What is the Best Rust Preventative? - 6 Month Update

Half a year has already passed us by and it's time to look at our rust preventative samples yet again. We're starting to get a pretty clear picture of how these different sprays hold up to the elements. Here are affiliate links to each of the products being tested:
Cosmoline: amzn.to/3Vc4yCW
Boeshield T-9: amzn.to/3j1Y4cr
SP-400 from CRC: amzn.to/3j3mgew
Sprayon LU 710 (pack of 12): amzn.to/3uYNohJ
Loctite PC 9660: amzn.to/3PAbLf4
LPS 3: amzn.to/3FvRVgk
WD-40 Corrosion Inhibitor: amzn.to/3HMwmuS
Original WD-40 in a 55 gallon drum: amzn.to/3W9Wjc2
Fluid Film: amzn.to/4058edA
Still reading the description? Leave a comment about the worst rust you've ever seen on a vehicle. For me, I had a 1990 Ford Ranger that lost significant amount of mass every time I hit a bump. That's nothing compared to the guy I know whose Chevy S10 frame rusted in half. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
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/ stuartdeharo
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[@dancollins1012]

I like the fact you're moving onto recommendations. You are not 'just' some dude on the internet, you've run a decent test, and consistently sought feedback as to the method. Don't be afraid to name winners, that's what viewers are seeking clarity on

[@brucewilliams6292]

Thank you for doing this work. It saves the rest of us from the trial and error method of selecting rust preventative.

[@karlh6700]

I wish I was a little English sparrow I wish I was a little English sparrow I would sitty on the steeple And I would shitty on the people I wish I was a little English sparrow.

[@Rustinox]

A september update could be interesting to see what the sun does on these products. And I'm surprised how well the regular WD40 does. Knowing that it's not it's first purpose.

[@Kapt-Kimbo]

I'm not that surprised by the good result for WD40. After being told by a pal that it is useless because it all evaporates I did my own experiment. I sprayed 10 mm or so into a small jar and covered it up with a cloth to keep the dust and **** out. After several months of hot Aussie weather, the kerosene like solvent had evaporated and left a thin layer of waxy 'grease'? in the bottom. I also note that the can says 'For best rust protection, do not wipe off.' So I think that it is really good at penetrating into machine parts and similar and offers pretty good long term protection. As long as you don't wipe it off ....which would result in only an inadequate too thin film of 'wax'. PS. It was originally developed as a deicer/anti corrosion for the Atlas missile program

[@FWSwart999]

Very informative like the previous updates. +1 for a September Update

[@douglasthompson2740]

I am amazed by your results with the WD-40. When it first came out in the early sixties it was quite a good product but in a few years they changed its formula (ala 'New Coke" You could smell the difference big time! The new formula was heavy with the diesel smell.) to its detriment. I am seventy three years old so I have quite a history with WD and I keep it around for its convenience as a cutting fluid with aluminum and that is the only place I have found it to work. I still vividly remember storing my tools during a move and spraying them with it. Every one especially those with cast tables rusted almost immediately despite being in a closed storage unit (though unheated). Then there was the time in the fall I didn't have anything else handy on my 34 foot boat with all the glass fuse panels (12v) inside the cabin so I sprayed WD on them. 95% failed when we did the spring outfitting. 95%!! I had to clean three dozen glass fuses with a pencil eraser on the contact points. A long and frustrating job but they all resumed working. After spraying them with CRC they performed for several years with no problems. Well I could go on and on (I have a flat learning curve, I guess but the damn stuff is cheap and the spray can always seems to be lurking when I go to lube something!!! Happily I can report I did learn and for the past two or three decades I haven't been disappointed with its performance because it has stayed as a cutting fluid and or a cleaner, never as a preservative or rust preventative. So firmly did it implant in my grey cells that I have no desire to even try their "new formula". I have enjoyed your test video.

[@caucasianafrican1435]

Which CRC product are you referring to?

[@dustcommander100]

I've made quite a few mistakes in my life, quite a few. But I don't feel like as much a loser after realizing I chose LPS3 over 30 years ago to protect my little teeny lathe (also a mistake - should have gotten a larger one). I had to have seen it used at work. No way I would have known about it otherwise. I admire folks who stick with the commitment to test something for months and then take time to make a good video about it!

[@mkegadgets4380]

Please bring us back in September. For an update. It be nice if you have the cans on top of the samples as we talk about them. Just more of a visual affect.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Will do.

