Any tips for rust prevention/removal on tools?

[threesixright]

Hi All,

I noticed a little bit of rust on some of my metal tools like my Starrett square.

What are you guys doing/using to prevent this? Once it's there, any tips on easy removal?

Thanks!

 

[jeffinsgf]

Autosol. Miracle stuff.

 

[Packard]

car wax.  I use car wax on my table saw top.  It buffs clean and leaves no residue on the lumber. 

WD-40 is good for applications where there is no hand contact or contact with the raw materials.  It can interfere with applying finish.

Silicone spray is a no-no.  It will transfer all over the place and can seriously compromise any finish that is applied later.

 

[FestitaMakool]

Second the Autosol, highly recommended.
It does away with rust on cast iron table for the band saw and similar too. It leaves a water repellent protected surface.

It is a metal polish, but is widely used as cutting/polishing compound on gelcoat on boats, RV/caravan as well as car paint.

 

[AstroKeith]

I'll support Autosol.

But also suggest Renaissance Wax. It was developed with the British Museum for protection of artefacts. Its a microcrystalline wax that can be applied to just about anything (they use it on documents even).

It wont clean, but boy does it protect.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I'm going to try my Renaissance Wax on equipment. It's my "go-to" final polish on furniture, but I've never tried it on metal.

 

[WillAdams]

If you need to remove a lot of rust from a tool, Evaporust is just magical.

I always wipe tools off w/ a silicon impregnated cloth which my father had before putting them away (not sure how much is left, and it's also used for wiping off excess oil, so kind of a mixed bag).

Some folks swear by Boeshield T-9.

 

[threesixright]

Thanks all!

Will give the wax a try for prevention and the autosol for removing it.

[thumbs up]

 

[hdv]

I use Felder Metall-Protect to remove rust and prevent it from forming on all sorts of metal surfaces.

 

[Frank-Jan]

Biggest tip for rust prevention in my experience: Don't store the soldering acid near your tinsnips, pliers and vicegrips.

 

[CeeJay]

Camellia oil is also good. A light rub over at the end of each workday works nicely for planes, chisels, squares.

I use Renaissance wax on the machine tables.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[escapegoat]

I use Boeshield T-9. It sprays on, and when the solvents evaporate, leaves a thin waxy coating on the surface.

 

[Alanbach]

CRC 3-36. It is a lubricant / rust and corrosion inhibitor and it dries with no residue. Great stuff. You can buy aerosol cans but buying the gallon bottle and a spray bottle is much more economical in the long run. I use it on chisels and planes as well as all my other hand tools.

 

[allthegearnoidea]

Try to control extreme and rapid changes in temperature, as well as humidity. If it's winter leave a small oil filled radiator on its lowest setting. In summer make sure the sun isn't blazing through a window that doesn't have a blind covering it. Insulation is also important.

Things rust more quickly due to temperature differentials. The air in your workshop will heat up faster than the lumps of steel your tools are made from and cause condensation to settle on them. If it's been a comparatively cold night and then a blazing hot morning you don't want that sun streaming through the window or beating down on an uninsulated roof/wall.

Put precision or very expensive tools in drawers or back in their cases, and throw a blanket over stationary machines. Keep things dust free too, saw dust covered tools will attract/absorb moisture.