Need Help - Protecting metal surfaces during move

[Mark Brubaker]

I am relocating from Philadelphia to Connecticut and will be in temporary housing for three to six months.

During this time all of my woodworking equipment will be put into storage. I moved once before and my jointer bed became rusty in three months of storage. It took me several hours of serious elbow greese to get it back to a suitable working surface.

Since the last move I have aquired several new pieces requiring long term protection as well.

I am thinking of waxing the surface and not buffing it out but I don't think that will be enough.

What is the stuff used by manufacturers when you get the tools new? Or are there another option?

Thanks in advance.

[Rick Lizek]

Go to www.mcmaster.com (http://www.mcmaster.com) and look up rust inhibitor. They sell cosmoline and LPS coatings to put on your bare metal. Inexpensive and works well.

[Mike Cutler]

The LPS rust inhibitor works very well. It leaves a thickish coating that will have to be cleaned off. Kerosene works well. I use it in the winter to protect my jointer and planer until spring.

[Larry Fox]

While I have never used it myself, my brother has had a saw in storage for a while and he used this on it and it shows no signs of rust.

http://www.boeshield.com/index.htm

cosmoline is great but it is messy.

[Mark Brubaker]

Thanks everyone!

[Steven Wilson]

I use Boeshield and apply a heavy coat that I let dry and don't wipe off. Then cover the tool with a breathable cover (those HTC covers). If I was really concerned then I would get spray cans of cosmoline and use it.