Tool preservation

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Mtns2Skies

Final Approach
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Mtns2Skies
In the dry Colorado climate I never had to worry about this, but now that I'm in a soaking wet Wisconsin climate I do.

How do you keep your hangar tools from rusting?

How do you keep spare airplane parts from deteriorating?

I've been corrosion-Xing all of my spare plane parts, but no clue what to do about my rusting tools. I've been told to use boiled linseed oil but wasn't sure if that's correct.
 
Back when I was a mechanic in the great midwest, I cured my rust problem by putting nearly everything (wrenches, sockets, etc.) into a vat of beeswax mixed with paraffin, 1:3 or so. I let the tools get hot, so the coating was very thin. Some of those tools still show the coating, more than three decades later. That same mixture makes excellent lube for wood screws; I literally just made a batch on Wednesday.
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Mtns2Skies said:
How do you keep your hangar tools from rusting?
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Having worked around the GOM and offshore, I converted over to plated tools where possible and when not possible like sheetmetal tools I'd apply a thin coat of WD40 over the tools. The WD40 was light enough to simply wipe off prior to use. The best practice for "perishable" spare parts is to store in a climate controlled area when possible. In some locations we kept our tools and spares in the same room we slept during a hitch or assignment as it had A/C. An alternative method is to make a "hot box" which is basically a container with a light bulb in it, but sometimes this will not stop the rust on unplated tools.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Back when I was a mechanic in the great midwest, I cured my rust problem by putting nearly everything (wrenches, sockets, etc.) into a vat of beeswax mixed with paraffin, 1:3 or so. I let the tools get hot, so the coating was very thin. Some of those tools still show the coating, more than three decades later. That same mixture makes excellent lube for wood screws; I literally just made a batch on Wednesday.
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Kenny, I'm in CT and would love to know more about that coating. I'll give Google a shot, but any advise would be great.

Thanks
Jeremy
 
"Soaking wet Wisconsin climate"??? When I was in northeastern Illinois (Chicago suburbs), I never had problems with rust. Granted, it wasn't Palm Springs, but I moved there from Atlanta and when I left went to the Florida panhandle. So my definition of humid maybe is a little different.
 
donjohnston said:
"Soaking wet Wisconsin climate"??? When I was in northeastern Illinois (Chicago suburbs), I never had problems with rust. Granted, it wasn't Palm Springs, but I moved there from Atlanta and when I left went to the Florida panhandle. So my definition of humid maybe is a little different.
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It's literally a part of the "rust belt" While I know that name comes from socioeconomic manufacturing conditions... I really don't think it would be called that if things didn't rust. :p
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WD40 on the tools.

Parts small enough to go in boxes can be wrapped in plastic with a dry desiccant packet and then put in a cardboard box.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
It's literally a part of the "rust belt" While I know that name comes from socioeconomic manufacturing conditions... I really don't think it would be called that if things didn't rust. :p
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When I used to visit family in SE Michigan during the holidays, I’d see vehicles that had been eaten alive with rust. Quarter panels that we’re nearly see through and bottoms of cars and trucks that were caked with rust. Needless to say, it doesn’t pay to have a nice vehicle living up there, not to mention having to trudge through snow and ice a good eight months out of the year. They finally got smart and moved to FL to get out of that mess! I suppose it’s all what you get used to...
 
Ryanb said:
When I used to visit family in SE Michigan during the holidays, I’d see vehicles that had been eaten alive with rust. Quarter panels that we’re nearly see through and bottoms of cars and trucks that were caked with rust. Needless to say, it doesn’t pay to have a nice vehicle living up there, not to mention having to trudge through snow and ice a good eight months out of the year. They finally got smart and moved to FL to get out of that mess! I suppose it’s all what you get used to...
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The reason for all the rusty cars was/is salting the roads in winter. I'm from Ohio, and grew up with rusty cars everywhere. But then I moved to Michigan and found
the problem to be much worse there. Let's just say that Michigan applied the salt is a much more liberal manner.

I spent one winter in Michigan - and that was enough for me!.

Dave
 
cessna182b said:
The reason for all the rusty cars was/is salting the roads in winter.
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Correct.

