How do you prevent a (not stainless) steel bench block from rusting?

[Rocky143]

Title says it all:

How do you prevent a (not stainless) steel bench block from rusting?

[bruce johnson]

My experience. Store in a dry container with a dessicant like Damp-Rid if you can. Wipe well after each use and then you can apply a myriad of rust preventatives - oils, greases, Boeshield, Bostick GlideCoat, WD40- Specialist, Johnson Paste wax, RainX, Renaissance Wax are some I use depending on use of the piece. 

[battlemunky]

Alternatively you can use something like Zerust. I use it for my straight razor storage box and haven't had an issue since. They come in a bunch of sizes too. Check Amazon unless you need some industrial sized chunks of it.

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored or affiliated with Zerust or any of their family, etc., just a satisfied user of their stuff.

[johnnydb]

Grind and polish it until it's a mirror....that's the first step.  

Moisture then will have limited access to oxidize the surface.  

Then "bluing agent" needs to be applied.  

 

https://www.wikihow.com/Blue-Steel

 

That link has several methods.  

 

Then a light coat of oil or wax of some sort will stop the rust.  

I've seen this method actually work really well.   I've seen steel polished until it looked like chrome... and it took forever for it to rust even when we tried.  

We were bored at work and took a pair of lineman pliers to the buffers....we made it shiny like it had been chromed.  Thought it wouldn't last because we didn't oil it.  But actually it did.  Everyone else's lineman pliers got rusted and stiff....(We weren't busy and the place was wet) his stayed shiny the whole time.  

Then the job was over and we all left.  I was going to polish mine all day like we did my co-workers.   

Edited July 15, 2022 by johnnydb

[Rocky143]

After researching this thoroughly, I have decided to nickel plate it.  It seems quite simple and there are plenty of tutorial videos.

[Patrick1]

3M Synthetic Wax Protectant for cars works great on my cast iron table saw top. 

[doubleh]

Just coating a clean steel or cast iron surface with Johnson's paste wax will keep it rust free but using Johnson's is no longer an option as they ceased production. There are other brands of waxes still available. Bluing steel does not add rust protection and neither does browning. They are simply coloring agents.

[Cumberland Highpower]

Balistol.  Just wipe a film occasionally.  it will neutralize sweat.  Not harmful to you or leather.

[chuck123wapati]

paint it with rustoleum then cover it with leather.