Do chrome tools need rust prevention spray?

[throwaway723]

I've been building up my ratchet and wrench collection this year and the only place I have to keep them is in the garage which can get humid. Do I need to be concerned about my chrome sockets/ratchets/wrenches rusting? Concerned enough to spray them with something like WD-40 or Boeshield T-9? I suppose even the sockets that are in decent shape have some chrome damage. I found plenty of posts here talking about different corrosion protection products, but I wasn't sure if those products were only necessary on bare metal tools, or if chrome can also benefit from them.
Thanks.

 

[d.mcfarland]

Yes, they will help for sure. Chrome can still rust (I'm looking at you new Craftsman tools).

WD-40 won't do anything. Use an actual oil/product meant as a rust preventative. Even once a year is probably more than adequate.

 

[FuzzyTiger]

I wouldn't bother unless you're having rust issues.

What I do is just clean the tools I used after I finish a project. I figure that keeps them clean and protected.

 

[Dave455]

It is possible, especially in humid conditions, but it’s not common.

I speak with experience of damp conditions rather than humid, but same problem.

The biggest variables seem to be the quality of the steel, and the quality of the plating.

I have had similar pairs of pliers, both unplated, side by side in a drawer. The cheaper ones have picked up rust, the better ones not, so steel is probably the most important factor.

Chroming is next. I have had screwdrivers with thin chroming pick up rust spots, wheras better chromed ones do not. So, if you have good quality tools it’s less of an issue.

Personally, to be sure, I do wipe my commonly used tools with WD40 or similar after use. You don’t need to spray them heavily, just use a little on a rag. I also store them in a lined box. The latter minimises condensation issues during temperature changes, which can be more of a problem than you think. I reckon either precaution would eliminate problems.

Lesser used tools I wipe down and store in plastic boxes with rubber seals. This is probably overkill, but I know I’m covered!

 

[throwaway723]

It is possible, especially in humid conditions, but it’s not common.

I speak with experience of damp conditions rather than humid, but same problem.

The biggest variables seem to be the quality of the steel, and the quality of the plating.

I have had similar pairs of pliers, both unplated, side by side in a drawer. The cheaper ones have picked up rust, the better ones not, so steel is probably the most important factor.

Chroming is next. I have had screwdrivers with thin chroming pick up rust spots, wheras better chromed ones do not. So, if you have good quality tools it’s less of an issue.

Personally, to be sure, I do wipe my commonly used tools with WD40 or similar after use. You don’t need to spray them heavily, just use a little on a rag. I also store them in a lined box. The latter minimises condensation issues during temperature changes, which can be more of a problem than you think. I reckon either precaution would eliminate problems.

Lesser used tools I wipe down and store in plastic boxes with rubber seals. This is probably overkill, but I know I’m covered!

I didn't realize that liner helped with that. Are you talking about liner like this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DPSCPW9/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[throwaway723]

Yes, they will help for sure. Chrome can still rust (I'm looking at you new Craftsman tools).

WD-40 won't do anything. Use an actual oil/product meant as a rust preventative. Even once a year is probably more than adequate.

I had been looking at the WD-40 Corrosion Inhibitor. Though I wasn't sure if that's what people meant when they said they put WD-40 on their tools.

Corrosion Inhibitors for Metal | WD-40 Corrosion Inhibitor | WD-40

The WD-40 Specialist Long-Term Corrosion Inhibitor protect metal parts from rust and corrosion for up to one year or two years indoors. Employ preventative maintenance with corrosion inhibitors for steel, metal, tools, engines and other parts.

www.wd40.com

 

[4xdog]

I keep a fan blowing in my unheated detached garage. Simply keeping the air moving has helped with moisture and humidity issues.

Most of the tools -- chromed or not -- get a periodic wipe down with an oily rag. That and regular use are really all one needs. Special corrosion preventative treatments might help tools in storage, but IMO are more than's needed for tools in use, especially if chrome-plated.

 

[throwaway723]

I keep a fan blowing in my unheated detached garage. Simply keeping the air moving has helped with moisture and humidity issues.

Most of the tools -- chromed or not -- get a periodic wipe with an oily rag. That and regular use are really all one needs. Special corrosion preventative treatments might help tools in storage, but IMO are more than's needed for tools in use, especially if chrome-plated.

Thanks, I like the fan idea. A lot cheaper than keeping a dehumidifier running 24/7 too. Since these tools are just personal use, the common sizes will get used, but there will be sizes that I don't often use and they may just sit for years.

 

[f121]

As long as you don’t leave your tools out in the rain then put them in a cold damp garage, no you don’t need to. Maybe if your in a hot humid climate and your garage sweats a lot. Impact sockets will benefit from rust protection spray.

If my socket set or road box has got wet out on an job, I just leave it in front of the fire to dry out overnight.

