Rust prevention for fresh cut metal?

[roc_on_the_rocks]

I built a dolly to store my Tahoe's 3rd row seats with spare material I had laying around and used 1/2" threaded rods cut to length. Given this will be stored in my basement which sometimes is a bit more humid than ideal (new dehumidifier should improve that), I'd like to brush something on the fresh cut metal to prevent rusting. I'd prefer to not paint it if possible, but will if necessary. The threaded rods are galvanized steel and the nut & washer are stainless steel, just because that's what I had on hand.




Would Ospho 605 Metal Treatment be sufficient? Or something else?

Thanks guys & gals!

 

[jayemm]

Since galvanize and stainless steel aren't particularly rust prone to begin with, why not a shot of clear coat.

 

[TractorJeff]

Fresh cut ends? I agree, clear coat would be fine!

 

[Marsim]

We use lps 3 rust inhibitor on commercial aircraft that works pretty good. Not sure about your application though.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Boeshield T-9. It makes a kind of thin waxy coating on things.

 

[nadogail]

Fluid Film is Lanolin Based and might be available at your local Home Depot.

 

[PCustoms]

Paint?

Not really a big deal imho.

Is the design asymmetric?

 

[Spud McGee]

Cold blue it and soak it down with oil. That works for guns and tools, even with higher carbon content steels.

 

[PCustoms]

Cold blue it and soak it down with oil. That works for guns and tools, even with higher carbon content steels.

Seems ridiculous for the cut end of a threaded rod.

No offense to the OP, but this isn't exactly precision metalwork....

 

[Spud McGee]

Seems ridiculous for the cut end of a threaded rod.

No offense to the OP, but this isn't exactly precision metalwork....

Ridiculous how? Wipe the cold blue chemical on. Then wipe some oil on it. It takes all of 30 seconds.

 

[PCustoms]

Ridiculous how? Wipe the cold blue chemical on. Then wipe some oil on it. It takes all of 30 seconds.

Because this is what he is worried about:

Whatever paint, spray or brush on, he has around will be fine.

Hell, it's being used indoors. Even if it rusts it will never be an issue. The rough cut is more of a concern then rust for me, with my luck I'd pick up a sliver next time I touched it.

 

[Dave Carney]

Amsoil MP

 

[Jlarson]

We spray the ends of cut unistrut, all thread and conduit with cold galv spray paint.

 

[Jswain]

Another approach if you aren't going to change the size, cut it to fit and use acorn nuts

 

[tinmanwpk]

We spray the ends of cut unistrut, all thread and conduit with cold galv spray paint.

Bingo! We cold galv everything going out the door.

 

[bwringer]

Some way, somehow, coatings will find a way to get onto the cloth of the seats. (Source: the removable second row seats in my van have remarkable powers of long-distance stain attraction.)

Paint the whole thing. Or clear coat or "cold galvanize" if the aesthetics are bothering you. Why the aesthetics of a homemade rack are a consideration in the first place I cannot begin to guess.

 

[tinmanwpk]

Next time cut it a little longer and get some decorative acorn nuts as an end cap.

 

[Bodj Built]

Because this is what he is worried about:



Whatever paint, spray or brush on, he has around will be fine.

Hell, it's being used indoors. Even if it rusts it will never be an issue. The rough cut is more of a concern then rust for me, with my luck I'd pick up a sliver next time I touched it.

100% agree. Making a mountain out of a mole hill. Literally anything you put on it will stop the minuscule amount of rust. Nail polish, regular paint, primer, spritz of WD40, rub some butter on it, cooking oil, engine oil... literally does not matter. Take a flap disk to those sharp ends, though.

 

[slidehammer]

I built a dolly to store my Tahoe's 3rd row seats with spare material I had laying around and used 1/2" threaded rods cut to length. Given this will be stored in my basement which sometimes is a bit more humid than ideal (new dehumidifier should improve that), I'd like to brush something on the fresh cut metal to prevent rusting. I'd prefer to not paint it if possible, but will if necessary. The threaded rods are galvanized steel and the nut & washer are stainless steel, just because that's what I had on hand.




Would Ospho 605 Metal Treatment be sufficient? Or something else?

Thanks guys & gals!

