can anyone give me some ideas to stop rust on my files, i try and
keep them as clean as i can, i clean them with a file brush and i
use a stick of bur life every now and again to help stop it clogging
up with metal but i still get rust on them if they aint used for a
few days, is there anything i can use to coat then so it stops the
rust from starting to form but i need something that wont affect the
metal when i use them
i would be greatful for any help or advise you could give
can anyone give me some ideas to stop rust on my files, i try and
keep them as clean as i can, i clean them with a file brush and i
use a stick of bur life every now and again to help stop it
clogging up with metal but i still get rust on them
If theyre in a drawer, a small tin of desiccant of can make a huge
difference. Since its an electrochemical reaction, I wonder what
would happen if you layed them on a zinc sheet…
Rust? In the UK? Who would have thought? Try keeping them in a
covered box with the old packs of silicon and stuff that come in
pill bottles or nes shoe boxes. When every you find one of those
packs, keep it and put it in drawers or boxes where you keep tools.
Not sure if you can/should dry these out occassionally or just
replace them. I do know the paper can get worn and they break open -
they you have all these little balls of silicone rolling around, so
I throw older looking ones away as I toss more in.
Where is your shop? are you near the ocean or is it very humid where
you work? There is some environmental factor here. Either you are in
a very humid location or you have chemical fumes present in your
shop. Even here in the perpetually damp Northwest iron tools stored
in a space that has temperature control(doesnt fall below the dew
point) will not just spontaneously rust in a matter of days. My
first inclination is you have something that you can do to make the
shop environment better that will deal with the rust problem.
Otherwise there are many petroleum based anti-rust coatings but that
will be a mess and a real pain in the ass to apply on a regular basis
I havent tried it on my hand tools as yet, however I use a product
called “Boeshield T-9” on my table saw. The table bed is cast. If
not treated it would rust. The product was developed by Boeing for
use in the aircraft industry. A wood working friend told me about it.
Said, all the wood workers use it to prevent rust. Wipe it on, let it
set, wipe it off. Comes in a spray can and is available at a lot of
wood working supply stores.
old packs of silicon and stuff that come in pill bottles or nes
shoe boxes. When every you find one of those packs, keep it and put
it in drawers or boxes where you keep tools. Not sure if you
can/should dry these out occassionally or just replace them.
Most likely silica gel. You can re-dry it in a oven set to 275 F
(135 C) for an hour or so. You can buy it in largish quantities in
craft shops, its used for drying flowers.
Ive had good results using camellia oil. Its traditionally used in
Japan to protect ferrous metal. I bought my first batch while in
Japan. Most recently I bought a bottle from Garret Wade. Im sure you
could google and find other sources.
For long term protection Ive had excellent results with Boeshield.
Find them here: http://www.boeshield.com
While living in Okinawa (very humid!) I bought a dehumidifier which
helped greatly.
Lastly. we dont have that problem here in Vegas. Our average monthly
humidity is between 22% and 55%, and is sometimes in single digits.
None of my tools have had a speck of rust since Ive been here. As
much as I love the northwest, Im not looking forward to the constant
maintenance Ill have to perform to keep away rust when I am able to
return there.
Otherwise there are many petroleum based anti-rust coatings but
that will be a mess and a real pain in the ass to apply on a
regular basis
It also will be mess to use it, even if you wipe it still leaves a
trace on your hands. There is a solution, but it is an expensive
one. You can chrome plate your tools. I have tools, that I have been
using for many years and not a trace of rust.
I live on the Outer Banks of NC, where even wood tries to rust due
to the extreme humidity. I have a garage workshop on a concrete slab,
and due to the very high water table, moisture is always present. I
use a de -humidifier year round, and keep the humidity level at 55 to
60 %. Once a year I clean my tools with WD-40, and big items like my
rolling mill are draped in a rag soaked with the stuff. Elegant, huh?
The upside to all this humidity is that we never have static cling.
At our store, 60 miles north and 15 miles inland, we have no
problems with rust.
I have about 10 containers of Dri-Z-Air around my studio and office.
Its that white stuff, calcium carbonate perhaps, that sucks the
moisture out of the air. There are a number of other brands. Seems to
work well, and just requires periodic emptying the water and
refilling the container with product.
My husband is a self-taught machinists and reads several magazines
getting hints and tips on improving his techniques. Several years ago
he came across an article on keeping machining tools from rusting.
Since then, I have shared it with students - many of whom live at the
beach here in San Diego and have real rusting issues.
First, the tools should be stored in a tool box or drawer where the
surrounding atmosphere can be controlled a bit more. Then take a
small container (I use film canisters – he uses small wooden
containers) and put a few small holes in the container. I use a
scribe to poke 6 holes or so in the sides of the film canister. A
pill container would also work well – just drill some small holes.
Fill them with cotton balls and put a few drops of camphor spirits on
the cotton. The camphor will need to be replenished occasionally –
monthly in some areas (for my students who live on boats). I
replenish mine quarterly.
Camphor Spirits used to be easy to find in drug stores, but recently
when i needed more, I had to go to the internet. Be sure to get the
liquid and it is better if it is “USP” – it will say that on the
label.
I have used this technique for years with great success.
For years I’ve kept my polished silver forging hammers inside of old
socks and in a toolbox–they’ve never rusted. The worst place for
humidity I lived was in Monterey and Carmel with all the fog, and
everything was still nice and clean. My polished anvil bolted to the
bench I do keep draped with a piece of t-shirt sprayed with WD-40.
It’s kept it safe for many many years. The WD-40 is nice because it’s
light and not messy. I once kept a very large anvil outside
generously slathered with cosmolene–that worked really good!
Generally we have few rust problems here in California, but I
stupidly left some Win Ox (Liver of sulfur and hydrochloric) in a
beaker next to my stand of files. Now the files are rusted. I have
tried to brush the rust with a file cleaner but no luck. Any
suggestions for removing the rust? I could slap myself!
