How would you prevent a "stainless steel" toolbox from rusting?

[Itsjustdirt]

I will be using a costco "stainless steel" toolbox as an outdoor (but covered by an overhang) bbq supply box and prep station. I know the quality of stainless can't be very high on a 66" toolbox that cost less than a grand. How would you prevent rust on this box that will be sitting outside year round?

My options so far...
-Automotive synthetic sealant (ie: synthetic car wax)
-museum wax
-Lightly coat in CorrosionX or Fluid Film (I'm assuming both will attract dirt and dust and feel sticky)
-make a waterproof cover for it (I wonder if this option would actually trap moisture in and increase chance of rust?)

Any other ideas?


Here is the box

https://www.costco.com/trinity-66%22-stainless-steel-rolling-workbench.product.100491860.html

 

[Old Man Roger]

Theoretically, a stainless box shouldn't rust, but we all now the quality of the stainless probably isn't very good. A good car wax would probably help, and then you have to keep all the hardware from rusting. A good spray lube would probably do the job. You'll likely have to recoat occasionally.

 

[rlitman]

How much of it is actually stainless? Most of the "stainless" boxes I've seen have stainless drawer fronts and everything else is just powder coated metal. Expect it to be overrun with insects (especially spiders)(too.

 

[brownbagg]

paint it

 

[finn]

It’s probably not the best choice for a bbq storage box. I think you know that, though. Would probably work in Arizona.

I would try an automotive paste wax. Not sure what you do about the slides, though. Need food grade silicon or synthetic grease spread lightly on the mechanism.

 

[05snopro440]

It's not the quality of stainless, it's the grade. Cheaper stuff tends to be made of Stainless Steel grades that are less corrosion resistant.

Covering a BBQ from the elements helps reduce chances of corrosion, covering this would help as well.

I would either try a good polish job once a year or so or clear coat.

 

[mcbane]

Technically, steel alloys with zero percent chromium are not actually stainless steel. Those alloys are called nickel pig iron and are frequently used in China to make "stainless" steel that is only a bit more corrosion resistant than mild steel. Best protected by painting.

 

[welder4956]

This: https://trinityii.com/72in-table-and-workbench-cover-black/

 

[rayra]

wax it.

 

[Jagmandave]

I live in humid Kansas and have had a "cheap" Costco SS toolbox for over 15 years now, there is no corrosion of any type on it anywhere - now admittedly mine is in my garage, but it gets plenty humid in there too.

However, I have looked at the box the OP is referencing in the store and it has a powdercoated steel frame and SS drawer fronts - IMHO it is not well made as a tool box but might be perfect for what the OP wants it for.....

I agree with a cover to keep the elements off of it......

 

[kwb]

WD-40 or Signature Polish

 

[nadogail]

The Owners Manual did not download before I ran out of patience. Therefore I don't feel confident in making an opinion.

 

[Jackfre]

Back in the day I welded a ton of SS alloys and it really is amazing the variety. When describing SS I always use the gun industry. Back when S&W and Ruger were first making SS guns they had a heck of a time making them without tearing up their tooling. By the time they made a gun that could be machined cost effectively they made a SS gun that will rust. I use Johnson’s paste wax.

 

[Casey69]

My POS Whirlpool “stainless steel” fridge rusts. I have to wax it every year with automotive wax as a preventative. I’m guessing there‘s more stainless steel in my $10 beverage tumbler than there is in my $1000+ fridge.

 

[pcmeiners]

"Cheaper stuff tends to be made of Stainless Steel grades that are less corrosion resistant."

It not so much the "cheaper stuff", almost all stainless boxes are the same grade as it it easy to form. Had a Sear stainless box which became exposed to slight condensation, it became a rust bucket. Unless your never have condensation, your better off with a painted/powder coat box. Granted it would be nice to have boxes made with 304 or 316, and for tool polishers to have them electro polished also.

 

[05snopro440]

"Cheaper stuff tends to be made of Stainless Steel grades that are less corrosion resistant."

It not so much the "cheaper stuff", almost all stainless boxes are the same grade as it it easy to form. Had a Sear stainless box which became exposed to slight condensation, it became a rust bucket. Unless your never have condensation, your better off with a painted/powder coat box. Granted it would be nice to have boxes made with 304 or 316, and for tool polishers to have them electro polished also.

