Preventing Rust On Jewelry Tools

In today’s episode, I will be discussing how to prevent rust on your jewelry tools and what to do when you do discover rust. You’re not gonna panic, I got you! Preventing your jewelry tools from rusting is essential for maintaining their quality and longevity.

Thank you to our sponsor Pepetools you can shop through my affiliate link and each purchase helps support the podcast: https://pepetools.com?aff=2

Tip for storing tools with silica bags: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjj5MWUlM82/

Prevent rust by getting a dehumidifier for your studio, shared by @janeprancejewelry: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjhT266lilK/

My dehumidifier: https://amzn.to/3Q3Yblo

You can also inhibit rust using this tip shared by @dangbravegirl: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj9oJFVFez6/

Rust prevention paste, Froglube: https://amzn.to/4cSUI2P

Video sharing the process of removing some pretty caked on rust: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWDqAmmliUC/

GET THIS BOOK Christine Dhein’s “Eco Jewelry Handbook” : https://amzn.to/3TSGAOr

Evapo-Rust: https://amzn.to/4cUbFu0

Wire brushes: https://amzn.to/49zn0ws

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Music attribution: Stock Music provided by RomanSenykMusic, from Pond5

Transcript

Corkie Bolton: 0:01

Welcome to Jewelry Making Tips with Metalsmith Society the ultimate podcast for anyone passionate about the art of jewelry making. I'm your host, Corkie Bolton. Metalsmith Society is a community on Instagram that has over 240,000 individuals, from professional jewelers to small business artisans, hobbyists, students and even those curious looky-loos eager to learn about jewelry making. Together, we share tips, kindness and even those curious looky-loos eager to learn about jewelry making. Together, we share tips, kindness and support. In this podcast, I will discuss tips from the Instagram page, provide deeper insights, address questions and share bonus tips that often surface in the comments section. So, whether you've been making jewelry for a while or you're just starting your jewelry making journey, this podcast is your go-to resource for all the jewelry making tips. So grab your tools, dust off your workbench and join me.

Corkie Bolton: 0:53

In today's episode, I will be discussing how to prevent rust on your jewelry tools and what to do when you do discover rust. You're not going to panic. I got you. Preventing your jewelry tools from rusting is essential for maintaining their quality and longevity. Before we get to prevention, let's talk a little bit more about the negative impact of making jewelry with rusty tools. Rust on your tools can transfer onto your metal and also cause scratches and blemishes. Rust particles can also contaminate your work area, other tools and if it's transferred onto your jewelry pieces and you put it in the pickle, it then contaminates your pickle as well. Rust particles are not good to breathe in and they can also irritate your skin. And lastly, if you leave your tools in a rusty state for prolonged periods, it can cause irreversible damage to them. Hey there, jewelry makers, are you searching for reliable, high-quality tools to bring your creative visions to life? Look no further, because today's podcast is brought to you by Pepe Tools, your go-to destination for all your jewelry-making needs. From sturdy workbenches to precision specialty disc cutters, forming tools that shape your imagination, and even the basics like charcoal blocks and flux. Pepe Tools has you covered every step of the way. So visit pepetools. com today to explore their wide range of tools and accessories, and if you shop through my affiliate link in the show notes, you'll also be supporting this podcast and Metalsmith Society.