I enjoyed having a white Christmas and playing in the fluff, but I couldn’t see myself living there.
 
What brand of tools are you buying? I live in the Great Lakes region with 40 year old tools with no rust.
 
Dean V said:
What brand of tools are you buying? I live in the Great Lakes region with 40 year old tools with no rust.
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Are they in your temperature controlled garage or your uninsulated hangar?

I just noticed it on my bondhus Allen wrenches and DeWalt drill bits
 
Move to Alabama and you will know the true meaning of "humidity." A typical AC unit here has a steady stream of water coming out of the drain. Seriously. At times it looks like someone left a faucet running.

My solution is to buy inexpensive tools, keep them inside, and when they rust, break, or get misplaced, just go buy some more inexpensive tools.

I'm on a first-name basis with Harbor Freight. Still haven't bought one of their wicked "flaming skull" welding helmets, though.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Are they in your temperature controlled garage or your uninsulated hangar?

I just noticed it on my bondhus Allen wrenches and DeWalt drill bits
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Tools are in an unheated garage. No rust on anything.
 
Bell206 said:
Having worked around the GOM and offshore, I converted over to plated tools where possible and when not possible like sheetmetal tools I'd apply a thin coat of WD40 over the tools. The WD40 was light enough to simply wipe off prior to use. The best practice for "perishable" spare parts is to store in a climate controlled area when possible. In some locations we kept our tools and spares in the same room we slept during a hitch or assignment as it had A/C. An alternative method is to make a "hot box" which is basically a container with a light bulb in it, but sometimes this will not stop the rust on unplated tools.
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So the heat is going to lower the relative humidity, but it'll also accelerate chemical reactions like oxidation somewhat. Best place would be cool and dry.

Dean V said:
Tools are in an unheated garage. No rust on anything.
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Right, because all chemical reactions stop at absolute zero. Nothing rusts in the middle of winter in Wisconsin. :rofl:

Kidding, of course. Cars rust because we have to salt the roads. They do much better than they used to, though.

Personally, I don't do anything to my tools. Neither did my dad, and he's still using many of the same ones. I've not noticed any rust on anything. If you already have, it may not be Wisconsin that's the culprit... But anything you can do to coat them with a light sheen of some kind of oil can only help.
 
As a general rule, good quality tools don't rust much if used even once in a blue moon, because of the properties of the alloy used.
Now, If you leave it outside for a year or more, all bets are off.
 
Don't buy cheap tools. Got all my tools in my garage, unheated, unairconditioned, and no rust on any of the better tools, and they've been out there almost 20 years. No coatings, no special storage. Only thing that's rusty is sets of cheap tools I acquired from the Saga Of Drunk Neighbor Guy.
 
We used to get these packs with replacement turbine engines, I saw the value. I collect and store every form of these throughout my tools and antiques. I relocated from GJT to MKG, 15% humidity to 80%. The struggle is real believe me, Snap On to Harbor freight.

Funny, I drive an old Volvo with pretty much zero rust. In negotiating a deal with a much newer Ford for my wife, I brought up the inordinate amount of rust it had for it's age, using my old Volvo as an example. The Ford dealers reply was "yeah Volvo does pretty good" I asked why the inventor of the automobile fails so miserably at rust in its home state. They repaired and repainted the Ford...
 

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Everyone thinks they need perfectly dry roads all winter long in Nebraska, no matter the cost. I wouldn't be suprised if the more "green" auto manufacturing process performed worse than the older ways.
 
wilkersk said:
My tools are too oily to get rusty.
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Same here in northern Iowa. They are in the shed that's freezing in the winter and hotter than heck in the summer but they have enough oil on them from use that they don't rust.
 
Stephen Poole said:
Move to Alabama and you will know the true meaning of "humidity." A typical AC unit here has a steady stream of water coming out of the drain.
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I run a pipe from my A/C condenser to my garden and keep it watered all summer.

As for tools...I have 30 year old garden tools because I have a tub filled with coarse sand and used oil. I clean my tools and then rub them in the sand to give them a final cleaning and coat of oil. For hand tools I just wipe them off with an oily rag from my rag bucket before I hang them up.
 
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