how do you keep tools from rusting

[tpolley]

here's my deal. i've got a cheap-a$$ cobalt truck bed tool box from lowes. it isn't the best at sealng out moisture. inside that is a craftsman 4 drawer hand tool box (also a pos) with all my tools. 95% craftsman hand tools. some harbor freight punches, and allen wrench sets. anyway it seems that i have to get them out two or 3 times a year and run an oily rag over every tool individually to clean off any surface rust and to coat them with oil. the tools don't get used often.
i've tried cilica packs in each drawer and those are alright if you're driving mrs. daisy. i drive a 3/4 ton truck and i will often drive it like i stole it. the cilica bags get torn from tools slamming against them repeatedly. makes a big mess.
i realise my options are limited. aside from buying a $700 weatherguard truck box what else can i do? it's a regular cab truck and believe me if i had room they'd be up front with me.

 

[Bo Heck]

every time you use a tool, keep a can of wd40 nearby and just liberally spray everything down? my first job ever, my boss made me do this for the tools in his truck.

 

[Bolster]

I use dessicant (silica) in CANS ... they're big, about a half quart in size each. They have to be reactivated in the oven every couple of months.

These are only $11 each.

 

[pirana]

I use Corrossion X.

 

[txz28]

I use dessicant (silica) in CANS ... they're big, about a half quart in size each. They have to be reactivated in the oven every couple of months.

These are only $11 each.

Where do you get them?

 

[Torque1st]

Those desiccant cans can be purchased at hardware stores. To use them effectively get your metal truck box sealed up as well as possible. Don't even try to use them in those plastic truck boxes.

 

[Paladin]

I like GI ammo cans for tool boxes that will be exposed to humidity, condensation, rain, etc.. because they have a rubber gasket in the lid that makes them air-tight. Oil your tools, put them in and seal the lid. No rust.

 

[B.K.M]

Oil is good, but since you're still having problems, you want to get the moisture to condense on something other than your tools. The silica gel really works better in a sealed container because it absorbs moisture. Because your container is essentially ventilated the gel won't help as much. Instead, try to get the moisture to condense on something other than the tools. You can do this by either making something colder than the tools or making the tools warmer than something else.

Find an electrical heating element -- it could be as simple as an incandescent lightbulb, a ceramic infrared element (like those used for reptiles), or an electric blanket. It should probably run on 12V since you don't necessarily want to run an inverter on the truck. The best thing that comes to mind is a 12V electric blanket that is sold for use in cars with a lighter plug. Wire it to the truck to run continuously or only when the ignition is on (depending on your battery power). Keep it in the tool box. It will warm the tools and the moisture will condense on the colder steel of the toolbox itself.

 

[Torque1st]

I like GI ammo cans for tool boxes that will be exposed to humidity, condensation, rain, etc.. because they have a rubber gasket in the lid that makes them air-tight. Oil your tools, put them in and seal the lid. No rust.

Just make sure you have a vent fitting in them if you change altitude during the day with those. They can be hell to open if air pressure changes. Don't ask how I found that out...

 

[Bolster]

Sources all over the place, here's one

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=359233

Ditto the comments on ammo cans. Excellent way to keep the inside dry. I've had exceedingly good results from ammo cans...except for the time I got a large one and bolted into my pickup bed...the holes I drilled let in the moisture. But undrilled ammo cans have been GREAT.

 

[krusty the clown]

Just make sure you have a vent fitting in them if you change altitude during the day with those. They can be hell to open if air pressure changes. Don't ask how I found that out...

wouldn't venting them allow moisture to enter that would make them useless for preventing rust.

 

[Stuart in MN]

What you need is a vapor phase corrosion inhibitor. It's a little plastic cup you stick inside the toolbox lid, and it contains chemicals that emit a vapor that prevents rust on anything inside the toolbox.

http://www.cortecvci.com/Products/MaintRepair/maintrep.php (scroll down the page to see the VpCl-105)

http://www.rustbloc.com/cgi-bin/spgm?dpt=H&srch=DS&item=bf81112-case

This page helps explain what they are and how they work:
http://www.rustbloc.com/techinfobf.shtml

 

[mkdive]

I use dessicant (silica) in CANS ... they're big, about a half quart in size each. They have to be reactivated in the oven every couple of months.