 

[Garcky]

Well, if you use tools and wipe them down with whatever oily rag you have on hand, they'll last longer without rusting than tools you don't use. The key is the oily rag. You don't want a noticeable film of oil on the tool, but the exceedingly thin film applied by that same rag you use for everything else will do the job. If you do that regularly, the tools you actually use will stay rust-free.

For tools that are toolbox orphans, wipe them down with your oily rag at least quarterly. Makes you feel like you're doing something, and it does some good for those tools you rarely take out of the box. If your rag isn't oily, put some oil on it and then use that rag to wipe down everything. What oil? What oil do you have? Some motor oil will do the job - even synthetic oil will work. Me? I like the smell of Marvel Mystery Oil, which I never use for anything, really, so I grab the old can of that I've had for years from the shelf and pour a little on the tool-wiping rag. Makes my toolbox smell nice, too.

 

[throwaway723]

Thanks for the tips, guys. Hearing what you all do for your tools helps me to know whether I'm being overly concerned about this type of stuff. This is helpful.

 

[toolenthusiast]

WD-40 won't do anything. Use an actual oil/product meant as a rust preventative.

WD-40 was invented as a rust preventative for Atlas rockets. It’s the rust preventative product that beat Communism.

 

[Professional Tool User]

From personal experience, as long as you dry off your chrome tools after working in wet conditions and keep the tools oily, it shouldn't be an issue. That being said, it's tools with black finish like impact sockets, hex keys, and pry bar shafts that you should really be worried about if rust is a concern.

 

[Etchase]

I’ve gone thru a fair amount of Evaporust removing rust from chromed tools. Spraying a mist of something over the tool drawer is quicker then wiping down each item.

 

[M6erfan]

I’ve gone thru a fair amount of Evaporust removing rust from chromed tools. Spraying a mist of something over the tool drawer is quicker then wiping down each item.

Then the bottoms rust. I noticed this on some impacts I had in a socket tray. Sprayed them down with Ballistol but some weeks later when I went to use them, the underside had some surface corrosion. But the top sides looked great!

 

[tdkkart]

I drop mine in the closest oil drain pan on a regular enough basis that they stay well lubed and rust protected.

But yes, it can be a problem, especially if you have one of those garages that gets a case of the 'sweats" when the weather is just right.

 

[Garcky]

WD-40 was invented as a rust preventative for Atlas rockets. It’s the rust preventative product that beat Communism.

Well, the WD stands for "Water Displacement." It's wonderful stuff, but it's really just designed to get past condensation, etc. and leave a very, very thing film on what you spray it on. It's not very durable. Light oil, on the other hand, keeps both water and oxygen away from metal by creating a film that neither can penetrate. If you want long-term preservation of rustable metals, oil works best. That's why stuff was coated with "cosmoline," which is pretty much just petroleum jelly, like vaseline. Nasty stuff, but it worked pretty well. Of course you had to clean all of that nasty cosmoline stuff off before using whatever the thing was, but it would protect it from even salt water spray.

 

[M6erfan]

Well, the WD stands for "Water Displacement." It's wonderful stuff, but it's really just designed to get past condensation, etc. and leave a very, very thing film on what you spray it on. It's not very durable. Light oil, on the other hand, keeps both water and oxygen away from metal by creating a film that neither can penetrate. If you want long-term preservation of rustable metals, oil works best. That's why stuff was coated with "cosmoline," which is pretty much just petroleum jelly, like vaseline. Nasty stuff, but it worked pretty well. Of course you had to clean all of that nasty cosmoline stuff off before using whatever the thing was, but it would protect it from even salt water spray.

I spent weeks cleaning Cosmoline off an undercarriage and engine/bay. What a pain, but I will say that after 20 years, what was underneath looked like brand new.

 

[4xdog]

WD-40 was invented as a rust preventative for Atlas rockets...

Wasn't its development intended for short term -- like overnight -- storage of parts outside in San Diego during manufacturing operations? So yes for protection against condensation, but no for long term effects.

 

[Garcky]

Wasn't its development intended for short term -- like overnight -- storage of parts outside in San Diego during manufacturing operations? So yes for protection against condensation, but no for long term effects.

You know, I don't know, for sure. I know how it works, and that it doesn't last very long, though.

 

[toolenthusiast]

Well, the WD stands for "Water Displacement." It's wonderful stuff, but it's really just designed to get past condensation, etc. and leave a very, very thing film on what you spray it on. It's not very durable. Light oil, on the other hand, keeps both water and oxygen away from metal by creating a film that neither can penetrate. If you want long-term preservation of rustable metals, oil works best. That's why stuff was coated with "cosmoline," which is pretty much just petroleum jelly, like vaseline. Nasty stuff, but it worked pretty well. Of course you had to clean all of that nasty cosmoline stuff off before using whatever the thing was, but it would protect it from even salt water spray.