Corkie Bolton: 2:29

The first tip we need to discuss when it comes to preventing rust on your tools is that you must dry your metal thoroughly before using your tools, and if you do get any kind of moisture on one of your tools, be sure to dry it with a clean cloth. Sometimes, when I'm doing something that requires a lot of annealing pickling and then going back to a tool like stamping I can feel like I am kind of in a rush and I just grab my piece out of the pickle pot and I don't really dry it all the way and then I go to work, and that is the kind of practice that will get you rust on your tools. Just being honest, a great example of this is a rolling mill. If you roll metal that is moist, or even a natural item like a leaf, and it imparts some moisture onto the rolling mill and you don't dry it afterwards, you can cause irreversible damage to the rollers, and that's going to be a really expensive fix. The next consideration is storing your tools properly, so keeping them in a dry environment, away from moisture. You could use airtight containers or storage boxes, but if you have a bunch of tools sitting, let's say, for example, on a sink countertop, they're going to get exposed to more moisture and be more prone to rusting. If you live near the ocean and you keep your tools out and exposed, they're going to be more prone to moisture and rusting. You can also use this tip that was shared by many members of our community, which is, every time you get one of those little silica gel pouches in something that you buy, save them, you can throw them into your drawers and containers and they're going to absorb the moisture away. If you want to see the silica tip on Instagram, I'll link it in the show notes.

Corkie Bolton: 4:06

The next tip for rust prevention I want to talk about was shared by Jane Prance Jewelry way back in 2018, and it was a game changer for me. She talked about having a dehumidifier in her studio and I went ahead and bought one for my studio. I typically only run it about late spring through early fall, but it makes a huge difference. If you are someone that lives in more of a humid climate, you may want to run it year-round. You can also inhibit rust by using this tip shared by DangBraveGirl. She shared that she's kept her collection of hundreds of stamps rust-free by applying FrogLube. Froglube is an all-natural paste used for cleaning guns that I know firsthand has a delightful mint scent. You can apply it to your tools with a clean cloth and it helps prevent rust. I'll link it in my show notes.

Corkie Bolton: 5:02

So what do we do once we have rust? A while back, I created a video sharing the process of removing some pretty caked-on rust from a bracelet mandrel I had inherited. For the video I selected EvapoRust, which is a biodegradable, non-corrosive, non-flammable acid and solvent-free rust remover. It has the very best rating for being eco-friendly in Christine Dhein's Eco Jewelry Handbook, which, if you're hearing this and you don't own this book, go to my show notes and click on the link to purchase her book. It goes through what are the safest alternatives for every kind of chemical patina pickle that you would use in your jewelry studio. So by reading this book it's going to inform you on how to have a healthier studio space. So what I did was I took the evapo-rust and I made a bath in which I placed the bracelet mandrel and I let it soak for 24 hours and you can see, if you head over to the actual video, that it took off all this caked off rust.

Corkie Bolton: 6:05

But then the last part of it is removing and kind of polishing up the mandrel. And there are many different ways you can do that. You can use a wire brush or a wire wheel. I chose a very coarse scotch brite type of wheel because it rapidly removed it, but I will say that that wheel is dedicated to steel tools, so every time I see a little bit of rust pop up on a tool, I will go over to my polishing lathe and I will use that wheel on it to remove it. This segues perfectly into the last tip I want to talk about, which is that you should inspect your tools regularly. By doing this, you can check for any signs of rust or corrosion. Catching it early allows you to take preventative measures before it becomes a more significant issue, because, I will once again reiterate, if you have tools that you leave rust on for a prolonged period of time, it can get corrosive and actually permanently damage your tools, and we invest so much of our money into these tools and most of them will last our lifetime and beyond if we take care of them.

Corkie Bolton: 7:16

Before I wrap up today's episode, I want to take a moment to thank you, my amazing listeners, for tuning in and joining me on this journey. Your support means the world to me, and I couldn't do this without you. If you've enjoyed today's episode and want to show your support, there are a few ways that you can help me continue to bring you engaging content every week. Please subscribe and share If you haven't already. Be sure to follow along the podcast wherever you get your podcasts and share. If you haven't already, be sure to follow along the podcast wherever you get your podcasts and share it with your fellow jewelry enthusiasts. Word of mouth is incredibly powerful and your recommendation could introduce my podcast to a whole new audience. Please take a moment to leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback not only helps me improve, but it also helps others to discover my podcast and decide if it's right for them. Thank you for tuning in and I'll see you next time. Bye.