Tool protective lubricant

[condition001]

I'm a fan of wd40 sprayed on a rag and wiped on


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[MilkDud_5274]

I really like LPS-3 for this.

I noticed someone said eezox. I never have tried it on my tools, but i love that stuff for firearms. I'm sure it would work well for protecting tools as well.

 

[pizza]

i'm on the hunt for the 'perfect' tool lubricant as well. ideally something that works well and is nontoxic. i don't want to worry about toxic **** on my skin.

my wish list is:

• as close as possible to nontoxic (safe to have residue on hands, ok to eat after working if you forget to wash your hands)
• not gross to touch (not goopy)
• not too oily
• doesn't attract dirt
• lubes well (in light use)
• fights corrosion (are there nontoxic corrosion inhibitors?)
• doesn't need frequent application
• safe for all metals and most or all polymers
• cheap
• readily available
• doesn't oxidize/gum up over time

i know there's probably no option that completely satisfies all those specs.

as a start, i've used plain old mineral oil. safe for all metals and most plastics, nontoxic, dirt cheap.

i've also used starrett 1620 Tool and Instrument Oil, which may just be severely overpriced mineral oil. not sure if it has any additives or not. the MSDS doesn't say.

i'm thinking that mineral oil with a corrosion inhibitor added could be as close as it gets. just need to find an inhibitor with the right balance of efficacy, safety, and cost. i have CAIG Labs D100L in mind, but i'm still trying to research safety. it's almost 30usd/25mL, but that small bottle probably lasts a lifetime and treats tons of mineral oil.

ballistol was also appealing because it's possibly nontoxic (at least the plain stuff without propellant, not the spray can..), but after thinking about it more, maybe it's better suited to cleaning (especially firearms) than general purpose lubrication and protection. i say this because:

• it's miscible with water (why would you want that for storage?)
• it's probably incompatible with some metals like brass and copper

Lubriplate FMO350AW is the best thing I’ve ever used. Approved for food processing equipment so I assume it’s not as toxic as some others.

interesting. how do you buy it though? or did you just skim some from work or something?

PS: i'd provide links to references, but damn it all, my post count isn't high enough.

 

[giants]

Thanks, pizza.

How long does plain mineral oil last before you need to add more? Does it leave a residue that you can feel, say on ratchet handles?

How does it compare to car/paste wax?

 

[pizza]

i don't have a lot of experience with other light tool oils, so take what i say with a grain of salt. like i said, i'm still searching.

i don't lube my tools more than a couple times a year max. maybe i don't use them enough, hah. also i've been moving more and more towards tools with chrome or other coatings (like NWS finish 69), which helps a ton. in that case, i mostly just oil the moving parts.

how greasy it feels depends on how much you wipe off after lubing. if you can see a visible coating, then for sure it feels at least a bit greasy. corrosion inhibitors should let you leave less oil on the tool while still protecting it.

and just to clarify, i'm talking about highly refined mineral oil you can get in a grocery store or pharmacy. the stuff that even says on the bottle you can drink it as a laxative. seems pretty safe.

i think mineral oil can MAYBE gum up over a long time, but i've never seen it happen. i don't know if the stuff at the pharmacy is treated with some kind of anti-oxidant or if it only readily happens at high temperatures. or maybe oxidation's catalyzed by impurities that have been refined out of it.

side note, mineral oil is also what i use to protect drain traps from drying out. i use it for the same reasons. it's a light oil that doesn't seem to oxidize.

 

[sweet victory]

I've been using corrosion x on my tools and have had really good luck. I live near the ocean, so protection is a must for me.

In this test, the froglube did not perform well in corrosion testing.

 

[warrens]

ATF or LPS3 for me.

 

[giants]

I'm going to try mineral oil and WD-40.

Gun owners like Cosmoline for long-term storage of firearms. Brownell's, maker of Cosmoline, did a study that showed Cosmoline and WD-40 performed well for rust prevention:

https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=12616

 

[seber]

and just to clarify, i'm talking about highly refined mineral oil you can get in a grocery store or pharmacy. the stuff that even says on the bottle you can drink it as a laxative. seems pretty safe.

i think mineral oil can MAYBE gum up over a long time, but i've never seen it happen. i don't know if the stuff at the pharmacy is treated with some kind of anti-oxidant or if it only readily happens at high temperatures. or maybe oxidation's catalyzed by impurities that have been refined out of it.

side note, mineral oil is also what i use to protect drain traps from drying out. i use it for the same reasons. it's a light oil that doesn't seem to oxidize.

A cheaper source is baby oil. the only difference is the addition of scent.
WD-40 is fine for short term but it dries out and leaves a sticky non protective film after a month or two.

