How To Keep Tools from Rusting?

[Wjustic]

I live maybe 5 miles from the ocean, so I don't expect to keep my tools mint for very long. But these Snappy pliers are only about 6 weeks old! I've tried everything and lately I've been tossing silica packets into my toolboxes to try and keep things dry. Does anybody have any tips on keeping tools dry and rust-free?

 

[Rinspeed]

Oil is your friend.

 

[Dave455]

If you have bare metal tools, you have to wipe them over with an oily rag after each use.

I find that it does help if things like pliers are decent steel (which Snap On should be), and also if they have been polished (which the latest Snap On are not), but I have a pair of cutters similar to your pliers, and have had no problems.

I live in the, generally damp, U.K. and just wipe over with some WD-40 on a rag after use. Cleans off any grime and prevents any corrosion.

With your pliers I’d probably start by cleaning off the existing surface rust. If you don’t they will just get worse. Maybe think about chrome plated pliers if you have a particular problem.

 

[Ralf11]

Oil is your friend.

yup, and chrome is your bestie

 

[KennardK]

I always run into that problem. It takes a lot of work to keep tools from rusting. I work maintenance in a factory full of grease and oil which is actually nice. I bought a new 5 pc. set of pliers from the the Cornwell and used them on a Friday and I didn’t clean them off before I left for the weekend. I came back to work on Monday and they were full of rust. What a nightmare. I now make sure that I clean every tool I have with oil. I clean them then wipe them down with 220 gear oil. It’s a lot of work but when you have a big investment in tools then you have to make time out of the day to clean them.

 

[Al Borland]

Vacuum seal in a plastic bag and never open it again.
Otherwise, oil the tools after each use and keep them clean.

 

[dnschmidt]

Move to Arizona. It worked for me.

 

[RickyPetite]

Great review article, tested over 40 products. After reading this I purchased "Hornady One Shot". Used to keep guns from rusting and it was one of the top performers in the test. When I get a new tool, I spray some on, let it sit a minute and wipe off the excess. Put the tool in my box and have no rust issues. My friend uses it on his fishing knife which is exposed to salt spray and fish guts. He swears by it.

Comprehensive Corrosion Test: 46 Products Compared | Day At The Range

By: DIY_guy We all want to use goods quality products on our guns, bows, fishing gear, knives, autos, hunting and lake front gear and like you I?m not a fan of letting things get rust on them nor am I a fan of items wearing out prematurely. To protect my investment in gear, I began

dayattherange.com

 

[ZRX61]

Terrarium heat pad or two between ceramic tiles in the bottom of your toolbox stack under the bottom drawer. Drill a hole in the back for the power cord. By the next day the entire stack & contents are toasty warm.

 

[WAID]

Look into VCI products for lining wherever you store your tools. The dessicant packs can't do much without a sealed environment.

 

[RTM]

I live REAL close to the great Pacific Rust Generator, and have lots of woodworking tools. Oil is the enemy of most wood finishes, so I can’t use that for most of those tools. I keep most of my tools in closed cabinets and boxes, with VCI emitters in them. It’s especially painful on the newer bare metal tools like planes, where I have had fingerprints rust after a sweaty day if left on the bench. Wiping them down after use, with a clean rag, to get your salty sweat off them, helps a lot. Some guys swear by Boe Shield, camellia oil, paste wax, paraffin, etc. I think it takes all of the above to really reduce it. My next cabinet will give a terrarium heater a try, but I need to design around it.

 

[BlackBowtie]

Oil your tools, I wipe down my tools after a job/project before placing them back into my box. You could try leaving silica packets in your tool box/bag or wherever you keep your tools.

 

[shawhite]

When I was a kid I remember work with dad and his tools always had oil on them. I asked once dad why don’t you wipe the oil off before you put your tools up. He always said you don’t see any rust do you. Lol to this day I keep a coat of whatever I have laying around on my tools (boeshield or fluid film. For wood working tools it’s usually a wax base protectant. I live pretty close to the ocean as well.

 

[demarpaint]

I wipe them down with oil before they go into my toolboxes, and then again after each use. It works well for me, I have some tools that are close to 50 years old now. I'm a few miles from the ocean too.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I keep a can of CLP spray with my toolbox. Spray some on a rag and rub your tools down after you’ve been handling them.

 

[d42jeep]

If the smell doesn’t bother you, try Fluid Film. I use it on restored tools daily.
-Don

 

[measuredtwice]

I live maybe 5 miles from the ocean, so I don't expect to keep my tools mint for very long.

I lived 4.999 miles closer to the ocean for a couple years. To prevent rust you need to create a physical barrier. The next step up from oil is wax. A paste wax will last much longer than oil. The step up from that is either paint or chrome.

 

[O RLY]

Fluid Film sprayed on a clothe and wipe down regularly

 

[Max]

I use paste wax and Boeshield on my cast iron tools. But the biggest win for me is to run a dehumidifier in my shop - at 45% nothing rusts...

