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I had a small fire in my shop, entirely my carelessness. Destructive damage limited to $100 or so of stuff.
However, the smoke damage seems cosmetic but extensive. All exposed metal surfaces have something resembling flash rust.
Does anyone know if it's flash rust or something else, and what's the best way to remove it?
That's how my 2017 has started...
Did you use a dry chemical fire extinguisher? I'm pretty sure that the residue is corrosive.
Id try wiping with wd40 first, maybe a green scratch pad too, if that did not work then a boeshield rust free brief wipe then wd, then if those do not work a rust free soak then wd. Rust free may take off paint so be advised. Id follow up with paste wax.
Not sure I can answer your question, but I've been there. My father-in-law bought a shop full of smoke-damaged tools about 7 years ago from the company doing clean-up. We knew the guy whose shop the stuff came from and he had some decent tools. At the time it was probably worth what he bid, but they were all tools he already had and for whatever reason he outbid me for the lot. He let the tools sit in his shop for a couple of years as his plan was to set them aside and fix them up after he retired two years later. Wouldn't let me clean them up or mess with them. After a few years of sitting he started messing with them some and I think pretty much every piece with metal parts was junk. I don't think he was able to salvage any of it. All I can tell you is that if it is rusty now it needs IMMEDIATE attention or it will be useful only as scrap.
If you used a dry chemical fire extinguisher...
http://www.pyrochem.com/pdfs/miscell.../PC2008148.pdf
dan