What have people used as a coating on steel DOM tubing to prevent rust? spray paint? Polyurethane?
Roger,
The paint will get ground away by the bearings.
Clean them well with solvent to get the oils off, then wax them. If you can find a “Hard wax”, that works well. That’s all I have done on mine and I’m not getting any rust, after two years. I expect to wipe them down and reapply the wax this summer.
Mike
Treat what I am about to write with a grain of salt because clearly it’s not a great problem for the marjority of users. I agree with the wax solution, but I’d treat the “rusty” tracks with rust converter firs. However be aware that success very much depends on where you live and what the atmospheric conditions are like. I wax my table saw top, and can get fine particles of rust if I wipe my hands over it after a week exposed.
All my cast iron and even the “chrome”? sliders on my mitre saw live permanently under ply covers with cloth covers over them.
If available in your area, Johnson Paste Wax is a good choice.
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https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/tool-maintenance/70854-protectool-wax
This is what I use… Nominally. Last time I cleaned the DOM, I didn’t reapply any, so right now, what’s protecting the DOM steel is that it’s indoors and sheltered from the elements. It’s been that way for nearly a year, and I never waxed the LR2 (Now LR3) at all.
I use Corrosion X right now on my mill and lathe. Actually a good use case for it since it is a lubricant as well as rust/corrosion inhibitor. Also safe on our electronics, used to use it to waterproof the electronics on my RC’s (worked perfectly too).
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I live in Mn and the location would be in a heated garage. Its a newer house but so far i have not had anything rust in the garage from sitting there. The humidity stays in check in the winter due to the heated garage. Humidity levels probably reach 60% in the summer and 20-30% in the winter. I just figure raw steel would eventually develop rust and that a painted coating would wear off.
Anything oil based it seems would collect dust but maybe just need to wipe off. I have wax so maybe that is the ticket. Thanks for the responses. If I can afford I will go with SS but my cheapness my drive me to the steel.