What's so special about Camelia Oil ?

[Frank Drew]

I had a damp issue in a former shop and found that isolation was the best rust preventive -- the tools that were inside drawers or other containers didn't rust, many of the others did, including most of the steel parts on my machines. Oddly, the cast iron surfaces, which I'd never waxed or oiled, fared the best in those conditions. If I had to do it again, though, I'd definitely coat every exposed surface with something, anything, whether wax or oil or Boeshield, or whatever.

[David Keller NC]

A comment about oils as a rust preventative. From a chemistry perspective, oils work to prevent rust on steel or iron surfaces by excluding water vapor, which is a necessary catalyst for the reaction of iron with oxygen in the air. All oils are fairly hydrophobic (water hating), but they do vary in this capacity.

Natural oils, like vegetable and/or animal derived oils and fats, will allow some water uptake from the humidity in the air, and this may be enough to rust a tool over a long period of time. Moreover, the oxidation of these oils to form acid compounds creates an environment that favors oxidation of iron.

Petrochemical oils (those refined from crude oil) are generally more hydrophobic and will allow less water uptake than vegetable/animal derived oils, and are more resistant to oxidation (rancidity).

Finally, entirely artificial oils, such as the silicone and fluorosilicone varieties, are extremely hydrophobic, and will give the best rust protection to tools, and they are not subject to oxidation at normal temperatures at all. However, they will interfere with some finishing materials in woodworking, such as laquer.

My take on it is that the oil you want to use varies with the purpose. In my case, I use camelia for day-to-day use, where the tool will have the oil refreshed within a week or so. For long-term storage (like a month or more), I use a fluro-silicone oil (a so-called "teflon" oil), and try to remember to clean it off of the tool before use. For extreme long-term storage, I use cosmoline, as it's not subject to oxidation except over decades, and it can be coated on the tool very thickly, which helps further resist the penetration of water vapor.

[Matt Z Wilson]

[quote=David Keller NC;939698]A comment about oils as a rust preventative. From a chemistry perspective, oils work to prevent rust on steel or iron surfaces by excluding water vapor, which is a necessary catalyst for the reaction of iron with oxygen in the air. form acid compounds creates an environment that favors oxidation of iron.

Actually, water is not required per se for the formation of iron oxide (rust). The formation of rust is a "redox" reaction where something is oxidized and something is reduced. Without getting too technical, non-distilled water is slightly acidic with a pH of about 6.8, it is the acidic nature of water that causes the rust. A catalytic reaction, would not change the water at all (the definition of a catalyst) but careful analysis of the reaction shows that water as H2O is consumed in the process, and therefore cannot be catalytic. Rust can be formed in the absence of water, oxygen however is required; storing any iron containing metal in a 100% oxygen environment that is totally dry will cause rust. Take note of metal that has been in a fire, there is no water there, but alot of oxygen and there is resultant rust.

[David Keller NC]

True enough, though what I'm referring to is a casual understanding of "catalyst" in that it greatly accelerates a reaction. I find this reference often in laymen's descriptions of chemical reactions, though what is being referred to often does not meet the academic definition of a catalyst - which is a material that is not consumed by the reaction and lowers the enthalpic barrier between the reactants and the products.

However, from the practical side of things in a shop, water vapor is generally not in stoichiometric ratio to the iron - it's available in unlimited quantities, and the rate of corrosion is essentially determined by the mass transfer rate of the water vapor to the iron surface and the temperature. What oil coatings do is lower the water concentration in contact with the iron, with various oils having higher or lower equilibrium water concentrations, and thus higher or lower rust inhibiting properties.

And while true that iron will slowly form rust in contact with oxygen and in the absence of water, that reaction is slow enough at ordinary temperatures that we can ignore it for the purposes of inhibiting rust on tools.

For those interested here's a link to a description of the electrolytic reactions that go on in forming rust on iron. It's a complex topic - this page simplifies it quite a bit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust

[Michael Fross]

I've used 3 in 1 oil for the last few years. Have not noticed any stickiness. I also might be one of those odd fellows that kinda likes the smell....

I have an oil rag that I brush on my tools after use. When a project is completed, I'll wax them.

However, I've lately starting to leave the wax on the tools heavy and unpolished, and then just polish them up prior to use.

Seems to work in Chicago's sticky summers.....

Michael

[Doug Shepard]

Well, on a tip from Bob Zajicek I started checking into Ballistol
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...l&start=0&sa=N
and was intrigued enough to place an order for some.

[Larry Heflin]

Probably a dumb question, but here goes. So why does the oil from fingerprints do harm to metal instead of protect it?

[Randy Klein]

Probably a dumb question, but here goes. So why does the oil from fingerprints do harm to metal instead of protect it?

I think it's more the salt in the sweat that accompanies the oils. Not sure though.

[Matt Z Wilson]

Human sweat is a surprisingly strong acid. The salt itself is corrosive, but I think it's mainly the acidity.

[Jacob Reverb]

I just use a solution of drain oil and kero in a squirt can, and I keep a rag in a can saturated with the stuff. I use this to wipe machine tables, rules, tools, etc. when not using them. Then when I go to use the tool or machine, I just wipe it off first. Ain't pretty and it ain't zen, but it works.

[Alfred Cole]

I use lanolin for four reasons

One-- As an old shearer here in Oz pointed out, you never see rust on anything in a shearing shed.

Two --Real lanolin grease sets hard. Don't go for the high tech additive type lanolin

Three-- Yer know fellas, it keeps your hands oh so soft

Four -- I've never seen a rusty sheep.

Jerry

[David Keller NC]

"So why does the oil from fingerprints do harm to metal instead of protect it?"

Actually, both the salts and the fatty acids in skin oil will accelerate the oxidation reaction on iron. If you think about it, the composition of human skin oil allows a fair amount of water to be dissolved in it. Otherwise, your skin would not stay moist. Interestingly enough, I suppose, "moisturizers" sold at the drugstore could be classed as oils, but they also contain a lot of fatty acids and fatty acid esters that allow a good deal of water to be dissolved in it.

[Tyler Starter]

Has anyone considered just plain ole Mineral Oil?

... as from the laxative dept. in the markets...

[Ben Rafael]

Has anyone considered just plain ole Mineral Oil?

... as from the laxative dept. in the markets...

No. I have a high fiber diet.

I keep my planes in plane socks, my spokeshave in a leather case and I spray and wipe my chisels and saws with wd-40 then wipe after use. I have no rust problems on these tools and the wd-40 does not leave any residue that I notice. Do whatever works for you.

[Matt Z Wilson]

"So why does the oil from fingerprints do harm to metal instead of protect it?"

Actually, both the salts and the fatty acids in skin oil will accelerate the oxidation reaction on iron. If you think about it, the composition of human skin oil allows a fair amount of water to be dissolved in it. Otherwise, your skin would not stay moist. Interestingly enough, I suppose, "moisturizers" sold at the drugstore could be classed as oils, but they also contain a lot of fatty acids and fatty acid esters that allow a good deal of water to be dissolved in it.

The perceived "moisture" of skin is not actually water at all. The oil inherent in skin is what keeps skin soft and pliable. The water level isn't a factor. Even severely dehydrated people can have soft and "moisturized" skin. Fats are oils and water is not soluble in any meaningful quantity in oil. It's the acid (as fatty acids or commonly known simply as "fat"), not the water.