Outdoor Laundry Fixture Rusting

ugoleaf · Post by **ugoleaf** » Sat Sep 17, 2022 6:21 am

Hello. Would spraying WD40 or putting sewing machine oil slow down the rusting? Without needing to remove rust beforehand though.

: Laundry fixture rusts; 20220917_091231.jpg (344.28 KiB) Viewed 1753 times

It's pretty humid here in summers and I am 200m from coastline. I also have PTFE oil for bike chain lubrication. It's for dry weather conditions though.

mikew1972 · Post by **mikew1972** » Sat Sep 17, 2022 8:42 am

Don't bother with WD40 or anything else thin like sewing machine oil.
Thick oil like gearbox oil may help a little. You can thin it down if you want with diesel or Turps or similar to make it easier to 'paint' on if you wish. Many farmers used to 'paint' their tin outbuildings with used engine oil. A few still do but it's not considered to be environmentally friendly these days.
Chainsaw chain oil would be a good choice yes! Don't know about dry weather bicycle oil, may well be good?
All will only be short term solutions. A longer term would be to give it a good clean up and paint it with anti - rust paint.
Best option would be to replace it with something galvanised or even a length of aluminium scaffolding pole if you can get it.

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Sat Sep 17, 2022 8:51 am

If you "coated it" in any oil, whats to stop the washing (it is after all a washing line) from touching it and getting covered? As mikew1972 said

mikew1972 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 17, 2022 8:42 amBest option would be to replace it with something galvanised or even a length of aluminium scaffolding pole

ugoleaf · Post by **ugoleaf** » Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:56 pm

Someone-Else wrote: ↑Sat Sep 17, 2022 8:51 am If you "coated it" in any oil, whats to stop the washing (it is after all a washing line) from touching it and getting covered? As mikew1972 said

There's a water-repellent oil. Isn't it supposed to prevent the washing?

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:23 pm

ugoleaf wrote: ↑Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:56 pmIsn't it supposed to prevent the washing?

Prevent the washing what?

I am saying that if you coat a washing line pole with anything, when it gets windy there is a high probability that the washing will get blown onto the pole and get the "oil" on the washing. Yes it may only be a tiny corner, but it means more work to get it out of the laundry, not to mention if a person walks past the pole and gets it on their clothes.

Paint on the other hand would not have such a problem, but you shouldn't use normal paint on rust.

I have seen Edd China use a "rust inhibitor" paint, he did paint that directly onto rust.