A light oil works, but you can also get specialist machine waxes from places like Axminster (no connection just a happy customer) that create a slightly thicker and not as greasy finish.

Allan

Camelia oil is the trendy choice. ARC do this stuff **LINK** Which seems like a good idea. I have got some but haven't actually used it yet – fortunately rust isn't a big issue for me these days.

HTH,

Rod

Camelia oil is the traditional Japanese treatment against rust for woodworkers.

So the origin is much closer to your neck of the woods than here

Jon

Liberon Machine Wax for larger items, BRIWAX clear wax for most tools, left on not buffed if for storage or lightly buffed for soft sheen. For more agricultural stuff, (hammers, axes, drawknives etc) we phosphate with KURUST after degreasing, wipe off quickly then wax when dry. Gives a nice satin blue black finish which is very durable.

Camellia oil for planes and tools in constant use particularly soles of planes.

We constantly get nice remarks from our customers on how nice the tools look when they get them.

Do NOT store in leather rolls, worst possible stuff for rust.

Inside storage cabinets, drawers etc the best stuff is the small stick on Vapour Phase inhibitor packs from Shield Technology but VERY expensive ( I think it is dearer than plutonium by the kilo!). Our way round this which works very well is to use sardine paste bottles with holes in the lids and fill with old fashioned moth balls.

Our garage workshop is very prone to rust having an open up and over door and we take a lot of care with rust proofing when our stuff is cleaned as nothing is more demoralisingthan having to do it agaain!

Cheers, Martin

Hi Paul. This stuff is pretty good **LINK** , it's made in Oz and inexpensive/readily available. Ever seen a rusty sheep?

Worth a try.

* Danny M *

Another upvote for ACF-50

It is not clear if the tools are displayed or stored and used, but I have found the Teflon based Dry Lube spray on all bright ferrous finishes to be extremely resilient (plenty of brands worldwide).

Some of my Chisels are getting on for 70 years old and I can still see my reflection (not a pretty sight) in them when cleaned for use.

The stuff is usually marketed to be applied to bicycle chains which repels dirt and water. It leaves a thin waxy coating which can be easily wiped off of tooling etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor

Geoff

There is a TV program called 'American Restoration' recommended cooking oil thinly applied. Still not sure about that and it's difficult to test as I don't have a rust problem.

Yes, 'drying oils'.

Geoff

Some vegetable oils such as coconut oil are nearly 100% saturated and they do not go sticky or thicken in air even after prolonged exposure. Coconut oil in the UK is a solid at normal temperature but liquid where it is produced, in the tropics, hence it is still called an oil.

I have tried it as a cutting fluid on the lathe and for tapping and it seems to work well.

I note that our Oz friends have already mentioned wool fat (aka lanolin). There was a long discussion while back on the Madmodder website about lanolin and the concensus was that it was a very effective rust inhibitor.

Mike

I would like to understand why some people have had bad experiences with WD40. I've been using it for many years with good results. The only thing it is not good at is as a release agent, but better than nothing. When the roof blew off my w/shop a couple of winters ago just about the first thing I got was a gallon of WD40, sprayed everything in sight. After a c lean up sprayed inside the drawers and cupboards where measuring instruments etc. kept. Now very little trouble, some staining, some rust here and there but easily wiped off. Lanolin is good, I buy it for cracked skin and found by chance it is a good rust protector. Difficult to find as pure grease, because of the anthrax. Got mine as "heat treated" from the land of the sheep Australia. Any thin oil will work for stuff in use.