Protection for cast iron for long term storage

[sploo]

I've had reasonable success with Liberon Lubricating Wax. If going into storage then a thicker coat than normal would be better. No need to remove afterwards either.

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

Thank you all for the great suggestions

 

[sawtooth-9]

I can get some serious moisture problems.
Humidity of over 90 % and overnight temperatures of below 5 deg C - it can literally rain !
Have used oil coatings, but the moisture gets below.
Covering with tarps etc., does not work - just traps moisture !
Best so far is to wax coat ( when dry ) , where possible and then leave exposed to allow moisture to evaporate from the surface - above the wax - freely.

 

[Sideways]

Conversely, in an uninsulated uk garage my problem is also metal becoming cold overnight and the first use of the up and over door on a warm / wet day allowing a whole lot of humid air in to condense on it.
I use all synthetic fleece fabric, very breathable, thrown over the cast iron.
It helps to stop the damp air hitting the cold surface but doesn't trap moisture.
Corners of the iron left uncovered by the blankets show rust while the covered surfaces don't.

More recently and even better, I drop the blade and riving knife below the saw table and put a thin sheet of radiator foam onto the cast iron followed by a heavy sheet of MDF. This turns the saw into additional workbench (it's a big saw) and I have no rust while it's protected this way (+ metalguard and liberon wax).

 

[jacobdxb]

I will soon be fully packing up my workshop ready for the sale of my current property, and the contents of my workshop will be going into a storage unit until i find myself a new property with a workshop.

What have people used to coat/cover their cast iron tops and steel hand tools for long term storage?

A process known as cathodic protection can be used to prevent rust formation. The iron to be protected is attached to another metal such as zinc or magnesium, which give up electrons to oxygen more readily than does iron. The so- called sacrificial cathode will then corrode and the iron will not.

 

[jacobdxb]

a heavier grease (not an oil) or a thin coat of shellac. the latter is my preference - you can give it a brief soak with alcohol later and remove it. If you are willing to use a chemical stripper a very light coating of any clear enamel would also be fine. stripper would take it off in minutes down the road with some care not to get it on any permanent paint, and also leave you with a squeaky clean surface.

A process known as cathodic protection can be used to prevent rust formation. The iron to be protected is attached to another metal such as zinc or magnesium, which give up electrons to oxygen more readily than does iron. The so- called sacrificial cathode will then corrode and the iron will not.