Author Topic: Keeping rust off tools  (Read 42628 times)

Offline NickG

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #25 on: July 18, 2013, 04:42:15 AM »
Easy ... just have a Brass_Machine  :lol:
Location: County Durham (North East England)

lordedmond

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #26 on: July 18, 2013, 06:08:01 AM »
I like the idea of waxoil - cheers krv.

I`m currently in the WD40 club - every few months I buy a large can and go crazy spraying everything and anything I see! :dremel:

its much cheaper to by it by the gallon ( screwfix do it  29 quid plus vat for 5 litters but mail oder only ) others also supply it  the include a small refillable spray to use it much better than the cans you can spray or squirt which ever takes your fancy


stuart

Offline Jonny

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #27 on: July 18, 2013, 12:28:09 PM »
Tools don't rust if you use them my old gaffer used to say :clap:

Normally I don't bother unless know I am not intending to use for extended periods of time. Either dump in coolant tray with water soluble oil or dunk in some motor oil I wont use ie 10w/40w.

Offline Jeff May

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #28 on: July 18, 2013, 12:49:02 PM »
Tools sitting out I wipe down or spray with some type of oil. Tools in cabinats or drawers I use blocks of camphor. Smells good when you open them.

Offline AR1911

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #29 on: August 31, 2013, 09:22:23 AM »
Any spray oil would be better than WD40, and also cheaper.

Offline Phody

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #30 on: October 01, 2013, 04:04:42 PM »
Hi. My workshop is an un-heated pre-cast concrete garage and suffers from condensation when the temperature and humidity fluctuate widely. I use trace heating cable of the self regulating type (polymeric) at 11watts per metre. A 2metre length laid in a U shape beneath my lathe and miller have stopped the condensation problem provided they have a cover over the machines. Small hand tools I wipe with an oily rag and store away from  hygroscopic material i.e wood or cloth. Any wooden draws I apply two coats of good oil based varnish or cover the base with 'Formica' type material and use clean engine oil to wipe hand tools down after use. Hope this helps
Phody

Offline Brass_Machine

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #31 on: October 01, 2013, 07:47:26 PM »
Hi Phody

Welcome to the collective :borg:


I was working on one of the cars today. Pulled two nuts and bolts on the exhaust system to replace a gasket. They were rusty as all get out. Tossed them in apple cider vinegar for a few hours... cleaned up very nice.

Eric
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Offline AR1911

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #32 on: October 01, 2013, 08:09:43 PM »
I started using lanolin a few months ago. When it was hot (and humid) I just brushed it on every piece of bare metal in the shop. I wiped off the excess with a clean rag and I use that lanolin-soaked rag for touchups. I have not seen a speck of rust so far, except a couple of places that did not get lanolin. So far that seems to be the solution for me. Winter into Spring will be the real test, although it's been quite humid here.

Offline flutedchamber

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #33 on: October 01, 2013, 08:19:32 PM »
In my shop I use a ceiling fan running 24/7 and a dehumidifier set to keep humidity at 35% or a bit less.  The humidifier runs constantly with the spring thaw for a few weeks, then only a few hours for the rest of the year.  Zero rust on anything.  If there isn't enough humidity in the air, you can't get rust.

Offline wannasteam

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #34 on: October 14, 2013, 09:24:16 PM »
G'day all

I use this stuff called Boeshield T9.  A bit pricey but a little goes a long way and you only spray it on once to preserve your tooling.

Joe


Offline superc

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #35 on: January 27, 2014, 08:31:44 PM »
Since the finish appearance on many of my tools is unimportant as long as function is not impaired and since my basement is indeed a damp (and cold) one, long ago I began treating steel stuff prone to rust with Jasco.  A phosporic acid maganese dip for metal prep, grey in color usually.  Then when the dip is dry, I oil the tool with an oily rag.  So far (20 years for some of the screw drivers, taps and the ilk) so good.  It destroys the bluing on firearms so keep it away from them.  A WW2 memorial museum down South went under water during Hurricane Katrina.  What they found out (the hard way) a few weeks later was the steel that had been lightly coated with wax (the real kind, not the spray bottle stuff) survived virtually without injury.  The steel that had been oiled down rusted.  I suppose that if I was going to drawer queen some bits and end mills I might dip them in melted beeswax and that should keep them safe for my great grandchildren to find and sell as estate antiques.  Of course right now I don't have much in the way of spare bits needing such preservation methodology.  Regarding mill and lathe beds, I am not sure.  I am noticing discoloration beginning to creep onto the bed of my mill at the edges even though I always wipe it down with an oily rag.  I may try Jasco on it but right now it is just a faint discoloration. 

Offline Arbalist

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #36 on: January 28, 2014, 12:23:21 PM »
I started using lanolin a few months ago. When it was hot (and humid) I just brushed it on every piece of bare metal in the shop. I wiped off the excess with a clean rag and I use that lanolin-soaked rag for touchups. I have not seen a speck of rust so far, except a couple of places that did not get lanolin. So far that seems to be the solution for me. Winter into Spring will be the real test, although it's been quite humid here.