[@edpopelas2844]

I’ve long been a fan of Cosmoline especially for deep storage items. Aside from machining aluminum, I’ve given up on WD-40. It’s become the perfume that just lets everyone know you’ve been doing some work in the garage. Impressed with the LP3, may have to pick that one up. If I recall correctly I believe Robin is a fan and used it inside a spindle for corrosion protection. That’s an endorsement all in itself.

[@davidmaclean4773]

Conclusion bird poo is the best rust protection

[@cherigriffith724]

Can you consider adding a 'dry' rust inhibitor marketed towards guns like Bore Tech Shield XP, or odd ducks like Renaissance Micro- Crystalline wax polish?

[@StuartdeHaro]

I'll look into them. I've already picked the ones I'm doing in the next round, but I'll be testing this for a few years at least.

[@qcnck2776]

I am really surprised about the Boeshield. Good work, Stuart. And +1 on the Sept update.

[@zell863]

Boeshield is for sliding tools like saws. To apply every a few days.

[@larryburns7225]

I wonder what WD 40 Silicone spray would do and would it make a difference if you worked the spray into the metal pours a little if that would make a difference. I have an E bike and looking to protect the chains and rims last year my bike rusted in those areas through the Minnesota Winter. oh hey what about white lithium grease or spray it mite not have anti rust properties but it stays on a long time offering protection from the elements rub it in see what happens I use that for squeaks it staying power long outlast WD 40.

[@StuartdeHaro]

I'll add them to my list

[@dennisrodman3327]

do you respray them everyday?

[@jackdawg4579]

Why did the chicken cross the driveway? To poop on the locktite of course... sorry, yes please for September!

[@StuartdeHaro]

If I had chickens, I'd have to wonder if it was them. BTW, I mentioned the emu in the video because there actually is one running around near me that escaped from a farm last fall. At one point it was sighted less than two miles from my house. Crazy! Anyway, thanks for the joke!

[@lislevollgraaff1236]

Hi. My kids trampoline is starting to rust. It's just superficial rust spots. Do I sand paper that off first before spraying on the WD? We don't get Fluid Film or the LPS3 in South Africa 😢

[@StuartdeHaro]

I would, but use something gentle like Scotchbrite so you don't sand through the surrounding coating. That's a shame you can't get LPS 3. It's holding up really well to the weather.

[@lislevollgraaff1236]

@@StuartdeHaro I see that. Thanks for going to the expense to show us it really is helpful!

[@JohnThawley]

Damn, this is really causing me to rethink my last Boeshield buy. Not assuming you’re going to do anymore rust testing, but… I would love to find a test of traditional tool box drawer methods for corrosion prevention. Pennies, camphor blocks, desiccant packs, etc.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Boeshield is doing great inside and I had most of my machines covered in it for several years in storage with no issues. It's just not doing very well outside. I like your idea of the toolbox drawer methods. I'd have to think about how to test it evenly though. What's the idea behind pennies? Do they act as a sacrificial anode or just oxidize before the steel?

[@JohnThawley]

@@StuartdeHaro that’s what I’ve heard, yes. Pennies being mostly zinc and all. I’ve never tried it, but being new to machining, I’ve always got an ear out for what the old timers do. Their stuff never seems to rust like mine, and I live in Southern California!

[@lrose1766]

Any advice for a plant trellis? Would be hard to reapply.

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@lrose1766 I would just go with a good quality paint. Sand it well first and immediately prime it. Then give it 2 to 3 coats of something glossy so it sheds water better.

[@halfstep67]

The best rust preventative I used is made by ZEP. It is called, IronClad. It is hard to find in single cans, but the stuff works really well and lasts forever. I use it on my milling machine. I like to spray some on the table before I mount the vice to prevent rust.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Nice. I'm going to do a second installment once this one hits the one year mark. I'll add that to my list.

[@PavelLapin-oo8ru]

Thanks for your work!! What a sucks this Boeshield T-9! And how difficult it was to get it in my country .. Now, when it came to processing the bicycle frame, I decided to see how best to do it and I see these tests, yours and others .. And literally every Boeshield T-9 is the main loser. Sucks. Silly purchase. And what drove me .. and yes, probably their slogan is that they lubricate Boeing aircraft)

[@FantmVirus]

Fluidfilm is liquefied paraffin wax which is why it stays stick - works pretty well and you are 100% right it collects dirt but all surface only

[@bwcordes]

I would love a September update. The worst rust I've ever had on a car was my 90 2.5 turbo shadow. I'm surprised that the right front wheel stayed in place, as there was virtually no strut tower left when I scrapped it.