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

These are all great ideas.
One thing I do is when you get those little desiccant packages. I just throw them in the tray or drawer. If you think they are not doing the job anymore, I believe you just heat them up to dry the contents and throw them back in the drawer. I haven’t had any tools rusting so haven’t tried the drying option.

 

[M6erfan]

Silica/dessicant packs won't work. I use Ballistol to wipe my tools down, to keep surface rust at bay.

 

[Indexmill]

Those Snap On pliers in the OP are a tradegy. I would have a heart attack if my $80 SO pliers rusted like that after 6 weeks. If you can't stop the rust with one or more of the ideas in this thread, then stop buying Snap On.

 

[mr.lemons]

I've found that Snap on pliers are more prone to rust than most other pliers. Not sure why. Need to keep them well oiled if they are not being used for oily work. Think I would avoid Snap on pliers altogether if rust is a problem.

 

[measuredtwice]

According to SO, they put a rust preventative coating on. It's the last part of step F in the photo. It's not much but probably enough to keep them in good shape while they're in the white van. Some companies really glob on the rust protective coating. It's pretty thick on Channellock for example.

Use the pliers and keep them oiled and they'll get a stable dark patina from years of use. Leave them without oil in ocean air, and they'll look like they do in the OP.

 

[mercifiknow]

Fluid Film here as well.

 

[FuzzyTiger]

I wonder if hooking up a small dehumidifier inside your toolbox with a drain line for it could work. One of the tiny single room units. They're designed for 100-200sqft so they should be able to keep your toolbox dry despite all the leaks and constant opening/closing.

But mostly I just like WD-40. It does a great job at cleaning the tools and also lasts long enough to protect them from rust until the next time you use them.

 

[RTM]

That would take up a lot of space compared to the terrarium heater I think.

 

[Ralf11]

if you heat the container that has all your tools in it (box or garage...) above the dew point then rust will be very low because water will not condense out of the air onto the tools

figure out the worst case from a local weather station - usually in the winter is worst

you want what the electronic test people call a "non-condensing environment" - look in the manual for your Fluke or hp gear if you have one and you'll see the rating

 

[ZRX61]

I live REAL close to the great Pacific Rust Generator, and have lots of woodworking tools. Oil is the enemy of most wood finishes, so I can’t use that for most of those tools. I keep most of my tools in closed cabinets and boxes, with VCI emitters in them. It’s especially painful on the newer bare metal tools like planes, where I have had fingerprints rust after a sweaty day if left on the bench. Wiping them down after use, with a clean rag, to get your salty sweat off them, helps a lot. Some guys swear by Boe Shield, camellia oil, paste wax, paraffin, etc. I think it takes all of the above to really reduce it. My next cabinet will give a terrarium heater a try, but I need to design around it.

I wouldn't try it in a wooden cabinet

 

[matt_i]

I use either LPS-2 or LPS-3 depending on the type of tool. Wipe on with fingers and let dry or wipe some off depending on the part or tool involved. I have fluid film but it seems like too heavy of a greasy coat to me. I use the FF on vehicles and trailers.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

"root heater mats" lie flat and don't get too hot, but I find with regular usage that stuff just goes away on its own. I think Klein uses the same coating.

 

[pizza]

oil that sucker up and wipe it with a rag or steel wool. repeat until it looks good.

Tool protective lubricant

What does everyone here use for a protective oil coating on tools? I recently purchased a small set of torx bit sockets and used 3-in-1 oil to coat them. What I found is that after a few months, the 3-in-1 oil seems to have evaporated leaving the bit ends dry. Seeing this made me think about...

www.garagejournal.com

so far for me, mineral oil USP

 

[Williams B]

After each usage, oil the tools and keep them clean.

 

[Ton ton]

This is a problem I run into as well.

 

[Shiftless]

Another vote for Fluid Film. It works for me.

(I live 1 mile away from San Francisco Bay)

 

[measuredtwice]

Brake cleaner will strip some of the rust preventative coatings so if you bathe everything with brake cleaner then you really need follow that up with oil. If you strip the protectant and expose the bare metal without oiling afterwards then you are leaving your tools more susceptible to rust than they were originally.

I remember in another topic someone was complaining about the durability of wood handle screwdrivers but it turned out that he didn't realize that wiping them down with brake cleaner was removing the varnish.

 

[RTM]

Another vote for Fluid Film. It works for me.

(I live 1 mile away from San Francisco Bay)

I'll bid 1/3 mile, in the salty fog. (Of course, in this contest, its kind of a who fights the most)

 

[jonesg]

Ignore it.

 

[Prospecter]

If the smell doesn’t bother you, try Fluid Film. I use it on restored tools daily.
-Don

+1. Also close to the ocean. I spray FF on, then wipe it off. Then the tool is good for many months. Use it on my tablesaw, too. Works great! FWIW, I also use Woolwax when that's what I have on hand. Works just as well.

 

[Ralf11]

Boeshield, Gibbs, etc.