I’m confused as to what distinction you’re drawing between “a very, very thin film [of WD40]” vs “light oil”.

 

[Garcky]

I spent weeks cleaning Cosmoline off an undercarriage and engine/bay. What a pain, but I will say that after 20 years, what was underneath looked like brand new.

Yup. When I was working at a county fleet garage, I discovered an old military generator in a warehouse. It was part of a WWII era field hospital that was in storage for emergency use. Something given to the county by the federal government in the 1950s. I thought it was interesting, and got permission from the shop manager to haul it over to the shop and work on it in my spare time.

So we hauled it over. It turned out to be a field generator, powered by a Crosley engine that had been modified to use magneto ignition. The whole thing was brand new and had a heavy coating of cosmoline on it. It took me a couple of months, but I finally cleaned it all up, sourced a replacement toothed belt for the timing of the magneto, put in a new battery and five gallons of gas, and we fired the thing up.

Then, the county's emergency planning director came to the shop, and we fired it up for him, too. I mean, he was responsible for that military field hospital. His words were, "I didn't even know we had a field hospital." I said, "Well, now you have a working generator for it." So we hauled the generator back to the warehouse, and that's the last I ever heard of it.

It was fun to get it working again, though.

 

[Garcky]

I’m confused as to what distinction you’re drawing between “a very, very thin film [of WD40]” vs “light oil”.

The film left behind with WD-40 is made up of very volatile petroleum byproducts. It has a very short lifespan on surfaces. So, it's not a very good long-term protectant against oxidation. A film of oil will last longer, by far, which is why I'm recommending wiping down tools with an oily rag. That will work to keep them from rusting for a good long time. WD-40 will not, at least not for very long.

 

[BarrelRoll]

My junk gets covered in rock dust and gold slurry daily. I don't have any issues with my chrome stuff rusting, black oxide/ impact stuff/ chisels and punches are another story. Quality chrome stuff shouldn't rust I don't think I've seen a snapon/ williams screw driver, williams full polish wrench, or snapon ratchet rust when an operator decides to hose down my tool bag.

 

[f121]

The film left behind with WD-40 is made up of very volatile petroleum byproducts. It has a very short lifespan on surfaces. So, it's not a very good long-term protectant against oxidation. A film of oil will last longer, by far, which is why I'm recommending wiping down tools with an oily rag. That will work to keep them from rusting for a good long time. WD-40 will not, at least not for very long.

I like using hydraulic oil for this on non-chrome tools, usually because any job I do involving hydraulics seems to result in a ton of oily rags covered in clean hydraulic oil.

 

[Dave455]

I didn't realize that liner helped with that. Are you talking about liner like this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DPSCPW9/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Yes, similar!

I use a foam from a local craft shop. It comes in various colours and thicknesses (I get one about 1/8” thick) but it prevents tools from rattling around, and most importantly reduces condensation.

 

[woody 73]

True story no ******** either...
The people that built the garage for my house built in on a steep hill and every time it rains my garage floods. To make matters worse they used tissue paper for wood, (I kid you not). If that is not bad enough, I get 10,000 stink bugs per square inch dang bugs.

I use a ton of oil and grease on everything, and I never wipe them off, it stops the rust plus those stink bugs hate the taste. Sigh even after paying a king's ransom it still keeps flooding, I never seen so much of a hill cut away.

 

[RTM]

I live walking distance to the Pacific rust generator. Yes, Chrome or chromed tools will rust. I keep most in boxes to reduce exposure to the salty foggy air.

 

[ZRX61]

I keep a fan blowing in my unheated detached garage. Simply keeping the air moving has helped with moisture and humidity issues.

Most of the tools -- chromed or not -- get a periodic wipe down with an oily rag. That and regular use are really all one needs. Special corrosion preventative treatments might help tools in storage, but IMO are more than's needed for tools in use, especially if chrome-plated.

If ya have a toolbox on wheels:
Drill a hole in the back at the bottom big enough for a power cord.
Put one of those reptile tank heat pads in the bottom & place it on a ceramic tile.
By the next day the entire stack is toasty warm & humidity/moisture is no longer an issue.

 

[throwaway723]

I live walking distance to the Pacific rust generator. Yes, Chrome or chromed tools will rust. I keep most in boxes to reduce exposure to the salty foggy air.

I heard people say that wooden tool boxes are good for preventing rust. But that's a whole other question I have because they also say to lacquer a wooden tool box, inside and out. So if the tool box is lacquered, what does it matter if it's made out of wood? The wood is all sealed behind the lacquer - you may as well be putting them in a plastic box at that point, right? I admit I know nothing about woodworking, but this just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[4xdog]

I heard people say that wooden tool boxes are good for preventing rust. But that's a whole other question I have because they also say to lacquer a wooden tool box, inside and out. So if the tool box is lacquered, what does it matter if it's made out of wood? The wood is all sealed behind the lacquer - you may as well be putting them in a plastic box at that point, right? I admit I know nothing about woodworking, but this just doesn't make sense to me.

