Shopsmith Forums

I know this is a subject that has received a lot of attention. But I was reading on another forum site when I came across a thread which a machinist responded to. I've also Googled it & it seems to be a very effective method. A person simply gets some sodium nitrate and makes a supersaturated solution over heat. The solution is then poured through filter paper and some food coloring or dye is added. It can be diluted and as long as there is color in the solution, it simply is applied & allowed to dry. That's it.

I am not a chemist, so I am not sure of the amounts to ensure a greater than 200 ppm concentration which it seems a paper outlining a study in 1956 concluded. I also read for people who want to make their own, their can be huge amounts of ammonia gas released and it must be done outside or under a special hood.

Along the same subject, I also read about cosmoline, keeping a workshop heated or using a dehumidifier in humid climates and many more.

The one thing I note with this method is it is very cheap and effective. It is or was used as a meat preservative.

I find that a thin coat of Penetrol (big box stores) has kept metal tools that I cleaned from rusting again. The only problem I had was it took a very long time to become non-sticky. I have several pieces of steel I coated several years ago laying outside that has not rusted again.