Are your tools rusting???

[Timberwolf]

Jack - what happened to



You used to "swear" by it and I followed up and I still have my can for at least 15 years...

Hey Salmo...how ya doing??....I forgot about Slipit...but that's another great material for rust prevention that I have experimented with...Looking back, I'll bet there have been a dozen things I have tried in an effort to stamp out rust!!..From tallow, to Slipit, to shea butter to Rig etc.....For me tho, I have concluded that all the "thicker" products that have the consistency of grease, are much more effective than wax or light oil for longer term storage, especially in humid climates..For the short term, just about any oil will work, provided it is used each time before putting the tool away...I will say tho, that IMO, none smell as good as Shea Butter and in addition, Shea is much better for your skin..I am not so sure that can be said about the others, and in addition, it is much less expensive and readily available.

[JohnnyEgo]

Like Jack, I am a big user of Rig, and have used it for a long time. I use Rig a lot for long term storage, but I apply it thick and then seal the guns in plastic. I suppose I could do the same with tools, but I never have, in part because I don't have tools that sit idle that long. When applied thick, it's like a marginally friendlier form of cosmoline.

For day-to-day rust protection in high humidity environments (Jax on the water), I used to apply Renaissance wax to my carry guns, which were either carbon or stainless steel. It's thin, dries clear, and doesn't stain clothing or holsters. Stays put under light handling. Excellent as a light oxidation barrier and sweat protectant. Might be good for hand tools that aren't used frequently, although I'd worry about wax transfer causing problems with finishing your project later down the road. That said, a coat or two to infrequently used tools might make for excellent protection against rust. The biggest con that I could foresee would be that it is fairly expensive, and paste wax does many of the same things, albeit messier, for a lot less money.

I will sometimes use Breakfree or Hoppes wipes to clean up tools that got wet or showed light surface rusting, but I wouldn't use it as a long term preservative; too thin, a dust magnet, and the potential to contaminate a finish.