Which version of cosmoline should I use for cold winter cast iron storage?
I’m about the shutdown my little garage shop for the year. The last few years I’ve schlepped my 6” jointer into the house for storage. I now have too much cast iron, a tablessaw, bandsaw, drillpress, etc, so it’s all gonna stay in the garage for the winter.
During spring/summer/fall, I run a dehumidifier, coat all cast iron with Boeshield T9, and Johnson’s paste wax on top. Have had good results with this combo. I can’t run the dehumidifier in the winter, the garage is detached, uninsulated, and unheated.
My current plan is to clean all the cast iron with mineral spirits, let it dry, and slather on some cosmoline. Problem is, I’m not sure which to buy. They have spray, grease, liquid, etc. I feel like the grease might be what I want?
https://www.cosmolinedirect.com/cosmoline-rust-preventives/
Any advice appreciated.
Replies
My only experience with cosmo in cleaning it out of old milsurp rifles.
I did meet an old timer that used a mix of petroleum jelly and white gas on his cast iron tools.
He swore by it.
I live up north and cover my saw top with 1\4" plywood and have no problems with rust.
Just being cold will not hurt your CI nor make it rust. Rust occurs when moisture in the atmosphere condenses on the cold metal. In circumstances like yours, I think there are 3 things you can do. 1) Keep the metal surfaces waxed. 2) Keep everything covered with a tarp or other cover. 3) Keep the air moving. In a small space like a garage, an 8-9" fan will adequately stir the air and is inexpensive to operate. If you want to bother, you can find out the conditions when condensation is likely to occur and run the fan only during those times.
Also, just keeping small items in drawers or cabinets can go a long way toward protecting them. If you want to go one step further, put a small light bulb in the bottom of the cabinet. This will give off just enough heat to prevent condensation.
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