 

[1foxracing]

my wish list is:

• as close as possible to nontoxic (safe to have residue on hands, ok to eat after working if you forget to wash your hands)
• not gross to touch (not goopy)
• not too oily
• doesn't attract dirt
• lubes well (in light use)
• fights corrosion (are there nontoxic corrosion inhibitors?)
• doesn't need frequent application
• safe for all metals and most or all polymers
• cheap
• readily available

You might want to try Tsubaki oil, this is what the Japanese use on samurai swords. About 6 weeks ago I treated all my own tools with this and I want to see how it works over this winter.
It can be purchased on Amazon for $16 and a little seems to go a long way.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TPFVHC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[BlackLS2]

LOL just beat me to it....Tsubaki oil from Amazon. Works pretty well with the humidity in Idaho where the desert bumps into snowy mountains. Been using it a few years on tools that see moderate use, and it works very well. Going to try to handle-dip a pair of pre war 1940 Klein pliers that are nearly mint and have been treated with Tsubaki oil a few times; I will report back on how well the dip works. EDIT....decided to install Kleiin Koats on my 1940 Klien Lineman pliers; no dippin.

 

[pizza]

A cheaper source is baby oil. the only difference is the addition of scent.
WD-40 is fine for short term but it dries out and leaves a sticky non protective film after a month or two.

USP mineral oil is already dirt cheap, and i'm not really into fragrances. i go out of my way to buy all unscented soaps and detergents. my philosophy is that the smell of clean is nothing at all...
and don't get me started on this proliferation of perfumed garbage bags as if the trash can needed to be any more smelly than it was before lol

You might want to try Tsubaki oil, this is what the Japanese use on samurai swords.

interesting suggestion. i guess that's oil from pressed from seeds of Camellia japonica, a relative of the tea plant. i suspect that it may oxidize and gum up over time, but idk. sounds promising if it doesn't. let us know how it goes!

there are other traditional japanese oils like choji oil (contains some amount of clove oil). it seems like many don't recommend using it anymore, even on old, precious swords: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/2558-choji-vs-other-oils/

 

[rlitman]

USP mineral oil is already dirt cheap, and i'm not really into fragrances. i go out of my way to buy all unscented soaps and detergents. my philosophy is that the smell of clean is nothing at all...
and don't get me started on this proliferation of perfumed garbage bags as if the trash can needed to be any more smelly than it was before lol




interesting suggestion. i guess that's oil from pressed from seeds of Camellia japonica, a relative of the tea plant. i suspect that it may oxidize and gum up over time, but idk. sounds promising if it doesn't. let us know how it goes!

there are other traditional japanese oils like choji oil (contains some amount of clove oil). it seems like many don't recommend using it anymore, even on old, precious swords: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/2558-choji-vs-other-oils/

I agree about unscented mineral oil. I get mine pretty cheaply at Ace Hardware, and it works wonders on butcher block for me. But I find that oil as a rust preventative is not so great, because it doesn't stick around.

As for plant based oils, some are good and some are not so good.
Camellia oil is unsaturated, so it does rancidify. Then again, the same can be said about linseed oil, which we all know does a good job at preventing rust. However, as it rancidifies, it hardens. The in-between sticky phase where it's no longer oil and not yet a varnish is, well, nasty. Camellia oil's makeup is pretty darned close to that of olive oil, being largely oleic acid. And while it does rancidify, oleic acid is actually well known to protect metals from corrosion, and even is used to reverse some corrosion damage (particularly on copper).

Then again, not all plant "oils" rancidify, as some aren't even oils (that's the reason for the quotes). Jojoba oil for example is a wax chemically, that's just liquid at room temperature. The chemistry of jojoba oil is nearly identical to that of sperm whale oil, which also does not rancidify, and that explains why jojoba was one of the earliest oils used to lubricate machine guns (WWI era) before synthetics became abundant.

 

[DpSyChO]

Crc 3-36

 

[BajaScout]

Smells like sheep, which is what I'd expect, since it's lanolin.

So does tallow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow

 

[fsae0607]

WD-40 and a rag for me. I buy WD-40 by the gallon and dispense with a Milwaukee sprayer.

I live in southern California, so humidity isn't too bad of an issue.

 

[bpjr]

I've been using mineral oil on sewing machines for decades and it doesn't gum them up...even on the ones I've owned since the 1980s. Not my preference for tools but it keeps these machines rust free.

 

[giants]

I've been using mineral oil on sewing machines for decades and it doesn't gum them up...even on the ones I've owned since the 1980s. Not my preference for tools but it keeps these machines rust free.

Thanks.

Where on the sewing machines are you using mineral oil?

For tools, what is your preferred anti-rust lubricant(s)?

Thanks

 

[bpjr]

Thanks.

Where on the sewing machines are you using mineral oil?

For tools, what is your preferred anti-rust lubricant(s)?

Thanks

Sewing machines get lubed on the rotating drive parts. There are usually a dozen or so metal to metal points that need lube.

Penn fishing reel oil is my preferred anti-rust lube. It's $8 for 4 oz. I use it mostly on guns and fishing reels.

 

[Crabman]

I have been experimenting with some Hoppe's synthetic gun oil.

It is pricey, but a little goes a long way.

Has been good on impacts and other black oxide tools.

I have also tried Singer sewing machine oil. Good stuff, very thin a little also goes a long way.

Bruce

 

[USAMatt]

Corrosion X

That's what I use too.. for nearly everything. Sprayed daily on our PD rotary blowers to keep the lobes clear of any overnight rust. Tolerances are extremely tight on those. Excellent stuff!