I have a steel military desk that has some surface rust and some more serious rust on the inside of a drawer.

It was a barn find, but I will now use it in my house in a climate controlled environment.

I like the look of the rust and don't need to sand it down or anything like that.

I was just wondering if there was a relatively easy way to prevent the rust from spreading, or is keeping it in a climate controlled environment good enough?

 

I have seen people using wax or other things, but not sure how that would work.

Also curious if a rust inhibitor like ballistol or something would be worth wiping over the whole piece.

Appreciate any input. Thanks!

Oxalyc Acid is a powder you have to mix at 10´% in warm water

Applications[edit]

About 25% of produced oxalic acid will be used as a mordant in dyeing processes. It is used in bleaches, especially for pulpwood. It is also used in baking powder^[13]and as a third reagent in silica analysis instruments.

Cleaning[edit]

Oxalic acid's main applications include cleaning or bleaching, especially for the removal of rust (iron complexing agent). Its utility in rust removal agents is due to its forming a stable, water-soluble salt with ferric iron, ferrioxalate ion.

I don't need to remove rust, I just want to halt it's progress. Will that happen naturally now that it is in a climate controlled environment?

Many of us Ordnance collectors have switched to using " Evaporust", Home Depot. Reason simple , it is non toxic , does not remove paint, and you can control the amount of rust you want to remove, down to metal if wanted. I have used EVERYTHING, phosphoric acid, citric acid, naval jelly, electrolysis...etc...As for stopping corrosion, if I want to not remove the rust, ( many reasons), I coat the area with " Renaissance" micro crystalline wax, museums use the stuff and it is cheap on EBay or Amazon. The wax seals the area, rust will not spread without moisture, seal it with a few applications. Used by the professionals on many, many different items. Some here use other waxes, pledge, etc but believe me when put to the test, nothing compares to Renaissance wax... ( I know, garage storage issues have made me a believer).

Many of us Ordnance collectors have switched to using " Evaporust", Home Depot. Reason simple , it is non toxic , does not remove paint, and you can control the amount of rust you want to remove, down to metal if wanted. I have used EVERYTHING, phosphoric acid, citric acid, naval jelly, electrolysis...etc...As for stopping corrosion, if I want to not remove the rust, ( many reasons), I coat the area with " Renaissance" micro crystalline wax, museums use the stuff and it is cheap on EBay or Amazon. The wax seals the area, rust will not spread without moisture, seal it with a few applications. Used by the professionals on many, many different items. Some here use other waxes, pledge, etc but believe me when put to the test, nothing compares to Renaissance wax... ( I know, garage storage issues have made me a believer).

 

 

Perfect! I think the wax is what I'm looking for. And definitely like that it is used by museums and in archival settings.

 

Any other similar waxes out there other than Renaissance? Just curious to do some comparisons.

And on metal, is that something that could be removed if needed or is it pretty much permanent?

And this is a desk I plan to use ideally. Will the wax rub off on things if this is on the desk's surface?

 

Thanks!

 

Renaissance is removed by with mineral spirits, read label, amazing stuff, I use it on Ordnance, grenades, containers, fuzes, labels says leather, ivory,paintings ?, wood, valuable items...it is a crystalline wax, not sure how long it would take to wear off in use, I would just reapply if the rust spots start growing.

I've also heard just cleaning with vinegar can help stop corrosion (and clean rust)
Is that true?

Since I will be using this desk, would a good auto wax (like collinite) work better? Or does the Renaissance dry "harder"?

 

I did buy some on Amazon, just curious if I"d be waisting it on a such a big surface, especially one that I would be working on.

Thanks again!

And I would love to know if a vinegar wipe down is a good idea or not

Sorry to keep bothering you guys.

Can this go directly over rust? (after I clean down the surface)

Or is there a better wax to seal in rust for a work surface?

Sorry to keep bothering you guys.

Can this go directly over rust? (after I clean down the surface)

Or is there a better wax to seal in rust for a work surface?

This the highest quality wax used by museums to seal the area from oxygen, it will not discolor or stain. Rust needs moisture, oxygen to form so in my opinion the answer is yes. I have used it to seal mild rust and keep it from growing. I would recommend a few layers ( applications) over rust to keep it sealed and from growing- from my experience.

Sorry to keep bothering you guys.

Can this go directly over rust? (after I clean down the surface)

Or is there a better wax to seal in rust for a work surface?

This the highest quality wax used by museums to seal the area from oxygen, it will not discolor or stain. Rust needs moisture, oxygen to form so in my opinion the answer is yes. I have used it to seal mild rust and keep it from growing. I would recommend a few layers ( applications) over rust to keep it sealed and from growing- from my experience.