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Best way to store rusty padlocks

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NYC-10036a

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:23 am

Best way to store rusty padlocks

Thoughts on best conditions to discourage further rusting? At present I simply bag them, and, obviously keep them away from water. Would they be better off exposed to air?
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Anarchy_won

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:34 am

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

wipe them down with a light oil it will slowdown/stop the rust for continuing. (thats all I do for my older locks)
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NYC-10036a

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 12:29 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

Can I use mineral oil? Is storing in airtigh plastic containers or bags actually harmful to the lock?
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xeo

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 1:28 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

Wrap each of them in their own individual diaper.

On a more serious note, skin oil definitely helps in destroying metal over time. I always stayed conscious of that whenever handling my locks or any other metallic item I wanted to preserve long term.
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NYC-10036a

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 3:32 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

Was hoping for something non-toxic. Suggestions? So no ziplocs, etc?
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MBI

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 4:31 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

A good penetrating oil will soak into the rusty area and stop it from progressing any further. It also shouldn't harm the patina on any brass or bronze metals, but test it on a small area first to be sure. Leave the oil residue on the lock when it's in storage. Make sure to get the oil on any parts that might rust. If you need to get it inside the lock some penetrating oils are available in aerosol cans with the little red straws so you can direct it exactly where you want it, even inside the lock through the shackle holes, or any other places you can get the straw to spray down those springs inside.

You can also get a special brown paper that's impregnated in a chemical that will emit fumes of a metal preserving agent, to wrap guns, knives, locks or whatever for storage. Sometimes it's sufficient to just cut out a little 1" or 2" square of the paper and put the lock and the piece of paper in a small ziploc together, which makes sure those fumes stay right with the item you're protecting. But if your stuff is already rusty I'd spray or wipe it down with the oil first before using the paper. The paper is more for preventing corrosion than for stopping what's already there.
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Rumball Solutions

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:50 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

xeo wrote:Wrap each of them in their own individual diaper.

On a more serious note, skin oil definitely helps in destroying metal over time. I always stayed conscious of that whenever handling my locks or any other metallic item I wanted to preserve long term.


:agree:

I use old cotton socks (clean of course) just lightly misted with some spray gun oil. Much the same idea as diapers (or nappies as we say down here). Cut up old cotton t-shirts or underwear work well also. I've found that unless you put a desiccant agent in sealed containers there is always a risk of sweating or condensation forming from air trapped inside.

Most important thing I've found is a thorough cleaning and then a light re-oiling when you first acquire items. You never know what things have been in contact with in the past, so it's better off starting with a clean slate so to speak
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GWiens2001

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:17 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

Rust? We don't get much of that here. :D

Thought the best way to store rusty padlocks was in the rust they were packed in. :) Seriously, I use rust penetrant and spray them down well, then let them sit a day or two, then try to wipe it down.

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NYC-10036a

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 7:57 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

Thanks again for the suggestions. Does there exist a non -toxic penetrating oil?
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LockButcher

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 9:14 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

NYC-10036a wrote:Thanks again for the suggestions. Does there exist a non -toxic penetrating oil?

A quick amazon search shows it exists buuuuut does it work is the real question. Haha. If you want to try it its called Bio-Blast. Says its nontoxic and gives the old petroleum based stuff a good run for its money. If you do try it please report back on how it works.
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MBI

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Post Fri Mar 25, 2016 11:52 pm

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

Someone recently used a mass spectrometer and found out that a very popular gun lube, and one with some of the best corrosion-resistant properties (also non-toxic)... is mostly just coconut oil with some added scent and color to disguise what it really is. Froglube, formerly Tracklube.

Here is a comparison test a guy did to see which gun lube products provided the best corrosion protection. I was impressed at how well the test was done, compared to earlier articles I've seen attempting the same thing.
http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667
This was published well before it was discovered Froglube was mostly just coconut oil.

I'd want to see or perform some additional testing before I trusted it plain coconut oil to protect anything of serious value, but it's intriguing. If you decide to try it out, it's pretty expensive at the grocery store but Costco has big tubs of it at a decent price.
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Josephus

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Post Sat Mar 26, 2016 2:53 am

Re: Best way to store rusty padlocks

MBI wrote:Someone recently used a mass spectrometer and found out that a very popular gun lube, and one with some of the best corrosion-resistant properties (also non-toxic)... is mostly just coconut oil with some added scent and color to disguise what it really is. Froglube, formerly Tracklube.

Here is a comparison test a guy did to see which gun lube products provided the best corrosion protection. I was impressed at how well the test was done, compared to earlier articles I've seen attempting the same thing.
http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667
This was published well before it was discovered Froglube was mostly just coconut oil.

I'd want to see or perform some additional testing before I trusted it plain coconut oil to protect anything of serious value, but it's intriguing. If you decide to try it out, it's pretty expensive at the grocery store but Costco has big tubs of it at a decent price.


Some carpenters I know use coconut oil on everything from finishes to chisels. Maybe they are on to something.

That rust preventing resin paper was used by the roll at my last industrial job. It's good enough for a while but when the tsunami hit Japan, parts went to long-term storage. We had to dunk Toyota parts in some nasty industrial stuff that smelled like kerosene and mineral oil. Melted through nitrile gloves in a few minutes. For tools that were handled every day, some QC guys claimed that as long as you aren't leaving salty sweat everywhere, hand oil and never stripping parts is good enough to keep surface rust away.

I tried that last one with a 1095 pick. Didn't put scales on it and polished the whole thing to a mirror finish. Barely used it in five years. Some tiny spots have developed on the handle. I had to be looking for them to find them.

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