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THE DEVIL SUGGESTS

Restore a rusty screwdriver

30–60 minutes · Use what you have · Easy

A small, properly bounded project: Restore a rusty screwdriver. Start with a working first version, pay attention to what you notice, and leave yourself with something you can use, understand or show someone.

Rusty vintage screwdrivers and other hand tools laid out on a scarred wooden workbench.
Pexels photo, listed as free under the Pexels License (https://www.pexels.com/license/); the retrieved landing page did not expose a photographer name.

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Do it

  1. Inspect the item and decide whether it is sound enough to work on.
  2. Remove dirt and loose material so you can see the real condition.
  3. Make the smallest useful repair or adjustment first.
  4. Clean up, protect the finished surfaces and test it gently.

What next?

Keep the useful notes, photograph the result if there is one, then go and find something else to do.