High quality stainless steel is the only real answer.  A company in New
Zealand makes a wonderful stainless adjustable crescent wrench.  The
handle has a slot in it (so it can be used as a shackle wrench on a
boat), which also reduces its weight.  Mine has lived between our boat
and my dive tool kit for more than 10 years - not a speck of rust.  The
Leatherman tools are SS, but an inferior alloy which needs to be
cleaned with WD-40 from time to time.

As for tools that aren't available in stainless steel, I try to keep
them cleaned using WD-40 or penetrating oil  and coated with silicone
or teflon lubricant, but mostly I just buy cheap ones and replace them
every year.  If it's a favorite tool or something difficult or
expensive to replace, clean it as best you can, then store it wrapped
in a rag soaked in a mixture of WD-40 and light oil.  The whole
rag-wrapped thing can then be kept in a zip-loc bag.  An extra shot of
WD-40 inside the bag every few weeks will keep the tool corrosion-free
for a long time.

Robert Delfs

On Sun, 23 Jun 2002 15:08:16 -0500, Crusty Russ wrote:

>I carry a dive specific tool kit with us whenever we travel.  Many of
>the tools I've chosen over the years are stainless steel, but a few old
>favorites are carbon steel.  Some of these are showing signs of rust and
>are in need of cleaning and treatment.
>
>Before beginning my usual treatment of spraying the tools with LPS,
>giving them a good scrub to remove rust and pits, followed by a spray of
>WD40 or silicone spray, I thought it would be a good idea to see how
>many of you who live a bit closer to the marine environment deal with
>this problem.
>
>I would appreciate any and all tips on what you do to remove rust, what
>you use to lubricate the working parts of the tool, and what you use for
>rust preventive treatments.
>
>Best regards,
>Russ


Robert Delfs
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