I wish I had the room for machines like that.

I noticed that you've been using electrolysis for rust removal. I tried it for some planes and chisels, but found it to be slow and to require too much attention. Plus, I wasn't overly excited about working with electricity and water.

I had a #4 Bailey plane of no real collector value that I was going to restore to usable condition for a friend, so I decided to try using citric acid to clean it instead. A few bucks spent at the local brewer's supply store and I was in business. Frankly, I was astounded at how well it worked. I soaked the parts and other than some brushing to remove the loose material on the heavily rusted areas, there was nothing else to do but let the acid do it's job. The solution is basically as benign as orange juice and there's no wiring, electrodes or electricity involved. You can use any kind of container that's unaffected by acid. I used a plastic tub for the plane body and jars for the small parts, so they wouldn't get lost. Everything came out beautifully clean and smooth!

I did learn a few things about this process:

- Clean the parts thoroughly before soaking them, using a solvent that does not leave any residue. Specifically, DO NOT use mineral spirits (paint thinner), as the oily coating it leaves on the metal will prevent the acid from reaching the surface. I often do the initial cleaning of old tools with MS, as the residue prevents rust until I've had a chance to apply a more potent rust preventative. I had to re-clean the plane parts with lacquer thinner to remove the residue before soaking them.

- You DO want to brush off thick rust deposits. While the acid should eventually remove them, it's much faster to brush them off. Cleaning the plane took ~2 hours, but I only spent ~15 minutes brushing and inspecting the parts.

- Cleaned parts will rust again rapidly if you don't do something to prevent it (Duh!). Cast iron parts took on a yellow sheen immediately when I rinsed them in hot water, but cold water reduced the problem. The color came off with a little WD-40 and steel wool. Steel parts were not a problem and I just wiped them with WD-40 after rinsing.

- You can clean brass parts too, but they will come out looking the color of new pennies. A quick brushing will restore the original color.

I wish I had shot some pics of the process, as the results were astounding. The owner of the plane couldn't believe it was the same tool he had given me. It belonged to his father and had a lot of sentimental value, but it had been unusable for years. When I handed him some fluffy shavings I'd made with it, he was speechless.