Hey,
I’m doing some early spring cleaning, using the wire wheel on my bench grinder to take rhe rust off of several tools that got caught in the rain. In the past, I’ve wiped them down with a shot of WD-40 to keep them protected. This time, I’m trying boiled linseed oil, just to see how it works. Besides keeping them out of the rain, what’s your favorite way to keep tools from rusting?
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Store them under water.
Saul,
be sure if you use linseed oil you take care of the rags properly.... don't ask how i know.
james
>"take care of the [linseed oil] rags properly..don't ask how I know"
Okay, I won't, but tell me this: will those rags spontaneously combust? or does there have to be ####lit cigarette involved?
-saul
Saul,
Yes they can and will spontaneously combust. I have never had a rag that i was just using to wipe on some oil go but i rember when a helper kicked over a quart of oil and sopped the oil up with a rag.... we brought all the stuff back to the shop and he tossed the rag into a metal can i had about and about 6 hrs later the wife said "SOMETHINGS BURNING, I SMESS SMOKE ", I went downstairs to find the rag smoldering in the can..... lucky it was the only thing in the can.
james
saul,
I have read in several trade magazines about creating a bath (I think it was baking soda and water, not absolutely sure about the exact ingredents in that brew) and using a battery charger and a sacrifical anode. I don't remember the brew exactly but authors state that no metal is lost from the item of interest and the rust is removed from areas that are completely inaccessable. The authors also tauted this was the best way to remove rust and restore your tools to there original condition.
Good luck,
Clark
the WD won't last long. I use Boeshield B9
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Saul,
in the rush to tell you about the linseed oil I forgot to tell you what i use to keep the rust off.
motorcycle chain wax, it goes on with a spray and dries to a protective coating, easily removed with most any solvent but i find is i leave it on it protects and lubricated tools that i use infrequently ( like end nippers ), if you are out in the rain give it a try.
james
james,
Thanks for the wax tip... and the safety warning. I got to admit, I used to read news stories about building fires starting from "oil soaked rags left by the painters" - and think, "Mmm hm. -Insurance scam." But your anecdote has made me rethink things, and,
- you smell somethin'?
IGOTTAGO....
Yep, linseed oil is quite dangerous. Most other forms of oil won't cause problems, but it's best to err on the side of caution and treat any oily rag as if it were apt to catch fire. Either lay them out in the open until dry, or place them in a sealed metal can away from other flammables.Re preventing rust, another option is bike chain lube. There are a number of different options, from a wax you heat and dip the chain in (good for protecting rarely-used tools) to various sprays, some with special water-displacing properties. There are "dry" lubes which have only so-so moisture protection but won't pick up dirt, and "wet" lubes which are designed to actually operate in the rain, but are oilier and more apt to attract dirt.
Penetrol - sold at paint stores.
Scissors cut paper. Rock breaks scissors. Paper wraps rock.
greencu,
Penetrol? I've used that for years to make oil based paint behave. Is that a suggested use from the manufacturer, or did you discover it yourself? I'll add it to my list, and try it (I'm running a long term study).
Thanks,
saul
Read the back of the can. We use it to treat the rust on metal roofs before repainting and I've coated rusty tools with it.Scissors cut paper. Rock breaks scissors. Paper wraps rock.
Penetrol... anyone know what this stuff is? it restores fiberglass surfaces (gelcoat) i spray it on metal i've sandblasted and left it on as a finish and never had the stuff rust... used it to seal wood, brick, used it as a primer on metal, mix it with paint in my sprayer and it really smooths it out... even if you use a brush, mixed some with industrial enamel used a fine tip for my airless and painted my dumptruck 4yrs ago and it still shines...... kinda pricey but for what it does...
guess it's a gift from the gods
pony
>"[Penetrol] guess it's a gift from the gods"....-It even cures Gout, cleans dentures, and makes a soothing foot rub! ...no, don't try this. But really, that stuff is amazing for leveling paint - they make a product for water based (latex), too. Called "Flotrol" - I wonder what else IT can do.
Flowtril makes drywall mud sooooo sweet to work with, I use it insted of the dishsoap that so many here seem to like.
james
james,
a mud additive- I could use this. How much do you like to use, and in what product? does it affect the working time of hot mud?
saul,
I have never used it in hot mud so if you try it let me know ( no DW projects in the near future)
I have added it to topping compound that i run thru finishing boxes and it helps the boxes work more smoothly and also seems to cut down on the bubbels that develop from mixing ( the boxes like the mud to be thin.)
I substitute about 25 - 35 % of the water i would normally use to thin down mud and that seems to be the ticket, I have never had a problem with finishes over that mix but now that i think about it i probably go for about 20%
for hand finishing i just give the pan a small shot ( to get the mud to a thinner consistancy just like you would to adding water) sure makes the mud "wet" which is the same thing dish soap dose ( wetting agent).
give it a try on a scrap of DW some time.
james
"give it a try on a scrap of DW some time."
"Dear Wife"?
"De Walt"?
"Da whiskers"?
Inquiring 'minds' want to know.
Dusty & Wefty
DW = drywall
-- J.S.
sometimes...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
DW= drywall...
but if you try it on da wife, dewalt or any other DW let me know how it works out... I do suspect that Da Wife one goes without saying.
james
but what about the Dear Wife????
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
> It even cures Gout, cleans dentures, and makes a soothing foot rub!
Ever try it for shaving? I've been spraying WD-40 on the Braun before using it, and the odor does stay on my face for a while. The machine speeds up when the WD-40 hits it, and it makes the self-cleaning function actually work for a change.
-- J.S.
Shaving, huh? Another thing WD40 works great for is removing sticker and tape residue.
rust prevention suggestions?
Never take it out of the store...
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
Thanks Luka, I tried that once, but they complained about sawdust on aisle three...
ROFLMAOHey !! I did that once too.Only it was pvc sawdust by the handsaws in the tool crib.; )
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow
I posted this elsewhere too, but I like Turtlewax liquid car wax. Any carwax will bond to metal and it's stays for quite awhile. A side benifit is the white residue fills in the label etchings and makes them easier to read.