Rusting bar clamps

There are several phosphoric acid based products that will neutralize the rust and leave a black oxide finish.

Pick one.

Lew

Presumably, it's steel? You can form a stable black oxide on steel, by removing the wax, heating, and either using a blueing compound or (really old fashioned) some rags and vinegar. Clean the result, heat again, and rub down with a waxy rag (paraffin will do, some like beeswax); the slightly blackened steel will hold the wax better than the clean post-sanding steel.

A dehumidifier, run in your shop for an hour each evening, will probably prevent condensation well enough to keep the steel bits from growing dewdrops. I use a temperature/humidity "weather station" in the basement to keep an eye on the hazard to all my rustables, and seasonally adjust the dehumidifier.

The solution is to keep the clamps inside a container, along with a desicator. Wiping your tools with a rag dampened with kerosene is effective in rust prevention.

All my tools are kept in the garage for now and I don't seem to have problems with most tools (I keep the TS covered and use Boeshield on it) but I have noticed creeping crud on my Irwin bar clamps lately. I'll try oxalic acid to get the stuff off the black oxide, but what about using something like Boeshield on the clamps? I still want them to clamp. ;-)

based on a google search, it appears it should work on bar clamps as well. It" displaces moisture and lubricates" just like WD40.

Mike > All my tools are kept in the garage for now and I don't seem to have

Could you have them electroplated? Zinc or Cadmium. Fancy may would be copper/nickel/chrome.

Pete Stanaitis

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John wrote:

The lubrication part isn't really wanted on a bar clamp, like the Irwin Quik Grips. I might use it on my Bessies. No rust on them, though (Nickel? plated).

Black copper oxide is the best way to prevent the bars from rusting. Wiping them with a coat of WD40 was also not helpful in my case. I am going to do them on all my Irwin XP600 clamps.

Have you tried to apply car wax to the parts that are rusting. While it takes a little time if there is heavy rust a very fine sand paper can remove it with out damaging the surface. when the rust is gone apply car wax and buff it out.

I use car wax on all of my equipment, such as the drill press and the table saw. I also use it on some of my small tools that have a tendency to rust.