Winter-Long Rust Protection -- Coat of WD40?

[David Stone]

My shop is in an uninsulated garage, and I'm pretty much done until spring. I found some rust on my BS table and rubbed it out with some WD40 and a scotchbrite pad. Ordinarily, I would go through the process of Boeshield, buffing, paste wax, buffing, and covering with a towel.

But since I probably wont be using the tools for a few months, would I be better off just leaving a coat of WD40 on the tables?

[Anthony W]

WD-40 is like ethanol it will tend to attract water. You're better off spray with the Boeshield and covering with a cloth towel.

I have a thin towel that I keep just for this purpose. It has become wet with boeshield over the years. When not in use I keep it in a gallon ziploc bag for reuse. No rust on my tools yet.

[Howard Acheson]

WD 40 by itself is not a good metal protector. It does not form a film so it does not prevent moisture from penetrating.

For long term storage, Boeshield is a good solution.

[doobes]

Howard Acheson said:

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WD 40 by itself is not a good metal protector. It does not form a film so it does not prevent moisture from penetrating.

For long term storage, Boeshield is a good solution.

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WD40 also has a mild corrosive. Don't leave it bare metal.

DAMHIKT........

[barnowl]

The best protection for any CI or steel work surface is an old blanket.

I use blanket covers on ALL my tools, and they are virtually rust free for quite a few years.

If the moist warm air cannot touch the cold surface, then it cannot condense moisture on it.

Hope that helps.

[Patsfan]

David Stone said:

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My shop is in an uninsulated garage, and I'm pretty much done until spring. I found some rust on my BS table and rubbed it out with some WD40 and a scotchbrite pad. Ordinarily, I would go through the process of Boeshield, buffing, paste wax, buffing, and covering with a towel.

But since I probably wont be using the tools for a few months, would I be better off just leaving a coat of WD40 on the tables?

---

a thicker than normal coat of boeshield, then cover with a blanket.

when you go to use it again, chuck some paste wax on and buff it a bit

I use a palm sander with a folded paper bag on it (instead of sandpaper) for buffing.

Truth be told, I sometimes use the same palm "buffer" between finish coats. When the paper bag gets worn or gunked up, I just tear a layer off.

[EricU]

FWW did a test on these protectants. CRC 3-36 won as far as spray-on. Boesheild seems a little thin to me. CRC sells a really thick rust-proofing spray that works really well. I used it when our lab got a salt bath through the air system and it stopped the rust from getting worse on a lot of the equipment. If you want really dry air, a salt separator is the way to go. But you have to empty the air tank occasionally

[cputnam]

Just get a can of Mobil-1 ( or any truly synthetic) motor oil and wipe the surfaces down. Add a blanket (but not plastic) if you have them to feel safer.

[David Stone]

Thanks everyone. Good thing I asked.

Hope everyone in the snow zone is warm and safe.

[Slupie]

What I do in Illinois is thick coat of Johnson's Paste Wax, then cardboard and cotton beach towel on top of that. I have not had rust issues whatsoever. Everything is very inexpensive compared to other methods and easily removed for use.