Everything is rusting

[John Preston]

After having minimal problems for 5 years, this year I've had extremely bad problems with everything rusting.

I have used paste wax for 5 years, and minimal problems.

I left for a month, came back, and everything was rusted. OK, maybe the wax had worn off, it'd been awhile since I waxed.

Buff rust off, rewax. 4 days later, everything is rusted again. Even my Kreg jig clamp.

I see someone uses Boeshield T-9 (where is this available)

Does anyone else have anything they've used with success?

[Dominic Greco]

After having minimal problems for 5 years, this year I've had extremely bad problems with everything rusting.

I have used paste wax for 5 years, and minimal problems.

I left for a month, came back, and everything was rusted. OK, maybe the wax had worn off, it'd been awhile since I waxed.

Buff rust off, rewax. 4 days later, everything is rusted again. Even my Kreg jig clamp.

I see someone uses Boeshield T-9 (where is this available)

Does anyone else have anything they've used with success?

John,
You can get T-9 through Woodcraft's Website. I believe that Woodworker's Warehouse also carries this product. I use it on all of my cast iron table tops. I also keep a T-9 impregnated rag handy to wipe off my turning tools, and handplanes after I'm done using them.

From my personal experience, T-9 seems to last about 3 times longer than conventional paste wax applied to your cast iron.

I'm not 100% sure of this, but my best guess as to the reason it works so well is because it's a paraffin wax based product conveyed via aerosol spray. It's able to coat more evenly and get into the "pores" of the cast iron.

Good luck,
Dominic

[Dave Richards]

Maybe it's just my situation but I have an old drill press that was allowed to sit for awhile in a damp place. I cleaned all the rust off with naval jelly. If I remember correctly, I only used the jelly and paper towels. I wiped it down and made sure it was all dry, the rust has never come back.

[Lee Schierer]

We tried T-9 here at work on some cast iron that we use for our machines. It stops the rust just fine, but it attracts dust like crazy and stays sort of sticky. Doesn't his rub off on the wood? We tried spraying it on and wiping it off and also spraying it on and leaving it. By not wiping it off it left a gooey residue.

[Kent Cori]

I've had great results using Boeshield T-9 on my cast iron and steel tool surfaces in my hot, humid Florida garage. It is the only thing that has worked to prevent rust. I tried both paste wax and Topcote with no luck. T-9 all by itself did the trick. I only need reapply it every 6 months.

It does leave a bit of sticky residue even when wiped off. The easiest way I've found around this is to apply Topcote over it and then buff with my electric car buffer. Not only does this make the surface plenty slick, it also provides a double corrosion barrier.

Woodcraft has T-9 but a number of other Internet vendors also supply it. At about $10-$12 per can, it is an outstanding investment. The same company also makes a product called Rust Off that makes removing any rust you do have a snap.

[Jim Becker]

After having minimal problems for 5 years, this year I've had extremely bad problems with everything rusting.

I have used paste wax for 5 years, and minimal problems.

I left for a month, came back, and everything was rusted. OK, maybe the wax had worn off, it'd been awhile since I waxed.

Buff rust off, rewax. 4 days later, everything is rusted again. Even my Kreg jig clamp.

The first thing that popped into my head after reading your post was, "What has changed?" Has the ventilation of your shop changed? Has the weather been very different this year as compared to the previous 5?

As to my tools, I just use good quality paste wax about twice a year and have no rusting problems, even during the very humid summer months that we tend to have around here. (Two coats of the wax per application) My only rust has been from an "insensitive" electrical contractor helper who inadvertently set a soda on my jointer infeed table last year...but it buffed out easily.

[Jerry Crawford]

Why are your tools rusting - seems to me you have a serious humidity problem in your space or you have some contamanent in the air doing the job for you. Any chance you have open or leaking container of some kind of acid in your shop? Vapors do terrible things to steel and iron tools - even through wax surfaces.

Jerry

[Chuck Wintle]

You said this year you are having major rusting problems....in which month did the problems begin? Do you have winter where you live? Or is it generally humid year round?

[Dave Sweeney]

John,

I've had very good luck with a product called TopCote® made by Bostik. I've yet to have any rust on a tool that I've used it on so I pretty much believe their claims. It claims to be up to 30% slicker than paste wax and last 3 times longer than paste wax. Its an environmentally safe aerosol containing no CFC's or ODC's. To apply it you just spray on, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then just buff it out. I know that both Lee Valley and Woodcraft handle it but I'm sure other places do as well.

