preventing picks from rusting

[MeRZHiN]

i'm thinking of buying myself something to prevent my homemade picks from rusting. or isn't that needed if i polish them with a 1000grit sandpaper? and what about if i put some oil on to them, that should prevent them from rusting right? and also, what products do you guys reccomend to buy if i need to buy something
okay i know this post is really a mickmack of questions, so i'm gonna list them below with numbers

1) if i polish my picks with a 1000frit sanding paper, will they still rust?
2) if i put some oil on them, will they still rust?
3) if i do buy a special product, what do you guys recommend?

[stick]

As far as I know, making picks nice and shiny has nothing to do with preventing rusting.

However, you do want to make your pick as shiny and clean as you can if you're applying something, like gun blue, which is what many people recommend.

Oiling will work, but you'll have to reapply it every once in a while.

Off the top of my head, most people recommend gun blue. I personally have never had problems with rusting for some reason, so I've never had to deal with it.

[pretender]

in my experience, so long as you get it polished as well as you can, you won't have any issues with rusting. seems to keep it from going as quickly. i've seen picks made by someone i know that just sat in a drawer for years and years and are still shiny.

don't think it will be that big an issue; worst case, you can use some light steel wool to take off any oxidation as it occurs without damage to the lockpick.

[cracksman]

Turtlewax may work, I don't think it would do any damage in any case.

[pretender]

tried using turtle wax a few times, didn't seem to be effective in rust prevention.

[Chrispy]

helix, how's autosol for rust prevention?

*sends helix a telepathic message to read thread and reply*

[rayman452]

I find that Vasaline on the pics work well, no joke.

[cracksman]

I got it... I know Kleen Bore makes it but other companies do as well, It's basically a rag, kept in plastic, you use after you have cleaned your gun to wipe all fingerprints (oil from you skin) off and it leaves a protective silicone coating. If you have a gun shop near you, they will know exactly what I'm talking about. As it is just a "cleaning supply" they won't ask for a permit (at least not in the U.S.) I've had pistols sit for 2-3 years with this light coating and no blemishes. If you can't find what I'm talking about I'll find out where to get you some- I'm kinda lazy though, so I'd rarther you do the footwork on this one
p.s. one rag-2-3 times a year should last you 2-3 years easily.

[steel blade]

I've found some leather cases can encourage rust. Some of my old picks in a leather case rusted a bit (I hadn't used them for a while). Some others I kept in an old plastic file case were good as new.

They always say about knives (not the stainless ones) take them out of the sheath when you are not using them.

Light oil certainly won't do any harm.

[hzatorsk]

An idle pick gathers rust. Keep it moving.

Seriously... it must be the picks. I've had mine for almost 20 years and they've never rusted.

I'd never put anything on them. ...and yes! I keep them in a leather pouch.


hz

[sportsguy]

Autosol will not protect against rusting - it's great for polishing (I used to use it on my Colt revolver), but it's apparently got some rather harmful ingredients - can't seem to find it locally any more...

I've heard of folk susing shrink-wrap on the handles, as well as liquid electrical tape. How about enamel paint?

Best thing ever to keep things form rusting that can rust is constant use...my poor Jeep is a graphic example...LOL

[helix]

Something has been telling me to reply to
this thread and I don't know what

Autosol is a polish. It works like really really fine sand paper.
I'm not sure how it goes for rust prevention, but
anything that I've ever used it on has never rusted.

I have made picks from hacksaw blades and polished them
up better than a chrome bit on a hotrod with 1000g paper and water.

The picks that I have made for other people or that have just been
hanging around out the back shed are paper polished, but not Autosoled.

These also, are not rusting.
It is funny because I would have thought that
real smooth, shiny stuff is still the same metal as before it was shined.

For a sure rust prevention, I would go for anything like a grease, oil,
vaseline, etc. every once in a while.

But I have never had to deal with rust and I live in a pretty wet place
and my pick shed isn't the driest of environments.
...so with that said, maybe really shiny is beneficial, although I
don't see how.

Make sure that they are perfectly dry before you oil them.

[raimundo]

you have to wipe them clean every time you use them, since fingerprints have salt in them. If you carry them in damp or humid conditions you should chose a plastic or metal box for them, or even a plastic baggy. Look at the types of packaging that is found on things that cannot be gotten wet. (for small picks, some mint tins will work) or perhaps the type of case a fancy pen set came in. or something they sell in a cigar store. If you carry a loose pick in your pocket in hot humid weather, it will get rusty, but if you carry it in some sort of plastic sheathed environment, it will not be as exposed to the moisture that comes off your body.