Rust preventative for hand tools

[Dengue]

Living in the tropics means an on-going struggle with rust on tools.

I have just dipped a handful of screwdriver bits, nail punches and drill bits in Evaporust, and about to clean the black carbon residue off them.

Can anyone suggest a coating or something that I can put on these bits and pieces to prevent further rusting?

The instructions on the Evaporust container suggest that another coat of it is good for rust prevention, but I found this to be very short term.

[issatree]

Hi Dengue,
A few of my friends, down here in Vic. like to use Inox on their Working Tools, but if they're Collector Tools, they mix up some Shellac & paint them with that.
About to try the Shellac myself, but not sure of the mixture, but will ask on Sat. at the GT of W W F Boys & Gals at UBeaut.

[fields]

I'm in brisbane and I don't know if its the humidity or my acidic fingerprints but i have a problem with leaving things and the next day they are rusty

the only thing I found that works is something I found online is to put some old rags in a small tin (a single serve spaghetti) stuffed in tight and just poking out the top in a hard pad; and put oil on that and every time you put tools away or down that you give it a quick wipe, you keep the oil from your hands and its always within easy reach so it becomes part of your normal operations. I have had almost no rust problems since I have started doing this.

[FenceFurniture]

Yeah, it's tough in the tropics.

I use a few different things, depending on the tool:

• G15 for things where a bit of oil on them doesn't matter (thinking about wood contact and the G15 affecting the finish)
• Timber wax (in a paste, for planes, chisels, saws and so on). I generally don't polish it off. I also use wax for Jointer/Thicky tables, rather than Silverglide because I prefer not to have dark grey stains on the timber (particularly from the Thicky, where it's also needed to keep the table slippery)
• Camellia Oil for some things where I don't want a slippery surface (because the oil dries). It needs pretty regular application.

and on top of that I scatter sachets of silica gel liberally through all the tools drawers and boxes that have anything steel in them. Apparently you can use Kitty Litter for this (because it's Silica Gel) but I got some of these in (look for smaller quantities on the site):
http://www.silicagel.com.au/categori...ts-%28Bulk%29/

I have virtually nil rust problem now, but it's much drier here than up there.

Rust is another reason why I'll by an HSS tool over Tool Steel.

HTH
Brett

[Tim_N]

Hi Dengue,
A few of my friends, down here in Vic. like to use Inox on their Working Tools,

I'm in brisbane and I don't know if its the humidity or my acidic fingerprints but i have a problem with leaving things and the next day they are rusty

I am also in Brissy and today I went to check on things in my shed and my lathe and bandsaw both had a thin sheen of rust on them. Most of my older tools are covered in rust, probably beyond recovery, but they are low quality garden tools so not a worry. I sprayed everything with bare metal on the lathe and saw (not the blade) with Inox and wiped it down with paper towels this afternoon so hopefully that will help to prevent some rust on my gear !
There are a few tips here that I will probably try as well.

[Treecycle]

We are also told that the food safe oil in the red bottle manufactured by U-beaut, works well as a rust preventor.

[Pagie]

White paint works, good instead of varnish on boats too.

[Heavansabove]

Using 3-in-1 oil, G15, Inox or similar

Heat the tool with a hair dryer (the distaff side of the family seem to buy new ones pretty regularly, so perfectly good ones are probably in a cupboard somewhere) to very warm, wipe on the appropriate substance, and then heat the tools again to drive the oil into the metal. On hot days simply leave tool out in the sun for some hours. During winter, place tool in front of the fire. This prolongs the rust free period, especially if the tool is protected from high moisture, ie in a box or drawer, or the very least - an old sock.

The hair dryer (the only essential workshop power tool?) also should be used to drive out moisture after acid dipping/electrolysis/Evaporust

Cheers
Peter

[Christos]

I agree with Heavansabove with the hair drier after the tool has had some rust removal method and been washed. I personally use G-15 as a rust prevention. When it comes time to use the tool a quick wipe with a paper towel and it is ready to go.

[Sam]

So you do have to wipe the stuff off ? I was wondering about that, cheers !

[Christos]

So you do have to wipe the stuff off ? I was wondering about that, cheers !

Personally I do not think it needs to be wiped off. The way I have the Forstner bit stored each one get a spray and it can be a bit slippery when handled. I have no desire to drop them so the one I use I wipe with tissue paper, then when I am done I give it a quite spray. As there is little or no air circulating with the Forstner bit the G-15 tends not to disperse.