WD40 and heat for steel plate rust prevention?

[chimmike]

What's the process for doing this? Need to do this to my 1/2" plate table top.

Ran a search but probably did a lousy job of it.

[GWD]

Originally Posted by chimmike

What's the process for doing this? Need to do this to my 1/2" plate table top.

Ran a search but probably did a lousy job of it.

Personally, I usually use Fluid Film on bare metal. Had a plow sit outside all winter with a coat of Fluid Film on the bare moldboards and no rust.

http://www.fluid-film.com/products/

[farmersamm]

1/2" is pretty thick, and should last quite a long time outside. I've got a 1/4" top on my welding/work table and it may corrode down to 3/16" by the time I'm 90yrs old

The real key with steel is how long the water sits on the surface. If it's well drained you generally will get long service life out of it. Of course this might vary, as in the Eastern part of the country with all the industrial air pollutants.

Leaving pieces of scrap laying on the table will trap water between the scrap and table top after a rain too.

Anyways, any mechanicing work you do on the table will coat it with enough grease to prevent all but atomic salt water from rusting it

[chimmike]

Fortunately, the table is inside.....just being picky about protecting it is all. Don't want to paint it because of the welding and other work that will be done on it.

May end up just leaving it as is with the scale on it. Not sure.

[kevinacaron]

I was doing some forge work awhile back and noticed the wd-40 turning the fresh from the forge metal black. I think you have to get it red hot for it to work.

The metal was coolish when I sprayed it then it sat in the Az summer sun. Turned black in a few hours.

When the job was ready for powder coat there was no rust to be found.

Not sure why it worked but that's what I saw.

[Oldendum]

Fluid Film is great stuff, but stays soft and could be messy on a work surface. Great for storage, though. Try some Johnson Paste Wax. That is what many woodworkers use on their table saws.

[cd19]

If you do much welding you will find yourself running a grinder or flapdisk over it often enough to remove tacks and spawls that it will probably always be shiny keeping it inside. The last thing I want is oil smoking out of my welding table every time I get it hot...

[smokin_dodge]

You can use phosphoric acid to neutralize the rust and convert it from rust oxide or iron oxide. Im not sure if it reacts to heat from welding, but it works great for a few months before the rust shows up again.

[Mick120]

I don't know if you get any Lanolin based products over in the US but, this is by a long shot, the best on the market....Hands down.
Make sure you read the anti-spatter properties....arrow down.

http://www.lanotec.com.au/pages/industryuses/industrial


Looks like Fluid Film, posted by GWD may be similar if not the same....Woolwax?? Sounds like Lanolin to me....Yup, just Googled....same.

[LarryO]

Love the smell of Lanolin. Reminds me of wet sheep.


Ops, let the cat out the bag.

[boatbuoy]

on cast iron surface plates,talc (baby powder) worked great. haven't tried it on steel.

[Mick120]

Originally Posted by LarryO

Love the smell of Lanolin. Reminds me of wet sheep.


Ops, let the cat out the bag.

Jeez Lazza, didn't take you for a gumboot wearer......

[LarryO]

Originally Posted by Mick120

Jeez Lazza, didn't take you for a gumboot wearer......

Friends of mine introduced me to it.

Have quite a few friends from NZ bro.

[patkenbar]

I think fluid film is a lanolin based product.

I use it almost daily on aircraft control rod ends and other areas, but I don't want anything on the surface of my welding table.

[n20junkie]

Linseed oil.

Used on farm equipment and inside aircraft tubes for rust prevention for a very long time.

[farmersamm]

Originally Posted by larryo

love the smell of lanolin. Reminds me of wet sheep.


Ops, let the cat out the bag.

[LarryO]

Now thats the pic that represents what im talkin' about.