Oil Protectant over Black Oxide?

[thr3squared]

The other day at work I step outside for a call and in the dirt under a bush spy a full set of Paramount Allen Wrenches - totally rusted over. Ok, not a huge come-up but still, made in USA so I figure why not clean them up. 36 hours in Evapo Rust and they look great.

Question - any recommendations for what to oil them with to prevent future rust? I was just thinking something simple like 3-in-1 oil, do a couple light coats and then wipe away the excess

 

[ZRX61]

Yup, 3in1 will work, just put some on a paper towel or rag & wipe them down.

 

[Nutria]

Birchwood Casey Barricade seems to do a good job with salvaged tools.

 

[MongoTA]

I have Fluid Film and used that maybe 2 years ago on I bunch of stuff I picked up at auction. One of those days when I sorted, cleaned, and thought "Fluid Film will hold this stuff over until I can come back and...".

Everything still looks great. I use quite a few of the items and there's no residue that bothers me when using. I've been using the FF on new acquisitions ever since.

I use a FF dedicated microfiber cloth and buff it on with that. Fast and effective.

 

[thr3squared]

I have Fluid Film and used that maybe 2 years ago on I bunch of stuff I picked up at auction. One of those days when I sorted, cleaned, and thought "Fluid Film will hold this stuff over until I can come back and...".

Everything still looks great. I use quite a few of the items and there's no residue that bothers me when using. I've been using the FF on new acquisitions ever since.

I use a FF dedicated microfiber cloth and buff it on with that. Fast and effective.

Would you spray the FF on the rag and then wipe the tool down? Or spray it right on the tool?

I’ve used fluid film for a chain before. Wasn’t sure if it was as good for small tools like this

 

[rlitman]

Would you spray the FF on the rag and then wipe the tool down? Or spray it right on the tool?

I’ve used fluid film for a chain before. Wasn’t sure if it was as good for small tools like this

It is. Spray it on a rag and wipe it in.

 

[thr3squared]

Another question comes to mind - can I put the plastic case for the wrenches (first picture) in an ultrasonic cleaner with Simple Green & water solution? I wasn't sure if that would damage the plastic or remove the text (wrench sizes)

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I wouldn't expect the ultrasonic to affect the plastic or letters but would probably use something milder than simple green.

 

[vtcat]

There is a guy on Youtube that tests different products. He has tested a lot of rust preventatives, check it out.

 

[MongoTA]

Would you spray the FF on the rag and then wipe the tool down? Or spray it right on the tool?

I have a spray cans but also a gallon can of it. For spray cans, just what you wrote and rlitman confirmed. Spray some on a rag and wipe it on. I had a lot of items to wipe down so I started by lightly dipping the corner of a microfiber cloth into the gallon can, wiping it on the tools and buffing it off. Somewhere in there I transitioned to dipping the very end of the item into the can and then using the microfiber to distribute it all over the item. Didn't have to dip everything. The cloth gets loaded after a bit and allows you to wipe numerous items in a row.

Nice save on the allen wrenches, they cleaned up nicely!

 

[thr3squared]

I wouldn't expect the ultrasonic to affect the plastic or letters but would probably use something milder than simple green.

I gave it a try, and no adverse effects (honestly it didn't do much really).

I should have clarified - I use a diluted 5:1 (at least) water:simple green mixture

 

[thr3squared]

I have a spray cans but also a gallon can of it. For spray cans, just what you wrote and rlitman confirmed. Spray some on a rag and wipe it on. I had a lot of items to wipe down so I started by lightly dipping the corner of a microfiber cloth into the gallon can, wiping it on the tools and buffing it off. Somewhere in there I transitioned to dipping the very end of the item into the can and then using the microfiber to distribute it all over the item. Didn't have to dip everything. The cloth gets loaded after a bit and allows you to wipe numerous items in a row.

Nice save on the allen wrenches, they cleaned up nicely!

I gave the fluid film a try. Sprayed it on a rag and wiped everything down as suggested. Left it overnight and I'll buff off the excess today after work. I'll post some final pictures tonight.

 

[thr3squared]

Finished product, happy how it turned out. Ready for more years of good service!

 

[rancherbill]

My go to is Fluid Film