That's what I've been using. I've mixed it with Isopropyl alcohol to paint onto large areas.

Offline mfletch

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #37 on: January 29, 2014, 02:22:03 PM »
WD40 is no good I use a spray called double D I get it from JTF it leaves a fine wax or grease when it dries

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #38 on: January 29, 2014, 05:17:56 PM »
WD40 is no good

It's done a very good job of protecting my machinery and tools, over the past 10 years.
While sharing the concrete garage with an, (often) wet car.......

David D
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline Arbalist

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #39 on: January 30, 2014, 02:12:01 PM »
I've had no luck with WD40 either. I sprayed it on the table of my old milling machine many years ago and when I went into the garage a week later it was covered in rust  :Doh:

I have a tin of Tallow somewhere, anyone tried that?

Offline chipenter

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #40 on: January 30, 2014, 05:23:45 PM »
Since the felt blew off just before christmas my shed it damp and it' not driying out , and with the persistant rain I have damp patches on the walls , my machines I can keep oiled and rust free it's the tooling I can't see that's the problem , my chucks are on a shelf under the lathe and rusty cleaned them up today , but a 6 inch oily chuck is very easy to drop or slip , a sugeshtion was to use a dead fridge with a light bulb on the bottom for storage of tools , I will have a mesure and see what I can find .
Jeff

Offline superc

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #41 on: January 30, 2014, 09:26:38 PM »
Jeff we do the same thing here with gun safes in damp environments.  A heat source of some kind be it a small 15 watt incandescent light bulb or a heat wand sold commercially specifically for the same purpose works well and probably would work in the refrig too.  The concept is the small heat source raises the inside temperature of the container above the condensation point of the moisture.  A small hole in the bottom of the safe allows both the electric line to enter and also provides venting.  The down side of this tactic is it also raises your monthly electric bill.

Offline chipenter

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #42 on: February 16, 2014, 09:58:33 AM »
Had to take some scrap in two weeks ago the scrap man asked how I wanter paying , with a fridge was the reply OK I will give you a call when one comes , in got one Thursday fixed a halogen light up to a thermastat and wired it in , takes about twenty minets to heat up to 15 degrees C , also got a small compressor thrown in .
Jeff

Offline OzzyRob

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #43 on: February 16, 2014, 04:43:09 PM »
I've just started using chain wax in the last couple of months.

Offline AR1911

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #44 on: February 16, 2014, 05:38:06 PM »
I started using lanolin a few months ago. When it was hot (and humid) I just brushed it on every piece of bare metal in the shop. I wiped off the excess with a clean rag and I use that lanolin-soaked rag for touchups. I have not seen a speck of rust so far, except a couple of places that did not get lanolin. So far that seems to be the solution for me. Winter into Spring will be the real test, although it's been quite humid here.

That's what I've been using. I've mixed it with Isopropyl alcohol to paint onto large areas.

I thinned mine with mineral spirits, which was only a little better than oil & water. I'll try some alcohol.  Thanks

Offline Manxmodder

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #45 on: February 19, 2014, 01:45:02 PM »
Lanolin huh? I will have to give that a shot.

I just moved to a different house and will be setting up shop in a garage (instead of a basement). The plus sides... not a damp and moldy basement but now a non insulated garage. I moved up to the hills, so it will be cold in the winter!

Eric

Hi Eric,I second what others have said about having a dehumidifier in the workshop.

Mine controls the humidity level down to around 50% and I haven't had any problems with condensation causing rust since installing it in the shop.

Another method I use is to heat metal objects with a heat gun or in an oven to drive all moisture out of the pores and then soak the hot object in Hammerite waxoyl(or equivalent other brand car underbody wax)

 This method allows the waxoyl liquid to penetrate into the metal pores then wipe of the surplus and let the item cool down.

Also as Andrew suggests lanolin is a really good natural moisture repellant and would also be very effective if applied by the hot method I describe above....OZ.
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Offline Jeff May

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #46 on: February 19, 2014, 08:55:04 PM »
Some type of oil on the bigger parts and inside my tool boxes I have a block of Camphor in each drawer.
Never had a rust problem inside the tool chest.

Offline superc

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #47 on: February 25, 2014, 04:25:37 PM »
I guess I am the only one liking iron-phosphate?

Offline Manxmodder

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #48 on: February 25, 2014, 05:36:49 PM »
superc,iron phosphate products do have their uses and place but I wouldn't want to use it on my hand tools due to the change in surface appearance.

Hence my preference for using a hot penetrative waxoyl treatment.

I have tested pieces of steel treated with the waxoyl technique by placing them in the outside weather environment for months on end and they don't display any surface rusting....OZ.
Helixes aren't always downward spirals,sometimes they're screwed up

Offline lylekelley3

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Re: Keeping rust off tools
« Reply #49 on: March 02, 2014, 05:06:11 PM »
Buy blocks of champhor, slit the plastic wrapper, put in toolbox drawer. 1 or 2 blocks (2"x2"x3/8") per tool box usually works.