I've not heard that, but wood, even lacquered wood, has lower thermal conductivity and heat capacity than metal. This is why metals feel cool to the touch and wood doesn't.

Perhaps condensation onto the two materials is different as a result. I'd need to noodle on that a bit. Seems that with nightfall in an unheated garage that metal dropping in temperature below the dewpoint faster than wood doesn't really explain it...

 

[throwaway723]

I've not heard that, but wood, even lacquered wood, has lower thermal conductivity and heat capacity than metal. This is why metals feel cool to the touch and wood doesn't.

Perhaps condensation onto the two materials is different as a result. I'd need to noodle on that a bit. Seems that with nightfall in an unheated garage that metal dropping in temperature below the dewpoint faster than wood doesn't really explain it...

It's very possible that the whole "wood tool boxes prevent rust" thing was a myth. I'm searching again now and I see mention of it here and there, but nothing concrete yet.

 

[Kuma601]

So. Cal is pretty mild but our clothes dryer vents into the garage so that creates plenty of humidity in the cooler weather months. Each winter I do the lube routine as well the steel work surfaces on the bandsaw, drill presses, etc. All the tools in the chest had the beginnings of rust when I neglected to wipe them down one season. I tend to like clean sockets so if they got greasy or oily they get a dunk in the degreaser then a wipe with a chrome polish spun in the drill. The other hand tools get a silicone impregnated cloth wipe.

 

[throwaway723]

It's very possible that the whole "wood tool boxes prevent rust" thing was a myth. I'm searching again now and I see mention of it here and there, but nothing concrete yet.

Huh, it looks like it may actually be the other way around - wood (at least some wood) may actually accelerate corrosion:

Corrosive effects of wood objects on other exhibits

Wood is a corrosive substance by nature. Unlike most other corrosive substances, one of the corrosive chemicals in it, acetic acid, is volatile, and in an ill-ventilated space, wood can cause corro…

careforwood.wordpress.com

More anecdotal evidence:

Rust protection - again - wooden toolboxes

Ok, all of my **** is rusting again. I walk away for a few days and come back and it's all got a layer of orange. I haven't turned the heat on yet, but I need to I guess. Have people noticed that when tools are kept in wooden boxes, they don't rust? Tooling in my vidmar rusts, tooling kept...

www.practicalmachinist.com

And then there's the glue that holds the wooden tool box together too - some glue vapors can be corrosive.

Maybe I'll just stick to a metal tool box.

 

[f121]

So. Cal is pretty mild but our clothes dryer vents into the garage so that creates plenty of humidity in the cooler weather months. Each winter I do the lube routine as well the steel work surfaces on the bandsaw, drill presses, etc. All the tools in the chest had the beginnings of rust when I neglected to wipe them down one season. I tend to like clean sockets so if they got greasy or oily they get a dunk in the degreaser then a wipe with a chrome polish spun in the drill. The other hand tools get a silicone impregnated cloth wipe.

Duct the dryer vent outdoors?

 

[VolvoRyan]

Did we mention dehumidifiers? They can work well. The also keep the old cars I pull out of barns happy.

For me, this is why my tools get clean... but not *too* clean.

-Ryan

 

[RTM]

Most wooden tool boxes I’ve seen have been unfinished inside. I’ve never heard of either wood or metal preventing rust. I’ve seen camphor, bullfrog VCI paper, mothballs etc inside old boxes in the past.

My boxes keep the dampness in the air from condensing on the tools, and allow it to condense on the exterior of the box. Not a 100% solution, but better than leaving them hanging on a pegboard.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I wipe mine down periodically with CLP on a rag. Seems to help.

 

[humber2]

The chrome plated surface is an oil absorber.

Used Stahlwille plated tools emerge silvery white after a session in paint stripper.

Yes they will rust anywhere anytime but I use less than a drop of lanolin per wrench or socket to keep rust at bay. A quick wipe with a corner of a rag wetted.

If you can keep your collection above the dew point at all times then problem solved.

Now garage construction comes into play too.

A wooden suspended floor is ideal. A concrete floor and block walls is poor.

ymmv

 

[demarpaint]

Whenever I do an oil change I make sure I get all the oil out of the bottles by leaving them upside down and let them drain into a funnel going into one of the bottles of oil. I use that remaining oil to wipe my tools with oil before putting them away. That helps a lot in my damp garage. I also make it a point to open my garage door about a foot every morning to allow for air flow when I'm home.