A quick shot of spray paint would be no more expensive or difficult than any method suggested here.

The benefit of paint is that it will dry. Oil, WD-40, LPS-3, cosmoline, etc. will remain tacky.

 

[thebmrust]

will remain tacky.

More tacky than the rough ends?

(sorry, had to say it)

 

[jayemm]

Why do I get the impression that some board members are OCD **** perfectionists.

 

[mogandave]

The cold galvanizing spray is nice for bigger stuff, but for small stuff and welds, a little brush (or finger) and ZRC Galvilite I really like. The Galvilite is actually kind of silver too.

We used it for shaft-ends and weld clean-up on galvanized HVAC products. IMO, with welds and shaft-ends a small brush looks much better than rattle-cans, it's cheaper, and you don't have to worry about getting rid of the cans.

 

[My Old Tools]

car wax will work just fine

 

[smackey05]

Clear coat or a thin coat of oil should be good.

 

[iamhomeless]

This is a job for clear nail polish

 

[crf731]

If you are worried about it, go to the store and get some stainless threaded rod to match the stainless nuts and washers. You won’t have to coat it with anything.

 

[djjsr]

Heat shrink end caps. Google will tell you where to get them.

 

[roc_on_the_rocks]

Hey guys and gals, thanks a lot for all replies. Unfortunately - and totally my fault - this thread ended up emphasizing my fabrication skills instead of my core interest here: Rust prevention for fresh cut metal.

Let me explain: When I was young (40+ yrs ago), I used to visit an old school metal fabrication shop where they would squirt spray fresh cut metal with some sort of clear liquid, to avoid flash rust. I have that stuck in my mind all this time and I can't get to figure out what that product was. I suspect it was some phosphate based product, thus my inquire on Ospho 605. Any guess of what that product it could be?


Back to my little project...

No offense to the OP, but this isn't exactly precision metalwork....

Exactly! It's not the launch base for Artemis.

Is the design asymmetric?

Yes, following the attachment points of the seat base.

The rough cut is more of a concern then rust for me, with my luck I'd pick up a sliver next time I touched it.

The picture is deceiving, but yes, it's a sawzall cut, but I filed the ends, so nothing sharp left.

Another approach if you aren't going to change the size, cut it to fit and use acorn nuts

Good idea, but this quick contraption wasn't worth a trip to a store.

Some way, somehow, coatings will find a way to get onto the cloth of the seats. (Source: the removable second row seats in my van have remarkable powers of long-distance stain attraction.)

Paint the whole thing. Or clear coat or "cold galvanize" if the aesthetics are bothering you. Why the aesthetics of a homemade rack are a consideration in the first place I cannot begin to guess.

Aesthetics was/is definitely not important, and I agree with oily/waxy coatings could end up elsewhere.

Take a flap disk to those sharp ends, though.

The picture was deceiving, no sharp ends left after I filed it. It's a rough cut done with a Sawzall, not a 5-axis CNC.

This is a job for clear nail polish

Bingo! I ended up painting the rod ends with Rust-Oleum® Specialty Appliance Touch-Up paint and realized I need to get some clear nail polish next time I'm at Walmart (making sure no co-worker is looking over my shoulder )

 

[mogandave]

I love Ospho and have used quite a bit, but it is more a rust conversion coating than a rust preventative for fresh cut steel. Ospho would be perfect for treating cut-off ends that are rusted, or for wiping down/ragging structural steel.

It amazes me that more people do not seem to use it or even know about it. It's been around forever, it's easy to use and it is (or at least was) dirt cheap.

 

[Joemctag]

Because this is what he is worried about:



Whatever paint, spray or brush on, he has around will be fine.

Hell, it's being used indoors. Even if it rusts it will never be an issue. The rough cut is more of a concern then rust for me, with my luck I'd pick up a sliver next time I touched it.

Agree. Rust there wouldn’t e a problem. BUT…..maybe he’s like me. I work with steel a lot and don’t like to see rust.
I have any to add, storing stuff in basements, especially in corners and low to the floor, surface rust, mold, etc. Steel wouldnyrust heavily. Now, getting wet, like with condensation, then not being able to dry out, yeah, rust is worse. Two pieces of steel in contact, then get wet, that’s the recipe for major, flaking, expanding, putting rust.