how clean do tools have to be?
Jul 17th 2011, 10:47 am
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 14
how clean do tools have to be?
we are preparing to move to Melbourne in October and i would like to take my carpentry hand and power tools as well as some basic building and gardening tools, i am getting conflicting advice on how clean they will need to be - would appreciate any input/advice from anyone who has already taken tools over and what they did to clean up and also like to hear from anyone who may have had problems with quarantine over this
Jul 17th 2011, 10:51 am
#2
221b Baker Street
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Miles from anywhere, Victoria, Australia.
Posts: 14,125
Re: how clean do tools have to be?
we are preparing to move to Melbourne in October and i would like to take my carpentry hand and power tools as well as some basic building and gardening tools, i am getting conflicting advice on how clean they will need to be - would appreciate any input/advice from anyone who has already taken tools over and what they did to clean up and also like to hear from anyone who may have had problems with quarantine over this
I bought a large tool box of normal DIY household stuff, screwdrivers, pliers, all that sort of thing which I forgot to clean and it got through.
Customs and quarantine clearance is very much a lottery it seems; perhaps why you are getting conflicting advice.
Hopefully someone with more specifics will be along soon.
Jul 17th 2011, 4:55 pm
#3
Banned
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 22,348
Re: how clean do tools have to be?
Very clean. Organic dirt is the big no no 
Jul 17th 2011, 9:52 pm
#5
Almost more Oz than Pom
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Brisbane northern suburbs
Posts: 1,154
Re: how clean do tools have to be?
The concern is anything that may bring pests or disease into Australia, particularly if we don't currently have them here. So any form of soil is a no-no, and any artifacts made of wood that may contain borers or other pests, also plants of any type.
One trip I brought back an oak dish that I had turned many years before: Quarantine thought that the 4 perfectly symmetrical holes in the base where it had been screwed onto the faceplate might indicate the presence of borers, so I had to get it fumigated.
So I would clean as much sawdust off as possible (without going crazy about it) and make sure you declare them. My experience is that the Quarantine staff are extremely helpful if you declare items and come down hard if they find undeclared items. One time I came back from PNG with some mud on my boots and they took them away and washed them for me!
One trip I brought back an oak dish that I had turned many years before: Quarantine thought that the 4 perfectly symmetrical holes in the base where it had been screwed onto the faceplate might indicate the presence of borers, so I had to get it fumigated.
So I would clean as much sawdust off as possible (without going crazy about it) and make sure you declare them. My experience is that the Quarantine staff are extremely helpful if you declare items and come down hard if they find undeclared items. One time I came back from PNG with some mud on my boots and they took them away and washed them for me!
Jul 17th 2011, 11:28 pm
#6
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: how clean do tools have to be?
Very very clean. We used the air line to get rid of all sawdust, loose rust etc then he scrubbed everything, dried it off and then WD40d everything. Took ages, he's got so many tools, oh and don't forget the tool boxes. Nothing got opened or checked.
He was like a kid at christmas when he opened it all up, he'd never seen so many clean shining tools. He did go slightly over the top with some stuff, spray painting things like shovels. Gold shovels etc is soooooo cool!
He was like a kid at christmas when he opened it all up, he'd never seen so many clean shining tools. He did go slightly over the top with some stuff, spray painting things like shovels. Gold shovels etc is soooooo cool!
