that oxide layer is.

Mine wore half off just from rubbing against my uniform every day. We all walked around with black spots where our weapons hung. Lowest bidder gets the contract, I guess.

Jay Kominek · 06-15-2006, 06:12 PM

I take the rust off my sabre with gun cleaning solvent. Hoppes #9 from a sporting goods store. Put some on whatever scrap of fabric you can find and it'll rub rust right off. (Clean your blade afterwards so you're not getting the stuff on other folks' uniform, though.)

Extreme-D · 06-26-2006, 09:00 PM

I live on the north side of the lake and new orleans is on the south side. Humidity is ruitinely over 50%. My cheap Tripplette blade from Blaise Forge is almost covered in a very light layer. It started because belive it or not I was once young. I had kept all my gear in my bag. Never aired it out. Big mistake. With banging around, the blade got micro chips. And It started to rust. I've slowed the process, by using WD-40 on a rag and wiping it down when I'm bored. It removes most of the rust and supposedly stops it. Also, I take the silica packets, that you get is perscriptions and beef jerky packages and keep them in my bag. So on the way home they get a head start on keepong rust away. But thats really a packup in case they have to stay thee over night.

fencinman89 · 06-27-2006, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipLash

in our army days, one of my friends removed the black oxide coating on his rifle with this. and you know how hard that oxide layer is.

Why, may I ask, Did he do that???
-Tre'

WhipLash · 06-27-2006, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencinman89

Why, may I ask, Did he do that???
-Tre'

He had some rust patches on the barrel, so he juz scrubbed away with the scouring pad while being totally engrossed with tv. After fifteen min or so, his barrel was a lovely shade of metallic silver.

restlesscheese · 06-27-2006, 10:22 AM

I live about 10 mins away form the oceanfront, and I have a similar problem with my cheapie PC practice foil. What I do is at the first sight of rust, I sand the area with sandpaper, then rub it with chrome polish, which does have a bit of wax in it. I then wipe it down with some 3-in-1 oil, or WD40 (or the generic equivalent) if I can remember where it is. The biggest thing is not touching the blade with my hands or fingers, which keeps the junk on my fingers from etching into or otherwise harming the blade.