Oil spraying is a method of preventing rust, primarily for steel and iron products. Using the oil spray will coat any iron and steel products, thereby protecting the surface from oxygen and water, which are the two major contributors to rust. But of the truth, can oil spray prevent rust?
Yes, the simplest form of rust prevention is oil spray, and there are many of them out there in the market. The oil spray application provides a protective layer preventing moisture from reaching the metal and oxidizing from starting.
However, certain types of oil sprays are made for rust prevention and not every oil spray is ideal for preventing rust. This means that you still have to be careful in your choice of oil spray selection for rust prevention, or at least, consult the help of a professional.
With the information on this page, you will know the best oil sprays you should get and the right application to help you prevent rust.
Contents
What to Consider when Choosing an Oil Spray to Prevent Rust?
1. Type of Treatment
Some surfaces require a special type of treatment such as chemical-based cleaning before applying an oil spray, while some other metal surfaces require simple cleaning.
Some oil sprays work only on a clean, dry, rust-free surface while some oil sprays will work regardless of the surface. Before purchasing any oil spray for the surface of your metal object, ensure you make proper research on the oil spray and the surface you’re going to apply it on. Know the quality of treatment required for that surface for your oil spray to be effective. This way, you save yourself lots of time, money, and energy.
Also, if you want to apply oil spray to an already rusted surface, ensure you scrape off the previous rust and clean thoroughly. This is because apart from the fact that rust underneath the spray might prevent the spray from sticking to the surface, the rusted iron flakes under the spray could break through the spray after it has dried, or prevent the spray from running smoothly on the surface.
2. Quality of the Spray
This is not to say that some oil sprays are fake or that some oil sprays last longer than the others, no. However, some oil sprays are manufactured at low viscosity or drip-free oil sprays. This implies that it is a very thick, almost gelled oil and would perform excellently on certain metal surfaces. Some other surfaces might however require oil sprays that are made of high viscosity oil. As earlier discussed, do proper research first, and if you’re confused, seek the advice of a professional.
Note: Before applying any oil spray to any surface, make sure the surface is wiped dry of any form of moisture. Although oil would prevent the moisture from reacting with oxygen, moisture or water sitting on the surface of the object before application of the oil spray might reduce the effectiveness of the oil spray.
Advantages of Oil Spray for Rust Removal
- Efficiency and Control over the Usage of Oil: Oil sprays often come in spray cans and most often require that you spray the content over the metal object or material. As a result of this method of oil application, you have more control over the amount of oil that you use per time. This ensures more effectiveness with the oil spray and less wastage.
- Prevents Drips and Runs: Trying to apply oil to a metal object with an oil brush can be messy. The process of dipping the brush in the oil and brushing it over the surface of the object can lead to drips on the floor or unwanted areas of the metal object. Using an oil spray helps prevent this occurrence as you focus mostly on the area you need to oil.
- Oil Is Uniformly Dispensed: With the use of oil spray, oil is spread in an equivalent way all over the surface of the metal object. Proper distribution is also enhanced since unwanted concentration of oil in a certain area can be avoided.
- Application Is Faster and Time Saving: The use of oil spray requires less time and application is faster especially if you’re spraying over plenty of metal surfaces or a large surface area of one metal object. This enables you to achieve more with your oil application in less time.
- Requires less Energy/Manpower: The use of brush for applying oils on metal surfaces often requires much dedication and energy. Oil spray however is less demanding in this area. This is because oil spray mostly comes in small portable cans and is easy to hold and apply.
What Are the Disadvantages of Oil Spray?
Just like everything beneficial has its drawbacks, oil spray also has disadvantages.
- The first is that oil spray is not designed to stick or remain in place in ambient conditions. Also, oil spray is designed to be sprayed from a can and so, you might not be able to reach certain areas of the object such as bolts, crevices and corners that can only be reached with a brush.
- Finally, there is a certain thickness to which you can apply an oil spray. This means that it can wear off quickly and would need re-application from time to time.
Conclusion
Oil spray can prevent rust. This however depends on certain factors. If you’re unsure of where to make use of an oil spray or what kind of oil spray is best, always consult the help of a professional.
Also, do not spray on surfaces without first cleaning off the moisture so you do not reduce the effectiveness of your oil spray.