[@SALTrips]

Thank you for the valuable insight, Mr. Stuart

[@gcam474]

Poor dumb bas…s. Regular WD40 is better than cosmaline?? Really?? BTW, try Chain Wax spray. It’s as good or better than CRC Marine Corrosion Inhibitor spray. BTW. Fluid Film is great on your chassis, only if you want to reapply it every 3 months.. Try the Chain Wax spray. It blows all of these products away, IMHO (absolutely no affiliations, just my experience).

[@TheStigma]

Tung oil or linseed oil would be nice to include if you do another run of candidates. That's the "good old stuff" (and cheap), so it's kind of a baseline you need to beat. Usually wiped or brushed on though.

[@bondjamesbond1151]

W-D 40 doesn't do nearly as well in the south. Things will rust inside a garage with wd40 on it

[@jbrownson]

Thanks for doing this experiment

[@luisgaray2550]

Really informative Stuart. I would be interested in a September update. I'm really surprised on how Boeshield really failed. Thanks for doing this experiment!

[@kyfisher3662]

alot of people recommend Ballistol in my part of the world

[@LDSTurkey]

Thanks for your video. Just in time as I am looking to coat my new utility trailer rims.

[@prius9253]

Please add a September update. Great, exceptionally useful series. thanks

[@Alcorelli1]

Thank you for getting to the point clearly. September please.

[@lazaroc.menendez2706]

Thank you for this video! In your opinion, which one would work best for an outdoor fan? I’m in South Florida. Though sold and labeled for outdoor use, the last set I had didn’t hold up well. Would like to protect the new set. Thanks in advance.

[@StuartdeHaro]

I would say the LPS3 would be a good choice since it goes on evenly and dries completely. You won't have it slinging all over the place or throwing the fan blades off balance.

[@jrgenter]

People usually like to hear.....Nice job

[@glenarthurphillips]

I would like to have an update in September.

[@chrisbennett5796]

Does anyone else see the dog's head, below the screw on the Loctite PC9660 sample? I think it's a labrador.

[@StuartdeHaro]

OMG. It took me a bit to see it, but yeah, it totally is a Labrador. I'll have to check to see if it's still there.

[@GeorgeGeorge-yb2sz]

Hi Stuart, 6 months ago I told you that I cleaned off the top of my welding table with a cup stone on a 7" grinder which left many bare spots open to the elements. I sprayed it with CRC Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor and left it open to the elements all winter. At first I put a shim under the legs so the water would drain off, but after I wrote you in March to tell you there was no rust on the table, I took out the shim and left it flat. The only rust now is a small area where I welded a bracket with my MIG a month ago. It looks like the spatter is what rusted, but I haven't wiped it off yet so I can get a picture and send it to you. Is there an email address I can send the picture to?

[@StuartdeHaro]

Nice! I'd love to see a picture. You can email it to my channel name @gmail.com. I'd write it all out for you but then I'd get a deluge of spam.

[@tallnrough68]

I like the lps3, it’s very resilient to coming off

[@seanoldfather8947]

Keep up the good work! I'd also like to see the 9 month results.

[@StuartdeHaro]

You got it!

[@Black-Villain]

If you planned on doing a second set of test strips or something, I'd really like to see what would happen if you went over the test strips w/ one or two swipes of a wide angle pressure washer to simulate going through a car wash or just a deep puddle at speed like what the undercarriage of a vehicle would typically experience.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Not a bad idea.

[@TangentJim]

Stuart - I'm impressed. Great video ! --- Jim

[@glenn5ft19]

A friend of mine that restores Hudsons uses PAM cooking oil. I think it’s canola oil. After he has removed the paint on the old fenders by bead blasting or acid dipping he sprays them down with PAM. His words are it is cheap, it works, and it washes off with soap and water. They are stored in his barn so probably experience similar conditions as you indoor samples.

[@ancientchlnesesecret]

That might be a really good idea for parts that get hot, like the exhaust, because fluid film does not like the heat.

[@gullywug]

Can I use one of these sprays on an indoor aluminum window frame thats rusted. I can send a photo?

