How do you clean steel?

Hello Jane, long time no speak ... I use this stuff ...

I also have some polishes of various grade that I use for sharpening to put a gloss on if I need to.

Or depending on exactly what I have to do with what I also use this stuff ... for instance for your ruler

Then lightly coat with camellia oil or alternatively if it's something going in the shed, such as garden tools over winter ...

... No I'm not on commission from Axminster but I buy most of my stuff from them mail order and they are very relaible.

A few drops of 3-in-1 oil and rub vigorously with an old cloth.

Angle grinder.

:-)

Nick

Rhubarb juice (or Coca-Cola).

Both work, but the rhubarb is generally available at no cost.

In message , Brian Watson writes

And with the leftovers you get a decent pudding afterwards.

Adrian

Hmm, trying to think of what custard might clean...

Seems to be some cross talk from uk.d-i-y

MBQ

Big angle grinder and a bigger hammer!

The number of times someone says it the angle grinder must be worn out by now.

G.Harman

Surely we can bring in car body filler, too.

MBQ

Duct Tape!!!

No Home Should Be Without It.

I often hear people clearly call it "duck tape."

Whether they think it is a brand name, or a tape specifically designed to hold ducks in place is something I've never bothered to ask.

The original brand of duct tape was DUCK tape, still going strong as Duck Brand Tape, (0) made by a company called ShurTech. (1)

Information from Duct Tape vs Duck Tape. (2)

(0)

Duck Tape is a brand name, more common in the US than here, which has become a generic term for the stuff in much the same way that Cellotape has in the UK for a different kind of sticky tape. "Duct tape" is a variant name that doesn't use the trademark.

You can buy Duck Tape in most DIY barns:

The name "duck tape" comes from duck cloth, aka cotton duck, a form of heavy cotton fabric, although the modern product called Duck Tape (or duct tape) bears little resemblence to it.

Mark

It's not much good for sealing joints in heating ducts either. It dries out and leaves a sticky residue that's hard to remove. Alumin(i)um adhesive tape does a better job.

We call it "Gaffer Tape". Gets round the Duck/Duct problem...

I shan't furrow my brow next time I hear it then.

Thanks for that.

It's not actually quite the same thing. Gaffer tape is designed for short-term use, and to be easily removable when you've finished. That's where the name comes from - from it's use by electricians and technicians, otherwise known as "gaffers", in the film and TV industry. Use a bit of tape to hold a cable in place, then take it off when your're done.

Duck tape, on the other hand, is designed to stay in place for longer - it's a semi-permanent method of fixing something rather than a short-term adhesive - and doesn't come off cleanly when it is removed.

Mark