Dave

[Bob Reilly]

Why are your tools rusting - seems to me you have a serious humidity problem in your space or you have some contamanent in the air doing the job for you. Any chance you have open or leaking container of some kind of acid in your shop? Vapors do terrible things to steel and iron tools - even through wax surfaces.

Jerry


I agree with Jerry,sounds like something your storing in the shop is causing the rust problems, my son owns a swimming pool maintenance company and some of the chemicals that are stored in a garage will cause rust overnight.

[Ron McNeil]

John,

I use Topcoat to prevent rust, but I also purchased the HTC Machine covers from Woodcraft and I swear by them. I use a propane heater to heat my shop in the winter time. It works great but it creates a lot of condensation when I first turn it on and it was rusting my equipment. Now I have a cover on my Tablesaw, Jointer, wood Lathe, Drill Press, and 12" Disc Sander. I remove the cover of what ever equipment I'm using and when I'm done I clean up and install the cover. I havn't had rust in a long time.

[Jerry Crawford]

John,

I use Topcoat to prevent rust, but I also purchased the HTC Machine covers from Woodcraft and I swear by them. I use a propane heater to heat my shop in the winter time. It works great but it creates a lot of condensation when I first turn it on and it was rusting my equipment. Now I have a cover on my Tablesaw, Jointer, wood Lathe, Drill Press, and 12" Disc Sander. I remove the cover of what ever equipment I'm using and when I'm done I clean up and install the cover. I havn't had rust in a long time.

good idea Ron. I found that draping a ordinary cotton sheet over a tool will do the trick too, and will prevent a lot of condensation. During the winter here in Maine it's a constant battle, daily, to keep down the humidity in the shop on the surface of cold tools. But, IMHO, it's a matter of frequent PM on stuff. Even under the sheet I found rust on the tables of my jointer when I'd not used it for a while and just not taken the time to lift the sheet and do my maintenance. It can get away from you sometimes.

BTW, old sheets are about a dollar at goodwill or the salvation army and they make great cleanup rags handy-by.

[Todd Burch]

I'm with Bob on this one. Any kind of chemical oxidizer will rust just about anything (rustable!). If you have a pool, where do you keep your chlorine? Hope it's not in the shop - cuz not only are your tools and cars rusting, but also the nails!

About a year ago, I ordered some camphor gum blocks from my local Walgreens. They sublime and leave a light oil on items. I toss one in a drawer every now and then. Left out in the open though, I don't think they would be as effective.

[John Preston]

I do have a pool, and have kept the chlorine (powerful oxidizer) in the garage for all that time.

I did however, usually leave one window open during the summer months.

This year I wasn't home much, and figured I would close the window on a dry day to keep the humidity down.

That may have done it, but I usually kept the window closed during the winter anyway. I also moved the containers around a little in the process of spraying some doors, and that may have loosened the seals on one of the containers.

I moved the containers outside, and haven't had any big problems over the past week, but if there's anything better than paste wax I figure I need all the help I can get.

Only things in open air rusted, nothing in the drawers.

Thanks for all the advice.

[Ken Wright]

down here in the tropics my shop is at one end of our horse stables and subject to most whatever mother nature throws at me in addition to a daily doses of horse urine vapors. The rust problem gets the worst when the weather goes from cool to warm or vice versa.... condensation.

I tried most everything ... waxes, cotton covers... you name it. Then I found a product, "A Must for Rust" at Home Depot. With great hesitation I used it and that ended my rust problems. Only advice ... as you approach a seasonal change in temps .. I re-treat my surfaces and always keep them well waxed between semi-annual treatments.










I do have a pool, and have kept the chlorine (powerful oxidizer) in the garage for all that time.

I did however, usually leave one window open during the summer months.

This year I wasn't home much, and figured I would close the window on a dry day to keep the humidity down.

That may have done it, but I usually kept the window closed during the winter anyway. I also moved the containers around a little in the process of spraying some doors, and that may have loosened the seals on one of the containers.

I moved the containers outside, and haven't had any big problems over the past week, but if there's anything better than paste wax I figure I need all the help I can get.

Only things in open air rusted, nothing in the drawers.

Thanks for all the advice.