Vacuum bagging for rust Prevention?

linedog62 · Dec 27, 2023

Hey Guys,
Has anybody used vci paper or vacuum bags or the commercially available bags/sleeves for preventing rust on your long term storage? I am trying to figure out the best thing for my old collectables rather than just leave them in the safe. Long term storage meaning 5 years or more..... please chime in!
Thanks John

Xmark1 · Dec 27, 2023

linedog62 said:
Hey Guys,
Has anybody used vci paper or vacuum bags or the commercially available bags/sleeves for preventing rust on your long term storage? I am trying to figure out the best thing for my old collectables rather than just leave them in the safe. Long term storage meaning 5 years or more..... please chime in!
Thanks John

Lots of storage grease on anything metal.

Stomper · Dec 27, 2023

linedog62 said:
Hey Guys,
Has anybody used vci paper or vacuum bags or the commercially available bags/sleeves for preventing rust on your long term storage? I am trying to figure out the best thing for my old collectables rather than just leave them in the safe. Long term storage meaning 5 years or more..... please chime in!
Thanks John

Humidity control is king. Keeping the interior slightly above the dew point of the exterior temperature and a light coating of CLP on uncoated metal surfaces will do ya.

Provincial · Dec 27, 2023

Stomper said:
Humidity control is king. Keeping the interior slightly above the dew point of the exterior temperature and a light coating of CLP on uncoated metal surfaces will do ya.

^^^^^ This!

The Heretic · Dec 27, 2023

linedog62 said:
Hey Guys,
Has anybody used vci paper or vacuum bags or the commercially available bags/sleeves for preventing rust on your long term storage? I am trying to figure out the best thing for my old collectables rather than just leave them in the safe. Long term storage meaning 5 years or more..... please chime in!
Thanks John

Start with cosmoline (and maybe then put that in a silicone sock), then the VCI bag (maybe VCI paper before the bag), then depending on how/where you are going to store it, a mylar bag. You might consider putting a desiccant pack int there. If not cosmoline then Riggs gun grease, or at least spray the metal with Ballistol.

I just put a reloading press in a VCI bag for storage - I first sprayed it liberally with Ballistol, then put that in a VCI bag and vacuum sealed that (I maybe should have put a desiccant pack in that, but didn't), then put that in plastic bag, then the whole thing in a MTM "ammo crate" (to protect it when it is being moved/stored).

Not sure when I am going to setup my reloading bench, it may be before or after I move this next year or two, so I didn't want to go looking for it and find it in a soggy cardboard box all rusty.

linedog62 · Dec 27, 2023

The Heretic said:
Start with cosmoline (and maybe then put that in a silicone sock), then the VCI bag (maybe VCI paper before the bag), then depending on how/where you are going to store it, a mylar bag. You might consider putting a desiccant pack int there. If not cosmoline then Riggs gun grease, or at least spray the metal with Ballistol.

I just put a reloading press in a VCI bag for storage - I first sprayed it liberally with Ballistol, then put that in a VCI bag and vacuum sealed that (I maybe should have put a desiccant pack in that, but didn't), then put that in plastic bag, then the whole thing in a MTM "ammo crate" (to protect it when it is being moved/stored).

Not sure when I am going to setup my reloading bench, it may be before or after I move this next year or two, so I didn't want to go looking for it and find it in a soggy cardboard box all rustyYou have pretty much followed the same thing as I did on e the first one. I

linedog62 · Dec 27, 2023

Pretty much my same idea, Cosmoline, paper, then a bag. I was curious after reading about some of the guns stored in oil drums and buried by preppers. I dont really want to oil soak the stocks on all my antiques so I'll just go the route you mentioned. I wish I had a dehumidifier but there will be no electricity in the storage.

washagonian · Dec 27, 2023

If you're going to vacuum seal the item in a vacuum seal bag (like vacuum sealed food storage) - include an oxygen absorber pack in the bag. Rust cannot form if there's no oxygen available - the absorber bags absorb any remaining oxygen in the bag once you seal it and make it unavailable for the oxidation process.

