I am attempting to make improvements to a family property which has been neglected for some time, and I know next to nothing about landscaping. The first issue I’m facing is that I have at my disposal lots of rusty tools, and I can’t afford to go out and buy a complete set of new ones. Also, I wouldn’t really know which tools to buy yet, since I’m still figuring out what sort of work needs to be done.
I assume that there is a proper way to take care of these tools, and that they decayed because no-one was following it. I am hoping that some of them can be reclaimed, but I don’t know where to begin with them. Some tools that seem seriously in need of maintenance but not hopelessly far gone are:
2 rusty pairs of clippers. They still cut, but not particularly well.
1 rusty thing which I think is called a pruner. It has a little curved pair of blades on the end and long wooden handles. It still seems to cut okay but that may be a matter of leverage. The handles keep falling off.
1 rusty thing which I think is called a secatuer. It’s rusted shut, but the rust doesn’t seem that thick.
1 Hand-Pushed Gasoline Lawnmower. It starts, but I don’t know anything about lawnmower motors and I have no manual. What kind of oil do I put in it? Can I get the blade sharpened? It doesn’t seem to be cutting.
There’s also some hand saws which are rusted but still feel sharp. I don’t know if just using them with the rust on them is bad or not.
If anyone can give me some step-by-step instructions, or perhaps point me to an online resource, for repairing and maintaining these tools I would appreciate it immensely. Also, I am need of some sort of general landscaping and pruning guide. The trees have begun to turn upon one another from overcrowding, and I believe that I must reduce their numbers before the situation becomes worse.
You need to go out and just replace the cutting tools. It would be possible for an obsessive person to make them whole but non-processional examples all of those tools together can be had for about $100 give or take. Working with dysfunctional cutting tools is a false economy and just not worth your time and effort.
The lawnmower probably needs a tune-up and a blade sharpening. There are almost always small engine shops around that can do that for you. Sears has repairs centers you send most mowers in to. That type of service usually costs less than <$40. If the mower runs fine otherwise, blade sharpening is cheap especially if you take the blade off yourself.
As you describe them, the hand tools sound pretty bad. Someone with enough skill might be able to bring some of them back to serviceable condition - but would probably have enough sense not to try.
Shagnasty is right - life is too short to work with wretched cutting tools.
It sounds like the tools you have , really should be thrown out and replaced with more current versions. If they are as you describe them , then they have passed into the realm of unsafe and can cause loss of limb.
You need a vision of what the property can be , so see if you can snag some college boy/girl thats doing a landscaping course at school and listen to what they might suggest , failing that , take photos of the property and post em on home and garden and see what other folks suggest and then go with their suggestions on a basic tool set for the property.
If you have more time than money you should be able to recondition most of the tools. I’d suggest buying some ‘naval jelly’ to disolve the rust, then an application of elbow grease, using a wire brush and/or steel wool, followed by some sharpening where needed. If the lawnmower starts you can drain the oil and replace it w/ fresh. The blade should be easy to remove w/ an appropriate size wrench and can then be sharpened w/ a large file, or grinding wheel, or you can buy a new blade of the same size and configuration (take the old one w/ you). You might also need a new spark plug. (make sure you put the blade back on in the same direction it’s removed) A few drops of oil on the axles might help also.
The handles on the pruners might be helped using wood shims at the attachment point, but they may need replacement handles, or just new pruners.
I was going to chime in here, but I see my job is done. Give them some love and you might be surprised. Some old tools are even collectible, although restoring them may well make them worth less money, or even worthless. Do some research.
Ignore the naysayers and have some fun! Just be careful. Assuming you are not a retard you won’t hurt yourself.
I distinctly remember some show on PBS (New Yankee Workshop?) where they showed how to restore and sharpen old handsaws.
When you change the oil in the mower or your car, keep the old oil to apply to tools with a rag. This will keep them from rusting.
You can certainly make the old tools serviceable again with respect to the rust. Naval jelly is fine, or a wire wheel on a grinder or in a hand drill. You can also do major rust removal with a heavy wire wheel on a right angle grinder - expect to spend $200 or so and get very dirty. If you have any friends named Rusty, tell them to stay away that day.
Oh, and I vote for safety glasses if you’re doing the wire wheel. When I was about 10, I was using one on a bench grinder, and I blinked, and then couldn’t open one of my eyes because a wire happened to come flying out of the wheel and pin the lid shut during the blink. It pulled out without any problem, but I certainly felt lucky.
Well, you can expect to get dirty and you should wear safety goggles, but none of the tools described is large enough to warrant the use of an electric grinder/wire brush. It would be overkill and possibly dangerous. $200 is outrageous, I’d guess the naval jelly, a wire brush and some steel wool will cost you around $10.00. You could replace all the hand tools, except the mower, and have plenty left over out of $200.00.
you won’t hurt yourself.