These are only $11 each.

I have one in my gun safe. Works great!

 

[Kevin54]

On all of my machinist tools I give them a rub down with WD-40, but does anyone use camphor blocks anymore? When I started in the trade, the older toolmakers told me that was the ticket to prevent rust. You could pick them up at a drugstore for a little of nothing. I don't even know if they make them anymore. They did work as a dessicant. Not only that, it would clear the sinuses when you opened your box.

 

[Bolster]

...it would clear the sinuses when you opened your box.

Hey, I could use that!!

 

[back2class]

YOU USE THEM. Pretty simple. The oil ang grease that gets on them keeps rust from forming.

 

[Frank Elson]

A couple of boxes I rarely go into had the same problem, as did my box of spare nuts and bolts.
I just sprayed a nice mist of WD40 over everything just before closing the lid. That's its main function, to dry things out.
Sure they're wet - for a few minutes until the WD dries out.

 

[Stuart in MN]

On all of my machinist tools I give them a rub down with WD-40, but does anyone use camphor blocks anymore? When I started in the trade, the older toolmakers told me that was the ticket to prevent rust. You could pick them up at a drugstore for a little of nothing. I don't even know if they make them anymore. They did work as a dessicant. Not only that, it would clear the sinuses when you opened your box.

Camphor blocks are sort of the spiritual ancestor to the vapor phase corrosion inhibitors I posted earlier. They work the same way, by putting out a vapor that lands on the surface of the tools which protects them from moisture.

I just did a google search on camphor blocks to see where you can buy them, and for some reason it shows up on a couple witchcraft sites.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

wouldn't venting them allow moisture to enter that would make them useless for preventing rust.

Need a vent you can screw open and closed, like that on a Pelican case.

Charles

 

[jay50]

YOU USE THEM. Pretty simple. The oil ang grease that gets on them keeps rust from forming.

Bing; finally someone with the answer.
Good ole grease and oil; keeps them from rusting....

Oh yeah, lay off the feather dusters for a while...and use all those shiny unused tools

 

[WVU Tuba Dale]

I wipe my stuff down with WD40 before the day is over. It helps get dirt and grease off of the SO rubber grips too.

 

[superautobacs]

I was going to recommend silica dessicants:

How about this product instead of WD-40?

"Originally developed by the Boeing Co. for the protection of aircraft parts, this penetrating formula not only displaces water, but also dries to a waxy (not oily) film that protects metals from corrosion for months.
An excellent lubricant, it will not attract wood dust or chips as an oil-based lubricant can. It is an ideal treatment for tools intended for storage, particularly in damp conditions.

The 1 oz (29.5ml) bottle is perfect for keeping in a tool box or shop to maintain easily accessed tool mechanisms (e.g., handplane adjusters, chuck mechanisms), while the 12 oz (340g) aerosol is for larger surfaces and areas that are difficult to reach (such as the blade height and pitch mechanisms on a table saw). "

 

[jsaw]

Use oily rags (Not oily to the point of dripping)to line the trays or drawers with, I sometimes find that a rag thrown in with the tools helps also. Also keep the tools well oiled.

 

[wrenchr]

Once winter hits I spray what ever aerosol oil I have in each drawer, a light mist not a heavy coat.

 

[64merc]

I have started using that T-9 stuff and so far so good. I have the smalll bottle.

 

[Bolster]

So many people using WD-40 to inhibit rust. And I thought WD-40 was not very good for preventing rust....

 

[Paladin]

So many people using WD-40 to inhibit rust. And I thought WD-40 was not very good for preventing rust....

Your right, WD means Water Displacing. It is not a lubricant/rust preventive per se. But, I find I have WD handy most times I use my tools, so I can't lie- my tools often get rubbed down with WD-40. It's better than nothing...

