Quote Originally Posted by bridger berdel View Post
This is a sensible approach. I use rattle can spray paint if the original jappanning is gone and the look of it bothers me ( it usually doesn't). If the tool is lightly rusted I'll wipe it down with scotchbrite or Steel wool lubed with carnauba wax. If the rust is heavy it gets soaked in vinegar or a session in the electrolysis tank as needed, then the scotchbrite and wax.
Scotchbrite is terrific stuff IMO. I'd been using it forever for ski base prep. Swix rebrands it as "fibertex" and charges an arm and a leg. Most serious ski tuners figure it out quickly and use the stuff in the 3M catalog.

In any case I use it in place of steel wool for rubbing, for cleaning and light rust removal, etc. The thing to be aware of is that there are several grades with different abrasive types and grit. The maroon and grey pads are good for things like rust removal, while the white ones are basically equivalent to 0000 steel wool.