The missus came in yesterday looking disturbed. In her hand, one of her prized "lady tools", the Kent and Stowe pruning snips, jaws rusted and frozen wide, wooden hand grips covered in debris.
"I planted them in the rose bed." she looked forlorn.
"Want me to have a go?' I held out my hand.
"Would you?'
I took them to the workshop. The blades were jammed open and seized with corrosion. I didn't want to force them.
I sprayed the nut holding them together with marine penetrating oil, then loosened it and tapped the rusted bolt out with a small hammer. I wanted to remove the spring as well to de-rust all around that but the lugs holding it in place were a tight fit. I didn't want to damage the spring by forcing it off. I left it attached and worked around it.
I set to, alternating with a small wire wheel and a nylon buffer in my drill.
Once I'd removed as much muntation as I could on the metal parts, I started on the wooden handles which were showing signs of decay. I gave them a sand and a good dose of linseed oil to help preserve them. Then I wiped over all the metal with Inox marine protectant. Lovely stuff. Not petroleum based, non-toxic.
I delivered the tool.
She immediately trimmed a stem of the Dublin Bay rose in a vase on the windowsill.
The snips seem to be in working order. Happy missus.
