How to Deal With Rusty Parts and Tools

Unfortunately, rust is often part of many projects around the home, garage or a vehicle. While you may have to deal with old rusty parts, with a little effort you do not have to live with rust on tools and new parts. Here's what to do.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Desiccant from electronics packaging
• Uncooked rice and porous bag
• Plastic bags
• Oil, petroleum jelly or silicone lubricant
• Chalk
• Tape

1. Help prevent metal tools from rusting by keeping moisture out of your toolbox or storage containers. Save the small packets of desiccant that usually accompany packaging with new electronic equipment and place them in your toolbox or other storage location.

2. Make your own desiccant using uncooked rice. Place rice in a bag made of cheesecloth or other porous material. Replace the rice when it becomes moist. Plastic bags will not work because they are not porous.

3. Keep infrequently used tools from rusting by placing them in plastic bags after coating them with a thin oil coating. Place a piece of soft chalk in the bag as a desiccant. Seal the bag with tape or use a zip-lock bag.

4. Coat nuts, bolts, screws or other small hardware with oil or petroleum jelly before storing in jars, cans or other containers. You could also spray them with a silicone lubricant like WD-40.

5. Clean up lightly rusted tools and parts with steel wool dipped in penetrating oil or kerosene.

Tips & Warnings

• As is the case with most things, prevention is a better approach than restoration. Spend a bit of time maintaining your car parts and tools to keep rust at bay.
• Don't use vegetable-based oils to protect tools, because they can become rancid with time.

Resources

• Green Cars - Hybrids & Electrics