Rust Protectant and Rust Remover Options
Advice on how to prevent rusting of machinery placed in unheated storage. October 3, 2009
Question
I live in a cold climate and currently have my machinery stored in an unheated garage. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to protect the machining surfaces from rust?
Forum Responses
(Solid Wood Machining Forum)
From contributor J:
Stored as in not being used? I would say cosmoline. Sounds kind of drastic but I know it works. Maybe shrink wrap? I had a shop in Wisconsin that was hard to heat, and I had the thermostat kick back to 45 at night. I was constantly battling the surface rust. Boeshield is good stuff but I don't think it'll help if there is frost accumulating on cast iron.
From contributor A:
Minwax paste finishing wax. Do the karate kid thing - wax on, wax off. Just like you would wax your car. You can still use your machinery and you will really see a difference in how your wood feeds through the machinery because of reduced friction. If you start to feel friction or see a little surface rust, use 000 steel wool as the wax applicator, and then use steel wool to take off the "haze" excess. That should do it!
As a side note, watch for waxes with silicates, silicone, or anything along those lines. They have the potential to create fish-eyes in the final finish of your project. Those cans are not even allowed in the shop. Don't hesitate to use the wax on your adjustment screws as well. It works better than oil because the sawdust won't accumulate.
From contributor V:
Simply wiping on a coat of oil will prevent surface rust. It will evaporate over time and need renewal.
From contributor C:
We offer a number of products for rust removal and protection that we have successfully used for over a decade. They are Top Saver, Top Cote, and Evapo-O-Rust among them. Top Saver and Evapo-Rust are green products and very effective. Evapo-Rust takes less elbow grease while Top Saver is both a rust remover, protector, and lubricant in one product.
