Best way to get rust at bay when on holidays

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tmuir

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I'm going away for a month and its winter here (Well its meant to be if it ever rains) and I don't want all my cast iron to go rusty whilst I'm way.
I've oiled everything and was wondering if an old bed sheet over my mill would be a good or a bad thing. It would probably stop any condensate forming on the iron but if the sheet gets damp it will stay damp and cause problems.
My workshop is uninsulated and was wondering what everyone else does to keep their equipment free of the dreaded rust?

I have recently bought some lanolin based spray which I've read good things about that I've put on my drill stand and scrollsaw cast iron parts but was unsure whether it would ge good or not for my lathe as it is greasy rather than oily
 
tmuir,

I liberated an old bath towel from the linen closet ;D ;D cut it to the size of the table x table and dumped it in a bucket of SAE 140 gear oil. Wrung it out, (sort of), and draped it over the table and slides. Works well and no trouble with table/slide rust in 5 years. I also cover the column and head with a liberated bed sheet, appropriately hacked to size and oily.

Hope this helps. ??? ???

Best Regards
Bob
 
Tony,
Here in the midwest of USA we have very high humidity and condensation is a big problem.
After a session in the shop all chips are cleaned up and everything gets sprayed down liberally with WD-40. Any chips piled up tend to collect and hold moisture just as surely as a sponge.

I also have packets of silica gel in each tool box drawer and cabinet.
 
ksouers said:
I also have packets of silica gel in each tool box drawer and cabinet.

I assume you regularly cook the packets dry. They absorb a small amount of water. It's hard to find the info. The only reference I found said the 40 grams of dry silica gel can absorb the humidity from 3 cubic feet of air. So something that isn't sealed tight will saturate the silica gel in a very short time.
 
I am also in the midwest, near St. Louis, and this week we had 95% humidly a few days. I keep a de-humidifier running in the shop (Basement) which helps a lot. With out it unprotected metal will start to rust in a few weeks.

I have been using a product called Break Free after reading this article
http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html
I have been very happy with the results. It does not leave the buildup of stuff that I got with WD-40, and does not stain as bad as oil, and has a pleasant smell.

Dale

 
You can also buy in bulk and put in buckets...or get ready-to-go buckets.
There's other material besides silica gel too.
Search: dessicant, or dessicant silica gel.

Regards,
 
Processed fortified "rice". The cheap kind. Will absorb about half its weight in water if left open to the air over a few weeks.

I've used small open jars of the stuff for years in my tool boxes and never had any rust problems. I live in Houston, so the humidity is high year round. Johnsons paste wax is also an excellent cover for bare metal surfaces. It provides several months of protection from rust. On that note, just about any "car wax" will do the same thing.


Kermit
 
mix turpentine (or any paint thinner), bees wax and 10/40 engine oil ,heat it a little in the microwave(or in a pan) then blend it in the blender ,or just with a fork until you get a nice paste, you'll see the proportions,2-1-1 (more or less) and you get a waxy oil, then just brush or spray it on, good for 10 years or so!, any solvent like alcohol or the pain thinner will take it off in no time!,it's just a simple way to hold the oil in place, no amount of de-humidifying devices will stop small amounts of rust forming, I have 80%+ humidity here where I live, so I can appreciate your problems!

Gles
 
dwentz said:
I am also in the midwest, near St. Louis, and this week we had 95% humidly a few days. I keep a de-humidifier running in the shop (Basement) which helps a lot. With out it unprotected metal will start to rust in a few weeks.

I have been using a product called Break Free after reading this article
http://www.thegunzone.com/rust.html
I have been very happy with the results. It does not leave the buildup of stuff that I got with WD-40, and does not stain as bad as oil, and has a pleasant smell.

I was taught to use Breakfree mainly on my S&W 4046, but have found it to be one of the best lubricants out there.
 
Do a google search on Camphor, I have not tried it myself, but have been told that it works real well.

Dale

 
Does anyone here use camphor? I've been thinking of trying it out....

Scott
 
Prior to moving in '05, I had my machines in a very damp garage. I recall cleaning rust off of everything more than once. I tried a bunch of different things, from motor oil to transmission fluid to WD-40.

From my experience, do NOT use any of the above... especially NOT the transmission fluid. It actually promoted the rust! I think because it contains additives that emulsify water.

What worked for me? Chainsaw oil - the really sticky stuff. It's a real pain to spread in the winter because it's like honey, but anything you put a thin layer on should stay nice and shiny.

-Sparky
 

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