 

[bgott]

I used to think WD- 40 was great stuff for preventing rust when I lived in California and Nevada where there is little to no humidity. Down here in Houston, where the humidity is regularly 90 to 100 percent, a ten degree temperature change will condense enough water onto your tools to wash WD-40 off immediately. Plus, being that your tools are riding in a constantly moving and jostling vehicle, they are constantly rubbing together and losing chrome. That means more area to rust. If you aren't using them regularly enough to wipe the rust off before they get pitted you need to oil them with some nasty, sticky stuff like chainsaw bar oil. I have a can of stuff that I need to try, Zepp's Clear, Penetrating, Heavy Duty Grease. A friend of mine gave it to me and told me that it works great for preventing rust. When I lived in Florida I worked at a shop that did a lot of heavy ship machining and repair. We used some kind of spray on graphite lubricant that dried about like paint to coat rebuilt and machined parts that were going to be stored on the ship before use. That stuff worked great, too bad I can't remember it's name! Maybe someone else here has used it.

 

[stricht8]

I like PB Blaster Corrosion Stop:
http://www.expeditionexchange.com/blaster/

 

[bayou985]

Clean yer tools with WD40....It's made from fish oil so it dry's out quick Wipe tools after cleaning with Remington Gun Oil...Ya Heard Me??

 

[eschoendorff]

I use Corrossion X.

Same here. Works pretty well.... but impact tools can be a real *****!

 

[gofastman]

A good rub down with a rag sprayed with Royal Purple MaxFilm, I cant find CorrosionX anywhere, and I didnt care for Amsoil Metal Protector. So far so good.

 

[arkangel06]

You know those little packs you get with your shoes the do not eat ones?

I keep them stored with my bucking bars and razor blades and all other tools that can rust and they do a great job of keeping the moisture away!

 

[wrenchr]

Dust does not settle on the fender until you shut it off, or your tools will not rust if you are using them lol

 

[tsumetai-kokoro]

i have a lot of uncommon size and inch impact sockets that used to surface rust in about a day or 2. so i grease them and never clean anything and nothing ever rusts. i hate shiny brand new tools. to me it means they don't pull their weight / were a waste of money

 

[Kevin54]

I like PB Blaster Corrosion Stop:
http://www.expeditionexchange.com/blaster/

Does that smell as bad as the PB Blaster penetrating spray? The penetrating spray is good stuff, but man it can smell a garage up. If it smells the same I can only imagine a closed up tool box.

 

[stricht8]

It doesn't have the same smell as the penetrating oil but it doesn't smell pretty either.

Does that smell as bad as the PB Blaster penetrating spray? The penetrating spray is good stuff, but man it can smell a garage up. If it smells the same I can only imagine a closed up tool box.

 

[pirana]

A good rub down with a rag sprayed with Royal Purple MaxFilm, I cant find CorrosionX anywhere, and I didnt care for Amsoil Metal Protector. So far so good.

You can get Corrosion X online. A little goes a long way. I've got stuff I put in on years ago that have yet to show signs of rust & I live in the Houston area where the humidity is just short of a tropical rain forrest. Not to mention the proximity to the ocean & all the chemical plants.
http://www.corrosionx.com/

 

[mmg440]

Work with them often then only wipe the oil and grease off, I don't wash them in solvent or anything. The oil and grease coating when working with them protects them.


I think I might try some of that corrosion x for the hand tools I keep in a tool box I built on one of my utility trailers. They go a long time with out emergency use.

 

[ddrewyor]

Go to a local Best Buy, Circuit City, any electronics store, and ask for the dessicitant bags that come in the boxes with the electronics. They just throw these bags away and wiil gladly give them to you. No need to dry them out in the oven, just go get more for free! I have these in my tool box drawers and they work great. The only drawback is if the bag gets abused it will break and the pellets fall out. I have cut them open and put it pellets in a coffee can with holes punched in the top. Worked good. I also use them in my homemade line dryer for my compresor.

I use the Amsoil Metal protectant on my end mills, bits, blades, and cutters and it works well, but WD-40 or the PB products did the same job. The key is to make sure the tools are clean.

Dave
________
VAAAPP VAPORIZER