Reoccurring Rust Problem, What's Your Solution?

Another one for Fluid Film/lanolin. I have my shop in my garage. Tools I don't use often, like my shaper, I spray a coating on when done. Same with extra vise, dividing head, etc that are tucked in the cupboard.
 
I've been bitting my tongue to keep out of this discussion, but, I can't stand it anymore. for many years, off and on; probably 5 or 6 times I've performed "rust test's" whatever rust prevtative's that you "think" are good, try this. get several heavy nails / spikes (not galvanized) ; I use a old rifle bbl. with the blueing stripped off and masked off in sections. spray or rub (or one of each) on a section . then take the bare metal outside and hang it from a tree (the bbl should have a string going thru the bore. with the spikes I pound them into a 2x4 and set it up so that the spikes are parallel to the ground.. leave the item's outside and check on them every day or so. this is a good time of year to do this ,hot and humid. for those of you that use boshield t-9, lps-3 and fluid film. you already know what works. wax, wd-40 and light oils might work inside in a good environment, but not under harsh conditions. you can probably spit on your machinery and it will be rust free if you did it every day and rubbed hard.

porthos
 
porthos said:
I've been bitting my tongue to keep out of this discussion, but, I can't stand it anymore.
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Hi porthos,

You don't need to bite your tongue on this, you've done some experiments and have some useful info.....chime in!.

I suspect you are correct that the environment plays a huge role....but I also need products for many conditions. In my shop I need something to protect against rust for a week, and not need to be cleaned off before I can use the tool(like table saw). However I also have mill parts sitting in a shed for a year(or two!), those I want to be able to leave for months without the product evaporating.

I have made a list of a few of the products that I have never tried and I'll try to get ahold of some. Though I am typically a little less scientific, I just try and see. However, it definitely does NOT give a conclusive result....I have a bad memory.

-brino
 
I'm going to be doing a corrosion resistance experiment of a sort over the next year. Some simple handles that I brazed up, phosphated, and treated with linseed oil will be spending the year embedded in wet wood inside a steel tank in the woods in the Keewenaw. The last set (untreated allthread) rusted through in five years.
 
For the bare metal details on the woodworking equipment, I keep a coat of wax on them during the summer. I don't do any woodworking in the winter, so I spray a coat of WD40 or other light oil on the surfaces until I get ready to use them.

For bare metal details on my vises, I just keep a light coat of oil on them. Since I use hydraulic oil as my milling machine coolant (I have a lot of it), there is always a thin coating all over the bare metal details of the milling machine.

On bare metal details that won't see any wear (like the table saw edges), I simply clear coat those surfaces. I do the same with bare metal areas on my vises that won't see any wear.

I also periodically clean the bare metal surfaces. It's a never ending battle, but it seems to work for me.


Happy Trails!
 
If I don't really care about the finish, I use boiled linseed oil. It dries on and forms a film. I then oil this with cheap engine oil periodically. If it is a contact surface, I just use engine oil or way oil. Machines, like people, don't survive when not working. Regular maintenance and cleaning is better than any miracle rust preventative.

I suspect though that the problem is likely a galvanic or a REDOX reaction between your vice and some metal elsewhere. Have you made anything from aluminium that is sitting on or near the vice? If nothing else seems to rust then I suspect that humidity is not the problem and you should be investigating other metals touching the vice.

Paul.
 
samthedog said:
If I don't really care about the finish, I use boiled linseed oil. It dries on and forms a film. I then oil this with cheap engine oil periodically. If it is a contact surface, I just use engine oil or way oil. Machines, like people, don't survive when not working. Regular maintenance and cleaning is better than any miracle rust preventative.

I suspect though that the problem is likely a galvanic or a REDOX reaction between your vice and some metal elsewhere. Have you made anything from aluminium that is sitting on or near the vice? If nothing else seems to rust then I suspect that humidity is not the problem and you should be investigating other metals touching the vice.

Paul.
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Aluminium would act as a sacrificial anode and tend to protect the steel.
 
John Hasler said:
Aluminium would act as a sacrificial anode and tend to protect the steel.
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You are right. Copper on the other hand would certainly cause issues. I once used a copper spacer on a bull-bar for my spotlights and it severely ate into the metal. At work we use magnesium as sacrificial anodes for much of our subsea equipment.

Paul.
 
Well since I had a can of LPS-3 I sprayed the vise and table, we'll see in a week if it's rust free finally. Thanks for all the responses
 
You're LPS3 should be proof against almost anything but repeated immersion in seawater. I am not bragging, but I have no rust problem. My shop shares floor space with our furnace. On the other hand it's full, all 234 square feet of it.
 
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