Thread: Rust prevention on bare metal surfaces?

One of our members, Christos, lives about 2500 metres from the coast, and before he went away for 3 months he used G15 on everything - no rusty when he got back. AFAIK G15 doesn't have silicon in it, and it doesn't dry. Many use Silver Glide on cast iron surfaces but maybe with varying success. Camellia Oil is good for smaller tools, and it dries to a non-tacky gel. Needs to be applied a little more often.

I have two rags that I keep in plastic bags, up on the "handy" shelf. One has been dampened with G15 and the other Camellia Oil, so I just give a quick wipe over when I'm finished with the tool.

In the tool drawers I have scattered around quite a few Silica Gel sachets, and for drill bits I have a plastic tube over them with a SG sachet in each one. You can see that here.

I also find that HSS steel is far less prone to rust than other tool steels.

HTH
Brett

Hi Tony,
I have always done the same with my machine surfaces as stated by you I first give them a wet sand with oil and fine wet and dry paper on a block then a thorough clean back to clean bare metal then a thin coat of shellac it gives a great smooth surface and when waxed is silky smooth to work your timber across for a considerable time and stays that way.
Regards Rod.

Originally Posted by tony_A

How do others keep rust off bare metal surfaces such as saw tables, planers etc. I live in a coastal environment and it is a continual problem. Every once in a while will get the CRC . . . .

CRC is one to avoid and there are many better alternatives. I use camellia oil or natural wax.

I use Camellia oil for planes etc, good stuff, and have been using SilverGlide on my bandsaw, OSS and disc sander tables, but am not too pleased with it.
I've been getting rust re-appearing after about a week, with only light use of the equipment. I'm only about 6km from the ocean on the edge of wetlands - lots of salt in the air.

I suspect that paste wax would be every bit as good, and much cheaper. SilverGlide is a little slow-drying, too. I try to apply it at the end of the day, so it has overnight to harden.

BobL, I like the idea of shellac. I think I'll get some and try it.

Just thinking - how would poly go, for cast iron tabletops?

I live on the coast. I use SilverGlide on the table saw, band saw and horizontal drilling machine. Seems to work.

Here is the technical specification sheet for G15

Originally Posted by Pac man

Here is the technical specification sheet for G15

SilverGlide seems to last quite a while if the equipment is not used, but otherwise it wears off very quickly, in my case after one or two light 15s - 30s uses of the bandsaw. The answer would be to re-apply after each use, or at the end of each day that it's used.

After reading the spec sheet for G15, it has the same failing:

Originally Posted by spec sheet

(A) INDOOR STORAGE – Metal surface otherwise totally unprotected:

¨ A liberal coating of G15 should provide adequate protection up to five years. Should the component be used or handled, recoat or respray handled areas.

I'd love something that stays on for a while whilst the machine is in regular light use. I almost spend more time applying SilverGlide than I do sawing already.

When the SilverGlide runs out, I'm going to try a heavy wax coat, or even poly.
Edit: Unless anyone knows a good reason why poly shouldn't be applied to cast-iron. And needless to say, I wouldn't use water-based poly.

I gave up using silver glide when the tin can it comes in started to rust badly??? I live in the tropics on the coast and it is a big problem.
Any flat surfaces I use paste wax and make sure I cover them when not in use. On flat surfaces rust starts when dust or any other airborne material settles on the surface then absorbs moisture from the air.
I never leave tools or parts out in the open for the same reason, always inside a cupboard when not in use. Desiccant to absorb moisture is also added to the drawers.
Some hand tools will still rust even when covered so the other methods using oils are also used as mentioned in other posts here.
Cheers, Ian

Originally Posted by Nanigai

I gave up using silver glide when the tin can it comes in started to rust badly??? I live in the tropics on the coast and it is a big problem.
Any flat surfaces I use paste wax and make sure I cover them when not in use. On flat surfaces rust starts when dust or any other airborne material settles on the surface then absorbs moisture from the air.
I never leave tools or parts out in the open for the same reason, always inside a cupboard when not in use. Desiccant to absorb moisture is also added to the drawers.
Some hand tools will still rust even when covered so the other methods using oils are also used as mentioned in other posts here.
Cheers, Ian

I remove dust from tables and cover them when not in use too. I've got a feeling that SilverGlide is no good in higher temperatures. Thanks to my exposed brick workshop/garage, in the can, mine is a liquid, not a paste. It's probably not setting properly, so that it wipes off too easily. (In Summer, temps in mid-30s on a warm day, mid 40s on a hot day.)

Folks might be correct about SilverGlide not being particularly useful in the tropics, or even in humid weather. Hot and humid conditions seldom occur here. It stays as a paste in the tin, wipes easily onto the machinery, and seems to hang around. Given its origin, it was probably developed for German conditions! Southern Victoria would be more like that than anywhere in Queensland or coastal NSW.

Originally Posted by adeben

Folks might be correct about SilverGlide not being particularly useful in the tropics, or even in humid weather. Hot and humid conditions seldom occur here. It stays as a paste in the tin, wipes easily onto the machinery, and seems to hang around.

It explains why many of you have good results, while it hardly seems to work for some of us. And when I think of it, I've been using SilverGlide for 7 months, but have only noticed this becoming a problem lately, the last month or two.

Given its origin, it was probably developed for German conditions! Southern Victoria would be more like that than anywhere in Queensland or coastal NSW.

My thoughts exactly.


Since no one's warned me not to, I'll try a coat or two of poly and see how it goes when I get a chance.

Small rust circles around 45 to 50mm in diameter on the cast tops of all my machinery was an all too common problem for me, mates would pop in for a drink and treat my machines like a bar top.
I use this spray on product sparingly, allow to dry for 12 hours and buff back with a small 5 inch angle grinder and a wire cup brush.
My machines have never see surface rust since, it was either that or invest in around 12 bar mats......

Anti-Corrosion Heavy Wax Film

Melbourne Matty.

I keep some Thompson's Water Seal in a plastic sprayer. I spray it on everything I don' want to rust. It is just a wax (paraffin) dissolved in a solvent carrier. When the solvent evaporates, it leaves a microscopic wax layer that prevents rust. It is not wet, and it doesn't wipe off, and it will prevent rust until you use it again.