Lacquer coating on Stanley chisels

[Jim Neeley]

Do it outside though, acetone, industrial lacquer thinner and other "hot" solvents are *very* flammable!! Also read the label and use the glove type they recommend. Many of these chemicals are absorbed through the pores in the skin. Safety first!

[Jerome Hanby]

I dug out my wife's remover to get some CA off my fingertips and the new stuff she had didn't even make it mad, did nothing but make my hads smell faintly like alcohol. I didn' see that the label was any different, but it appeared to have ZERO acetone in it.

If you are married and the wife uses fingernail polish ask if you can try some of her nail polish remover.

My recollection is most nail polish removers have more acetone than most lacquer thinners.

jtk

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Thanks for the input and suggestions everyone. As I mentioned, my mistake was that I expected it to just dissolve in the thinner - looks like all the thinner did was soften it, so I could scrape it off. I scraped them all last night then let them soak over last night to loosen any that was left, and I did a quick scrub with a scotch rite this morning to get the rest. They look good - at least now I won't have to worry about clogging my stones.

Jim - I did not do it outside (but probably should have) but I took some precautions, opened windows with a fan for cross-ventilation, and while I was not actively working on them (soaking time) it all went outdoors.

[Russell Cook]

I heard that pouring lacquer thinner down the drain is not so environmentally friendly, so I tried using vinegar to remove the lacquer. I soaked it for about 10 hours.

It got rid of the lacquer OK, but left a black and grey residue on the steel. The black layer wiped off, but the grey layer remained.

Someone suggested to me that the grey layer could be something called "pearlite" and may offer protection from rust.

As far as I can tell the vinegar did no damage to the blade's performance, but I am a novice and open to correction

[Stanley Covington]

Try paint remover next time. One shelf above the acetone.

Stan

[Charlie Stanford]

I picked up a set of the Stanley sweetheart chisels, and I'm stumped with the lacquer coating on them.

I suppose the first question should be - should I remove it? After that, the question would be how to remove it? I tried lacquer thinner - no dice. I've heard from others that acetone and mineral spirits won't touch it. I don't want to gum up my stones with it...I guess I could use sandpaper on plate glass to remove the coating and then hit my stones....

Thoughts?

I know this will remove it:

http://www.amazon.com/Goof-Off-Mirac.../dp/B001AHAN2M

[Russell Cook]

Btw, will lacquer definitely clog stones? I would have thought perhaps either the water or oil would carry it away, like with swarf.

[george wilson]

How about using paint remover? I'd quickly wipe it off and wash the chisel. Possible that paint remover could discolor the bright surface?

[Adam Cruea]

I've got the same chisels. I left mine to sit in lacquer thinner and it never dissolved off.

However, take some lacquer thinner, let the chisel sit for 5 or 10 minutes, then use a razor to scrape it off. It's the best thing I found.

And as long as you keep your stones wet, I didn't have the lacquer clog my Nortons. When I received my new 3/4 from Stanley after my old one snapped, the little bit of lacquer left after a scrape-down didn't clog my japanese water stones.