A wire wheel removes rust, patina, and about a millimetre of tool
What to use
Citric acid solution overnight, then a green scouring pad and oil. Slow, cheap, and it removes only oxide.
What not to use
Wire wheels, angle grinders, and coarse abrasive. All three remove sound metal, and on a plane sole that means the flatness is gone.
Afterwards
Neutralise, dry immediately, and oil within minutes. Freshly stripped steel will flash rust in a warm room in under an hour.
