Lanolin and ??? (as rust preventer)

[pontiac428]

Don't worry, lanolin melts at the same temperature as butter. You just need to liquify it to get it to mix well with the paste wax (the purpose of which is to leave a protective barrier) the solvent (determines final consistency) and the wetting agent/penetrant (that's where the glycol ether comes in). You can blend to taste. My recipe has a consistency like soft shoe polish (for those in the know, more like Parade Gloss than regular Kiwi...). That lets me scoop and smear with a chamois, spread on the work, then lightly buff. I wouldn't make more than 200g in a batch (do proportions by weight). Again like butter, it solidifies at room temp. Buy chamoix at amazon, you'll thank me. It is what was meant used to spread this sauce on tools and equipment.

If a body wanted a liquid similar to the Lanox stuff, I would say naptha (VM&P) has the best wetting properties of the solvents. Mineral spirits have much less odor, so I went that route, but if making a thin formula using 40 ml per 200g of lan/wax would get you there. You should be able to tweak proportions all day and still have a good result.

Don't bother with ATF. It's just long chain aliphatic oil. There is nothing in ATF to enhance this formula. Brake fluid, on paper, would be excellent, but it destroys paint. Same ingredients are in penetrating oil and Sea Foam, which do not (for some reason) destroy paint. So be knowledgeable of your substitutions.

It's crazy how I put that stuff on a lightly surface rusted chuck, and weeks later the rust is gone and no more is starting. I have started the long task of buttering up tool holders, fly cutters, my rotary table and divider, my lathe bed... Haven't hit my mill table or column yet, that'll be my coup de gras if it comes clean. I'll post that when I finish what's on the mill table now and turn over the fixtures.

 

[middle.road]

One application I thought of since it is making rust disappear, would be on the columns of drill presses and the like.
Mine are miserable so they are going to get coated for sure.
Can't wait to get it on the mills either.

 

[Bob Korves]

I'm steering clear of using turpentine just because it messes with my breathing.

You could use mineral spirits, naptha, kerosene, or any other petroleum based solvent. Some are much better for your health if you are working in an enclosed space. They will evaporate at different rates and leave varying amounts of oily residue when dry.

 

[pontiac428]

One application I thought of since it is making rust disappear, would be on the columns of drill presses and the like.
Mine are miserable so they are going to get coated for sure.
Can't wait to get it on the mills either.

Heavy rust should probably be worked on with some steel wool and wiped with a rag and solvent before applying lanolin. I am looking forward to doing the same with my column mill and drill presses. My mill was stored for many years and needs a good cleaning first.

 

[middle.road]

Heavy rust should probably be worked on with some steel wool and wiped with a rag and solvent before applying lanolin. I am looking forward to doing the same with my column mill and drill presses. My mill was stored for many years and needs a good cleaning first.

Yeah, most definitely. I've been putting it off this 'season' so far. My old floor model DP doesn't have a rack & pinion type table mechanism so I have to manhandle it. It needs a good rubdown.
Now at least when I knock in down, this will treat it so I won't have to do it next year.

Snuck Honey's scale out to the shop and of course one of the 'AAA's had leaked.
Had to repair it before I could use it. Don't it figure?
I've got ~250g worth of Lanolin to use.

 

[vtcnc]

Ed's Red is a formula designed for cleaning rifle bores. Many like it for that use. Users have found that it has other uses as well.

My formula, which was designed for protection of machines, tools, and whatever else from rusting and other surface deterioration, for use in machine shops, has the following formula:

1 part lanolin
5 parts mineral spirits
1 part ATF (automatic transmission fluid)

Heat the lanolin gently and carefully (to not start a fire) until it is completely melted and clear. (Edit: Move it well away from the heat source,) then add the mineral spirits and stir until until completely blended, and finally add the ATF and mix well. The components stay mixed and stable in my climate.

It is quite thin, and can be easily applied to a thin wet coat with an old toothbrush, Q-tip, corner of a rag, fingers, or whatever. When the solvents in the mineral spirits evaporate out, it will leave a very thin and reasonably hard coating that is transparent and is only slightly noticeable to the touch. I live in sunny California where we do not get much freezing weather, but we do get a fair amount of rain at times. The year around average humidity is pretty dry. This recipe works, never a problem if it stays on. If you rub or wash it off, it will be gone. Water does not dissolve it, just beads up on the surface.
(Edit: Keep this solution in an air tight container or the mineral spirits will dry away, leaving a thick mix of half lanolin, half ATF.)

I'm curious it sounds like all of these uses are for rust prevention of what I would call non-moving surfaces - mill tables, drill press columns, cast iron saw tables. What about ways? Is this applicable for things like lathe ways that have dynamic loading? Or is it too sticky and attracts dust debris and interfere with operation of the machine? Am I understanding this application wrong? Is lanolin best used just for storage purposes?

 

[pontiac428]

I use my formula on ways and it doesn't get sticky or anything like that. If you wanted to mix some lanolin with way oil and a little bit of solvent to thin it out, it should still work to fight/reverse rust. Even something like 1 part lanolin to 4 parts oil, skip the paste wax.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

I'm curious it sounds like all of these uses are for rust prevention of what I would call non-moving surfaces - mill tables, drill press columns, cast iron saw tables. What about ways? Is this applicable for things like lathe ways that have dynamic loading? Or is it too sticky and attracts dust debris and interfere with operation of the machine? Am I understanding this application wrong? Is lanolin best used just for storage purposes?

I was worried about that when I first tried Bob Korves' modified Ed's Red, as my previous experience with lanolin products (fluid film, lps, etc) showed that they all left a sticky redsidue. The Ed's Red mixture does not. I still use way oil, but I do not worry about the Ed's Red getting onto bearing surfaces.

 

[Bob Korves]

After my Ed's Red formula knockoff dries, it is completely unnoticeable on the parts or tools. It is a thin coating due to the large amount of solvent in the formula. I may try reducing the solvent level for usage where it is more about heavy duty rust proofing than about a tool that looks and feels nice. WRT rust, if it is not all removed before putting a rust inhibitor on, it will mostly only help the remaining pristine surfaces. The rusty surfaces will likely continue getting more rusty. We must keep moisture and air away, rusty surfaces leave passages where air and water can continue to make cantact with the steel, causing more rust.

 

[Chips O'Toole]

The formula I found was about a pound of lanolin to a gallon of mineral spirits. The up side is that the mineral spirits evaporates, leaving a nice coat of lanolin that isn't slippery or wet. The down side is that if you put it in a spray bottle, as the mineral spirits evaporates, the bottle collapses.