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billbenson
09-29-2012, 06:07 PM
I inherited a bunch of my dad's old tools. It includes things like miter gauges, bolt tap sets, custom made tools dating back as far as the 40's. Florida is both humid and I'm about 5 miles from the gulf so there is some salt water in the air.

Many of the tools I will never use, but they have nostalgic value. My dad collected fine tools and kept them in pristine condition.

I'm going to need to store these in the garage in the humid summer weather. Will something like WD40 preserve them and keep rust away or is there something better I can use? Maybe just a light oil spray?

Wozcreative
09-29-2012, 07:48 PM
A vacuumed bag is my guess?

nealrm
09-29-2012, 09:24 PM
Go out and buy some VCI bags. They generate a vapor that will deposit on the metal and prevent rust. The auto industry uses them to store service parts and the like. However, nothing will complete stop rust in humid weather without regular up keep. You will need to replace the bags every few years.

The other option is to coat the metal with an anti-rust compound. (Not WD40). There are both water and oil based solutions that do work. Again, you will need to recoat the tools every few years. Here is a link to a home made version that should work well.
How to Make an Anti-Rust Coating for Metal Objects | eHow.com (http://www.ehow.com/how_4549808_make-antirust-coating-metal-objects.html)

You can also mix a medium weight mineral oil with Stearic Acid. This is a fatty acid and is either similar or found in the lanolin used in the home made version above. It will bond with the metal forming a metal soap that prevents rust. Guess what, you will need to recoat the tools every few years. (are you seeing a trend here)


(http://www.ehow.com/how_4549808_make-antirust-coating-metal-objects.html)

billbenson
09-29-2012, 11:24 PM
Thanks Neal :)