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After finding a rusted old Starrett ruler in a ‘Free stuff’ pile left by a neighbor, I decided to restore it and repaint the numbers and graduations.
First, I placed it in a tray and covered it with a 20% vinegar solution for an hour or so. Then I scraped the ruler with a bread clip and #1000 grit wet-dry sandpaper to polish the surface. After washing and neutralizing the vinegar, I cleaned the steel with alcohol and I was ready to restore the black paint.
I used an oil-based black paint that I had, but acrylic paint could work too. Find a paint with a high concentration of pigment or go ahead and mix more pigment into your paint to increase visibility to the notches. I used a rubber applicator to pull the paint down the ruler. A cutoff from a car’s windshield wiper blade would also work.
Clean any spillover with a lint free cloth slightly moistened with mineral spirits (for oil paint) or water (for acrylic). After the paint dries, polish the ruler with 1000grit wet-dry sandpaper and apply a thin layer of wax on your tool.
Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools
Discover what it takes to make one flea market tool a great find in these 19 easy-to-read chapters. You’ll learn how to clean, flatten, and sharpen both common and exotic hand tools, plus once your tools have been restored to perfect condition, you’ll see exactly how to use them. Michael Dunbar has also included a suggested tools list for the basic, intermediate, and complete shop, to help you fully stock your own tool bench. This revised & updated edition is not to be missed. All of the original text is included, with updated instructions, information, and comments directly from Michael.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
Crayon also works really well for backfilling the increment markings on rulers and hand wheels. You can just scrape off the excess with a credit card.