Stopping castings rusting

So another beginner question you might say....

When you have finished a model, protection from rusting is normally in the form of oiling for the inside and the graphite yarn on pistons will assist with this. For the outside, paint is normally the order of the day....that is, unless its a surface that is polished and by design is to be free from paint and/or oil. E.G. a Flywheel.

So....how do you prevent those shiny non coated parts like flywheels, valve chests and covers from rusting?

Interested to hear your views.

Thanks

Matt

I haven't used it but own some rustins metal lacquer

If storage area is reasonably warm and dry,a light smear of 3 in 1 oil helps retain the shine, if stored under worse conditions then a thicker oil ,e.g. a straight 30 motor oil helps keep rust at bay, though i have found that high grade motor oils are not as good as mono grade cheap oils.possibly due to the good oil absorbing water. Only use wd 40 to dry out a model that has got wet,it does not keep water at bay for long periods. on larger model stationary engines or full size restored engines ,one way to keep the flywheels and other bright parts bright is to oil up the bright surfaces with cheap oil and then cover the surface with cling film. Ideal for winter storage.

my only thought about using any type of oil is the smell..... I am hoping to have my Stuart D10 proudly displayed somewhere around the house and want to avoid the wife telling me it has to go away because it smells oily!!!

But thanks for the feedback....

Unless you live in a very damp house I would not worry. I made my D10 about 30years ago and its sat on various shelves ever since no sign of rust on any of the bare metal be it steel or iron.

This is a video of it taken a few months ago, not much sign of rust, dust on the other hand is more of a problem!

I use boiled linseed oil thinned with white spirit.

How about renaissance wax, quite expensive but its great stuff for allsorts of things.

Not tried it on cast iron but a solution of shellac in meths works well on brass and keeps it bright for years.

Russell.

This stuff is brilliant.

I have been using this one small 2" diameter tub on carbon steel knives, etc. for years. The tub contains an impregnated cloth. One wipe over and the steel/iron is rust proofed.

Rod

My 10V is only half the age of Jason's but after seventeen years in workshops it's also rust free.

Neil

Beeswax or furniture polish

The Japanese have been using Camellia Oil to protect cutting tools and weapons for centuries.

Motorcyclists have been using Motorex Moto Protect with much success; (formerly Motorex 645, then Protect and Shine )

Both products can be obtained cheaper with a little research.

.

When my brother worked in carpentry he used Future floor coating on his tools to prevent rust. Based on his experience I used Future to protect soil sampling tubes from rust. It worked beautifully. Is Future available in the UK?

Future is known as Johnsons Klear in the UK. Great for plastic kit modellers too.

Ed.

I find that highly polished surfaces are not prone to rust if kept indoors, with no need for coatings. The exception is EN1A - it rusts before you get it off the machine tool. These cast iron flywheels reside in the assembly hall (sorry, I meant kitchen) and seem fine so far:

Andrew

Apparently, hair spray works quite well.

One interesting method was used by Dr. J. Bradbury Winter, and mentioned in the first issue of "The Model Engineer and Amateur Electrician" in 1898. In the glass case that he kept his models on display he placed small glass trays with concentrated sulphuric acid, this absorbs the moisture from the air, preventing rust. Maybe not recommended today, but a similar system could be use using silica-gel.

I tend not to paint my creations, and have little trouble with rust, even though they are mostly kept in my uninsulated and unheated galvanised iron workshop.

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 06/05/2016 10:34:46

ACF50 (google it) spray onto paper towel or chamois swab and apply very lightly.

The best product for rust prevention I've found is 'Waxoyl'. Used by the classic car fraternity for rust proofing chassis and body panels it will even protect items stored outdoors, as well I know. It is also easily removed with white spirit or similar. Used to be available from Halfords. Another plus is that it's cheap!

Back in the day (80's) I bought some rust inhibit paper.

it still works

No gunge to clean off