Thread: Rust Inhibitor Test

18 kilometres to the coast but 200 metres from the Swan River. It's a constant battle Ewan. A non oily hand on any bare steel or cast iron will result in rust.

BT

Hey Blu Rock!
Thanks for doing this test! I have been hanging out for your results as I live in a very humid environment. I have tried many things and found lanox to work for me. I'm looking forward to your results!

Is there anything of the nails left?

Well it's been over three months since I began this test and the results are either really good or disappointing, depending on which way you look at it.

As you can see from the photo below, all the nails are still in pristine condition.



This would suggest that either: the nails are made from stainless (they aren't); all products perform fantastically (maybe); or there was something wrong with the test procedure/environment.

I think that maybe I should have roughened up the nails with sandpaper and then boiled them in mild detergent/water solution before beginning the test.

I also think that using cast iron test pieces would be better as, from my observations, it tends to be the material (in my workshop) that is most prone to rust.

Originally Posted by Blu_Rock

Well it's been over three months since I began this test and the results are either really good or disappointing, depending on which way you look at it.

As you can see from the photo below, all the nails are still in pristine condition.



This would suggest that either: the nails are made from stainless (they aren't); all products perform fantastically (maybe); or there was something wrong with the test procedure/environment.

I think that maybe I should have roughened up the nails with sandpaper and then boiled them in mild detergent/water solution before beginning the test.

I also think that using cast iron test pieces would be better as, from my observations, it tends to be the material (in my workshop) that is most prone to rust.

Blue,

If you are chasing rust , leaded 1214 would be the steel of choice. Unoiled and uncovered, it will rust overnight in my shed.

Bob.

I would imagine that nails would be made from about the crappiest grade of steel you could find (given how good I am at bending them). I'd say all of the products have performed well to date. Maybe you just need more time and a more aggressive test environment?

Nails will go rusty a few days after rain on a house frame. But then maybe the chemicals in the wood accelerate the corrosion?

Chris

It's entirely possible the nails had a thin coating of something protective or some passivation dip, is it even possible to passivate steel?. I second Bob observation about 1214 going rusty even faster than a 1970's Datsun (leaded panel steel?).

Blue,
I think the other problem is where we are. I have no problems with rust at all (in the shed), and although we have had some rain in the last few weeks it has been pretty dry. The other thing to try may be to put it under the house (if you have a raised house like we do) I store stuff under ours and stuff rusts pretty well under there.....As Mark says, the nails are probably coated in something, i have had boxes of nails like these for years and have never seen rust on them.

You didn't leave a couple of nails untreated as a control?

Originally Posted by Graziano

I wonder if a bit of hydrochloric acid in the water would accelerate the rusting?.

The steel should be cleaned by boiling with a 10% sodium carbonate (foot bath salts) solution to remove all traces of organics - even thinners have residual organics.

Don't worry about the water, just put the filled cap of a conc HCl container in there - that will hurry things along. When bluing steel this generates rust in a few hours.

FYI there is a fairly comprehensive test of rust inhibitors in the current Fine Woodworking magazine....

If nothing else, maybe check out their testing regime if you want to try some products they didn't include.

Originally Posted by Bryan

You didn't leave a couple of nails untreated as a control?

Yep, at first I thought the same thing but if you read my first post, nails #1 (the ones on the left) are the control and they have no signs of rust on their exposed portions.

If you look closely, the is some rust on some of the nails next to where they go into the wood.

I am bit strapped for time at the moment but will try again with all your comments in mind.

Thanks Mr Brush, I'll check it out.

I was at the newsagent yesterday and the issue of Fine Woodworking with the rust inhibitor test was on the shelf.

They picked CRC 3-36 as the best overall performer noting that it did not leave a sticky residue on machine tools, but did leave a petroleum smell.

Moovit got a good wrap for use on hand tools as it performed well and, being made from natural products, did not leave a petroleum smell.

Did you see the bit about traditional products like camelia oil? It might be traditional, but it seems there are better options available these days.

As always, frustrating that many of the best-rated products in US tests aren't available here, although some can be had from Lee Valley if you are ordering something else from them (otherwise the freight cost rules them out).