410 is common in less expensive products, 304, 316, and even more corrosion resistant grades are used in more expensive products. The more difficult grades to form create more manufacturing cost, which makes them more expensive.

The box you buy at Costco is likely going to be 410, the box you buy for 5x that price likely won't be.

 

[Itsjustdirt]

a bunch of great ideas! It sounds like a wax/polish annually and a cover may be the best bet

 

[Daveyclimber]

My Costco box sits in a horse trailer that is exposed to weather. Tools rust but the box does not.

 

[Norcal]

If a magnet sticks it's a lower grade of "stainless", I have a Costco "stainless" box & looking for ideas from this thread, GJ member ZRX61 made some comments about the box in a thread before I bought it & should have listened & looked for another one.

​

 

[simnil]

If a magnet sticks it's a lower grade of "stainless", I have a Costco "stainless" box & looking for ideas from this thread, GJ member ZRX61 made some comments about the box in a thread before I bought it & should have listened & looked for another one.

​

It's more of if it's Ferritic or Austenitic stainless rather than price, magnet sticks to Ferritic steel, not to Austenitic.
However Austenitic stainless usually contains more chromium, which is an expensive alloying element, and usually have higher corrosion resistance so Yes, in a way you are right =)

Anyways, you can make almost any "stainless" material corrode. Simplest way is just to scratch it with a piece of non stainless piece of steel or tool. The scratch often starts to corrode and wont stop until all remains of the scratching object, and rust/corrosion, is polished away so the stainless piece can form a new solid layer of oxide which compose the corrosion protection.

 

[Steel_Rain]

This is an ancient thread, but does anyone own one of these TRINITY boxes? The drawers are somewhat random, but I have a $200 Costco gift card and they are $200 off right now, making it a $600, 66" stainless box:

https://www.costco.com/p/-/trinity-66-stainless-steel-rolling-workbench/100491860

There isn't much about these on GJ. I found some old threads from 2015 and 2017, but not much else. I have many toolboxes already, but I'd consider this for a secure, outside area and the stainless appeals to me.

Owners thoughts on this?

 

[pcmeiners]

Refer to posts above, if your not willing to pay a higher non Costco price (a lot higher) it is going to rust with condensation.

 

[Steve_P]

I am not familiar with the box, but cheap stainless is generally junk as far as rusting outdoors as it's a recycled soup and has too much carbon steel mixed in with it- so it will rust in humidity unless it's clear coated; and then what's the point of a clear coated stainless box unless you want to try and impress people with it. You'd be better with a dipped or powder coated box.

~20 years ago I did a design and analysis project at work for a very fancy, expensive, and special stainless cabinet to store some very special material in it. I did all of the drawings and specified 304/304L stainless, did all of the calculations and FEAs for 304/304L.... And then the fab shop I was doing it for said to change it to 316/316L. I said, it'll be indoors in a climate-controlled space.... "We don't use 304 anymore as most is a recycled mess from China, has too much carbon, and then it rusts, especially at any welds, and the customer complains....If we spec 316/316L we can insure it will be US made, and even though it costs more...." And that was 20 years ago on 304.

 

[4xdog]

I've had one of those Costco stainless steel boxes for 15-20 years now. Until the last year and a half it was in my unheated, marginally-sealed garage in humid Saint Louis. No corrosion at all.

They’re an OK box for the money. I’m not sure I’d buy it again, and TBH I’ve often thought about upgrading. But it’s done its job and it gets used daily.

The shallow drawers are kind of short, and the entire box isn't deep. I’ve had to be careful with what socket racks I use, and even then larger deep sockets are too tall. The rubber hold-closed inserts on the most-often used drawer slides wore out and those drawers wouldn’t stay closed. This month I replaced the worn out ones with new versions from Amazon.

 

[Dig Doug]

Have a cover made for it and use good fabric

Cover it during the bad months or not used very much months

I’d still wax it or coat it maybe a couple times a year

 

[Recoveryman]

Have a cover made for it and use good fabric

Cover it during the bad months or not used very much months

I’d still wax it or coat it maybe a couple times a year

If I were wanting a weather resistant cover for a box that gets some weather, I would find a shop that repairs and makes weather resistant tops for open top trucks such as semi's.
Recoveryman

 

[nadogail]

jhonsons paste wax