So what's the best rust proofer?

[Eddyde]

Hi All,

I have a basement shop, while it's not overly damp rust forms on bare steel if left unprotected. I recently went through deep cleaning and reorganization and found a lot of tools, particularly taps, dies, files and such had rusted. I sprayed most of these items with WD-40 before storage but it obviously doesn't provide long term protection. I have a concoction of Naphtha and Boiled Linseed Oil that does a good job of keeping steel rust free but it leaves a film that I feel would clog up a files and might not be good on taps, dies and precision surfaces.
I researched a bit and found Boeshield T-9 and LPS Number 2 claim to be good long term rust protection, with minimal residue. Does anyone have experience with these products, do they work, is one better than the other?

Thanks,

Eddy

 

[Nutfarmer]

I like the boeshield. Some people have good results with a homemade treatment of lanolin and something to thin it. Search the posts on this site for the formula. For small tools in drawers treated paper works well

 

[francist]

I have both although I must confess I’ve not used the LPS as a rust preventative, only as a lubricant. The T-9 I use for a coating on mostly ornamental pieces, not tools, and for this is appears to perform nicely. I apply it with the metal slightly warm and that seems to be the best for me. One coat or sometimes two, depending on how I’m feeling at the time. It’s nice on brushed aluminum too for holding off fingerprints.

The coating film is very thin, not at all thick or bulky. Smells nice too (I think lanolin, by my nose). It’s not cheap but I don’t use buckets of the stuff either.

I wish I’d thought to use them head to head for comparison but that’ll have to be left for others to comment on.

-frank

 

[Chip Hacket]

I have both although I must confess I’ve not used the LPS as a rust preventative, only as a lubricant. The T-9 I use for a coating on mostly ornamental pieces, not tools, and for this is appears to perform nicely. I apply it with the metal slightly warm and that seems to be the best for me. One coat or sometimes two, depending on how I’m feeling at the time. It’s nice on brushed aluminum too for holding off fingerprints.

The coating film is very thin, not at all thick or bulky. Smells nice too (I think lanolin, by my nose). It’s not cheap but I don’t use buckets of the stuff either.

I wish I’d thought to use them head to head for comparison but that’ll have to be left for others to comment on.

-frank

I also have a basement shop and have been using T-9 for a while now with good results. I use it on my machine dials, drill press table, etc. It's a good lubricant as well it seems. I had a water hydrant installed outdoors and it was pretty sticky to the point where my wife had a hard time with it. I applied some T-9 and it's still buttery smooth.

 

[C-Bag]

It seems it’s situational how good the different treatments work. I don’t have a basement shop, just a 2 car garage and every day it’s nice it’s open. Which is most days. Most times the humidity it pretty low but we are about a mile from the ocean and anything that wasn’t covered and wasn’t painted rusted. Stuff in drawers does pretty good. I’d heard of Boesheild and it didn’t hold up for me. i knew WD40 was crap for rust prevention. The only thing that truly works is covers and for cast iron tables I use Fluidfilm but it work best with a coating. Just got used to wiping it off when needed then reapply.

 

[woodchucker]

I use Fluid Film.. it's a lanolin based rust preventative. Works well. I use it on my gauge pins and gauge blocks too. I keep separate cloths for those that are soaked in fluid film and just wipe them after handling.

I spray tools and anything I need to protect.

 

[ltlvt]

What is T-9?

 

[FOMOGO]

Go west young man, go west. I have bare steel that has been sitting inside for years with zero rust, and tools stay equally rust free. Barring that solution, a dehumidifier would help a lot, along with a light coat of light oil. Cheers, Mike

 

[Video_man]

I use a mix of beeswax (3 parts) and lanolin (two parts) thinned with turpentine (the proper solvent for beeswax, which doesn't like petroleum based solvents). When the turps evaporate, it leaves a fairly firm, thin film that protects well. I have a bench plane that I tested it on three years ago and it has survived un-marked in our South Florida salt air and humidity. I use it on my collets, gauge pins, and any other bare steel that I handle (after wiping my corrosive fingerprints off with WD40 or similar, then wiping that off before applying the wax.)

 

[MyLilMule]

Get a large dehumidifier, one rated for a room twice the size, preferably one with a built in pump. I had surface rust issues in my shop during the hot summer months until this year. Put a self draining dehumidifier, not one rust issue on anything.