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Question about keeping steel wool from rusting mid-project
I was out in my garage last Saturday trying to restore an old socket set I found at a flea market in Tucson. Things were going fine until I set my damp steel wool down for maybe 5 minutes to grab a drink. When I picked it back up, it had already started rusting and left orange streaks all over my freshly cleaned socket. Has anyone else run into this before? What's the trick to keeping it from oxidizing so fast when you're working?
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ninamartin4d ago
Heard a tip from a guy at the hardware store who does a lot of metalwork. Said to keep your steel wool in a little bowl of mineral oil while you're working. It coats the fibers and keeps the air from hitting them so they don't rust up on you. You just gotta wipe the excess off before you use it on your project, otherwise it'll leave a greasy film. Also, if it's already starting to rust, you can soak it in vinegar for a bit to break that off.
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grant.luna4d ago
My grandpa used to keep his in a coffee can with kerosene, worked like a charm, just had to air it out a minute before using. Then one time he knocked the can over onto the driveway and that was a whole thing with the neighbors thinking we were trying to burn the block down.
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