ideas for Inexpensive rust preventative for raw cast iron

[deakin]

newly machined parts that will sit on the shelf. i used rustlick in the past but it is expensive now. i use ballistol on my home raw steel furniture but looking for something cheaper for parts

 

[woodchucker]

• oil
• fluid film
• lp4
• boshield
• wax (paste)
• wax (car)

 

[pontiac428]

My choice is Fluid Film or Johnson's paste wax.

 

[tq60]

Cheap...mix 1 part whatever motor oil you have handy to 10 to 15 parts solvent in a spray bottle.

Spray it on to fully coat, solvent dries leaving oil film.

It is how we packed cam and crankshaft back in the day.

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[G-ManBart]

How long will they sit on the shelf and what sort of temperature variation will they see? I used to use Johnson's paste wax for fresh cast iron but got burned during a big temperature swing...they sweat under the wax and started rusting so I had to remove the wax and then remove the rust. After that I largely switched to Fluid Film, but mold shield is even better.

 

[Winegrower]

I've been pretty disappointed with any solution to cast iron rusting. My table saw had a really work-of-art table when it arrived, and after one winter it rusted badly. Scotchbrite and Johnson's wax worked better than Boshield and T-9 and whatever else I tried. Better but not great.
So I'm interested in any magic solution.

Btw, is it not possible to make non-rusting cast iron? Maybe I didn't pay that much attention in Materials class.

 

[Nosferatu]

Paraffin or beeswax

 

[Nutfarmer]

Lanolin works good even if you have to cut it with transmission oil.

 

[Martin W]

Plain oil works for me. Preferably way oil, as it won't run off. Anything is better than nothing.
Martin

 

[great white]

Chain saw bar oil. Sticky, stays (more or less) where you put it and spreads easily. Doesn’t dry or evaporate.

Use sparingly, can get messy if too much is used.

Shot of brake kleen and it sloughs right off clean.

I use it in all sorts of places where I need to protect raw steel.

And its cheap, relatively speaking….and lots of guys already have a jug or two hanging around…