A caution using vinegar. I have been restoring antique woodworking tools for almost 20 years, off and on. I used vinegar a few times to remove rust from modern tools, But fairly early on I ruined a lovely ancient draw knife by leaving it in a vinegar solution too long. My mistake, a lapse of attention due to other stuff going on. The cutting surface was so badly pitted it was ruined. The softer wrought iron less so, but still obvious pits. I never used vinegar again to remove rust and switched to more forgiving methods.
Today I use Kroil and abrasives, sometimes Evaporust and abrasives such as Scotchbrite and fine sandpaper. Large flat surfaces like handsaws get scraped with a razor blade with the edges rounded to avoid scratches, then a fine sanding with a block backer and lubricated paper to let you read the etching for the first time in 100 years. Very satisfying to restore a fine old (insert your favorite tool here) back to useful life.
Today I use Kroil and abrasives, sometimes Evaporust and abrasives such as Scotchbrite and fine sandpaper. Large flat surfaces like handsaws get scraped with a razor blade with the edges rounded to avoid scratches, then a fine sanding with a block backer and lubricated paper to let you read the etching for the first time in 100 years. Very satisfying to restore a fine old (insert your favorite tool here) back to useful life.
