[How-To] Keeping surfaces new looking

Humidity is 32% here today. Very rare for anything to rust inside, still wipe down precision surfaces with light oil from time to time. My heart goes out to you folks in humid climates. Mike
 
Now that they carry Fluid Film at big box stores, there's no excuse.

I'm surrounded by saltwater. It's not as bad here as on the Pacific side, where the waves crashing into rocks atomizes water into mist, that evaporates and leaves a fine kernel of salt in the air to land on your machine and start rust. Here it just humidity. But the temperature never swings hard enough to condense on my stuff, so that's a blessing. I do miss Nevada, where things like new, old stock are really new old stock.
 
Here in NC, we'll get frigid cold from the north one day, then the warm wet air from the Gulf will roll up the next.
2,000lbs of cast iron doesn't warm up that fast, and if not careful, every machine will have a layer of water on it.
First, I keep the door closed. Second, I keep a warming lamp, meant for a chicken coup under the big machines. I'm trying to keep them just a few degrees warmer than the surrounding air.
 
For metal working machines where oil is fine, simple stuff from back in the day at the engine shop.

Simple spray bottle, whatever motor oil is handy and solvent.

Mix somewhere around 10 to 1 solvent to oil.

Spray a light coat on everything. The solvent evaporates, leaving an oil film.

If you want some cleaning effect, use ATF, the detergent level is very high so it will assist with de-gunkung things.

When you are ready to work, just wipe off the table with rag or newspaper.

We used this to coat cranks and cams when boxed up.

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I use blue shop paper towels or painters’ rags soaked in way oil, not dripping wet but wrung out, to wipe down all of the metal surfaces. I use two brands of way oils in the shop, Mobil Vacuoline 1405 or Schaeffer 160 moly way lube. They both have tackifiers which make them a little stickier. The latter is just a little heavier and this is what I normally use.

To clean noncritical surfaces, I use a Scotch-brite pad with some WD-40. I wipe it clean making sure to remove all the residue. On precision surfaces, for example lathe ways, every so often I will crank the saddle to one end and then use a white cloth to wipe the ways down dry. Then with a good deal of force and long strokes, I’ll clean the ways with this dry cloth. You know that you’re done when a clean section of the white cloth comes away with no residue or discoloration at all. Then I reoil with the above way oil and move to the next section.

There are some old WWII training films on machine shop practices. I remember seeing them talk about wiping a surface clean and oiling before starting work. Then wiping clean and oiling when the work was done. A good habit to get into, I think.
 
After doing some lathe work, I will clean out the chips and oil it. In other words, take care of it after every use. Noticed that it has developed some patina and some paint has chipped off. No biggy. So, are you going to stare at your machine or are you going to use it?
 
Here in Ohio it’s soggy all the time. I run a dehumidifier all the time, shop is heated. Still I struggle when a machine doesn’t get used regularly. I use paste wax on bandsaw tables. Corrosion-X for wipe down on mill tables, vices etc. watch you choices of cutting lubricant. Some stain pre bad. Tap magic EP seems to stain.
 
+1 on the fluid film, I keep a tin (dog flea collar comes in it) with a soaked rag in the toolbox for hand tools. Scotchbrite, and 600g sandpaper, ( I know , get a rope) for the tuff stuff on the tables. I try to do things when I finish up, clean and grease the balers , etc when I'm done. Sterted doing this years ago when riding dirt bikes, everyone else was lubing their chain before a ride, I lubed mine when I finished the last ride.
 
pontiac428 said:
Now that they carry Fluid Film at big box stores, there's no excuse.

I'm surrounded by saltwater. It's not as bad here as on the Pacific side, where the waves crashing into rocks atomizes water into mist, that evaporates and leaves a fine kernel of salt in the air to land on your machine and start rust. Here it just humidity. But the temperature never swings hard enough to condense on my stuff, so that's a blessing. I do miss Nevada, where things like new, old stock are really new old stock.
Click to expand...
Got a can of fluid film tonight. Interesting to see how it works.
 
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