[@StuartdeHaro]

Go ahead and send a picture of it to my channel name with no spaces @gmail.com

[@Hellndegenerates]

Thanks Stu 😊

[@roberttiu3444]

Thank you. Very very useful for me

[@LTVoyager]

I retired from a corporate research lab and a colleague did a similar test several decades ago. The best performer he found was lanolin. He gave me a spray can of it, I don’t recall the brand name anymore, but I sprayed my drill press column and other parts probably 20 years ago and they are still rust-free. It is tacky also like some of the others which is somewhat of a nuisance, but it is tenacious against rust. Not sure where to get the stuff though.

[@NikolasSumrak]

Thank you so much for this work!

[@wayneriedlinger]

I would like to see test pieces with Used engine oil, clean engine oil, and ATF.

[@StuartdeHaro]

I plan on doing a homebrew rust Inhibitor test too. I'll add those to the list.

[@ianhamilton6092]

September is here as we await an update. Was T4 motor oil considered for testing

[@StuartdeHaro]

I still have to compile my notes. I'll shoot it next week and I'll try to have it posted by International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19 ya scallywag!) Edit: Used motor oil was suggested in one of the videos. I'm going to start a second round in December testing all the suggestions I've gotten.

[@glenn5ft19]

Stuart have you had any experience with cryogenically treated HSS drills. I would be interested to see how they compare to regular HSS especially on Stainless 304 and 316.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Nope. There's a company not far from me that does it. I'll think about adding it to my list of future tests.

[@glenn5ft19]

@@StuartdeHaro Looking forward to it.

[@mikevolante7663]

Good work, Appreciated

[@monk4786]

Maybe a road salt spray ?

[@Xxradar007xX]

Maybe post the price you paid for each can so we can make a better decision depending on how much we need?

[@StuartdeHaro]

I listed prices and sizes in the first video in the series. I really should have put them in all the updates.

[@Xxradar007xX]

@@StuartdeHaro oh perfect! Sorry I missed it.

[@FiveTrackTape]

Yes for September please. Front passenger floorboards rusted through in some old car I had in the 70's. Good times.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Could you see the road through it as you drove?

[@FiveTrackTape]

@@StuartdeHaro Yes!

[@angelramos-2005]

Very good info,Stuart.Thank you and happy summer.

[@StuartdeHaro]

You too!

[@ElRealista.]

Sta-bil rust stopper

[@StuartdeHaro]

It's on the list. I'm going to start the second round of the test soon, so stay tuned.

[@georgewocosky]

That's what SHE said ! Don't BLINK . . .

[@WinkysWorkshop]

Overall good video well done but please. Preventive! Preventative is an invented word. Yes it is in new dictionaries but not in early 1900 dictionaries. It was put in more current dictionaries due to common usage or misusage.. however you want to see it.

[@StuartdeHaro]

Well I feel dumb now. I always assumed they were two words describing different sides of the same coin. Preventive for doing things in advance of a failure to keep it in working order, such as preventive maintenance or preventive medicine. Preventative is a substance applied to prolong the lifespan of an object or person, such as our rust inhibitors, or in my case, regular infusions of root beer and quesadillas.

[@WinkysWorkshop]

@@StuartdeHaro Ha... no need to feel dumb, it's commonly used. I'm just anal about English... mostly because I struggle with it. It bothers me when we add more word, more to remember. Good video!

[@franks4973]

Thank you, looks like I’ll need more Wd-40 lol.

[@nkelly.9]

One word. Fishoil. Smokes them all.

[@StuartdeHaro]

I'll add that to the homebrew version I'll do after this one.

[@nkelly.9]

@@StuartdeHaro Thanks for taking the time to post this stuff. I hope all the algorithms are kind to you.

[@xionski]

so what do i spray my snap hand tools with?

[@StuartdeHaro]

Like I said in the video, if I was going to be handling it often, my choice would be the LPS 3.

[@xionski]

@@StuartdeHaro oil the joints before of after aplication?

[@StuartdeHaro]

@@xionski I'm not sure, but intuition tells me before just in case the rust Inhibitor seals up the areas you want oil to go.

[@jesusrios9630]

would you recommend me these for motorcyle tanks? im cleaning out all the nasty rust and need to put a coat to prevent rust

[@StuartdeHaro]

Are you talking about the inside of the tank? I doubt if any of these would be good for that. They'd almost certainly be dissolved by the gas and probably wreak havoc on your fuel system.

[@ehoma]

2:02 damn the swag is outa this town