Protecting mild steel

I've finished a grasshopper engine and need to rust protect the mild steel parts, I don't want to paint it as I don't get good results with this.

I'm thinking of heating the parts and dipping in oil, or any other suggestions please.

Bob.

Heating and dipping in oil can give a nice black finish. I usually use linseed oil on a small piece of cloth, heat the part and apply the oil until I get the finish I want. In my experience this will give some rust protection, especially if you wipe a bit of oil onto the parts occasionally.

Thor

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Glass/plastic case with a bag of desiccant inside, keeps the dust off as well

Very little paint used on my hot air motors that are stored in my uninsulated workshop, rarely is there ever a problem with rust. I haven't, but I have heard of aerosol hair spray being used as a rust preventitve, it's not hard wearing, but OK on items that are not handled much.

Ian S C

… 'I have heard of aerosol hair spray being used as a rust preventive' …

Used this myself over the years, nowadays I use clear lacquer spray available from any DIY/Hardware/ motor shops, hard wearing as it's made for car paintwork coating.

George.

Lanonin is a good surface protector for polished metal parts of an engine if you want to keep the shiny silver finish.

Paul,

From tests carried out in ME from long ago, ' Three-in-one' oil was way ahead of anything else.

I have just removed the tarnish off a small steam engine and coated the parts in metalguard as Bill has done. One of steel parts is flame blued for a nice contrast.

I quite like bare or blued steels. A huge number of sins can be covered up with filler and paint.

Phil H