If you're NOT using a vacuum sealed bag - for example, using a VCI bag that you tape shut - an oxygen absorber is not helpful. Oxygen will easily make its way into that type of a sealed bag and pretty quickly the pack will absorb its capacity of oxygen and become useless.

PS: make sure you immediately move any extra absorber packs from the vacuum sealed bag they are sold and delivered in, into a glass Ball jar with a good rubber seal in the lid. That will slow their oxygen absorption after they are removed from their original packing bag - BUT, it won't keep them good for that long unless you can vacuum seal the "Ball Jar". So purchase a small amount - only what you need for the project.

linedog62 · Dec 27, 2023

washagonian said:
If you're going to vacuum seal the item in a vacuum seal bag (like vacuum sealed food storage) - include an oxygen absorber pack in the bag. Rust cannot form if there's no oxygen available - the absorber bags absorb any remaining oxygen in the bag once you seal it and make it unavailable for the oxidation process.

If you're NOT using a vacuum sealed bag - for example, using a VCI bag that you tape shut - an oxygen absorber is not helpful. Oxygen will easily make its way into that type of a sealed bag and pretty quickly the pack will absorb its capacity of oxygen and become useless.

yes .. I was thinking the same. The old steel ships were built with coal tar coatings and on the spaces that weren't accessible after being sealed by welding had a lit candle placed inside the void and welded up. he candle would burn the oxygen all out of the enclosed sealed space and rust couldn't form. pretty cool trick

The Heretic · Dec 27, 2023

linedog62 said:
Pretty much my same idea, Cosmoline, paper, then a bag. I was curious after reading about some of the guns stored in oil drums and buried by preppers. I dont really want to oil soak the stocks on all my antiques so I'll just go the route you mentioned. I wish I had a dehumidifier but there will be no electricity in the storage.

Amazon.com

linedog62 · Dec 27, 2023

The Heretic said:
Amazon.com

like those... I was going with corrosion x heavy duty because cosmoline is such a pain to remove later!

Tlock · Dec 27, 2023

Xmark1 said:
Lots of storage grease on anything metal.

I recently bought 5 guns from a older gentleman and he had them packed in grease. It was a pain to get it all cleaned up

linedog62 · Dec 27, 2023

Tlock said:
I recently bought 5 guns from a older gentleman and he had them packed in grease. It was a pain to get it all cleaned up

I have a hundred old shotguns That I have to deal with... so I feel your pain. I did buy the Corrosion x heavy duty, and was just going to vci paper wrap them and seal them in vci bags but seal the bags with a vacuum food sealer and a dessicant inside

The Heretic · Dec 27, 2023

linedog62 said:
yes .. I was thinking the same. The old steel ships were built with coal tar coatings and on the spaces that weren't accessible after being sealed by welding had a lit candle placed inside the void and welded up. he candle would burn the oxygen all out of the enclosed sealed space and rust couldn't form. pretty cool trick

Or, if you have a welding setup or other mechanisms that uses inert gases, you can fill the bag with CO2, argon, nitrogen, etc.

I think the combo of cosmoline (don't get it on the wood) and VCI bag, will do the trick. I have a Food Saver and since the VCI bag I used (was for a rifle) was the right dimensions, it fit in the saver which removed some of the air and sealed the open end. I also have some mylar bags for food preps - I got some 1 gallon and smaller bags that have a ziplock seam on them, I sealed those above the seam after putting food in them.

I have 5 & 6 gallon bags too - I use a clothes iron to seal those as they are too big to fit in the food saver.

I have other mylar bags that printer toner cartridges cam in. Those cannot be used for food as the preservative for the toner is not food safe, but I can put other things in them.

linedog62 · Dec 27, 2023

The Heretic said:
Or, if you have a welding setup or other mechanisms that uses inert gases, you can fill the bag with CO2, argon, nitrogen, etc.

I think the combo of cosmoline (don't get it on the wood) and VCI bag, will do the trick. I have a Food Saver and since the VCI bag I used (was for a rifle) was the right dimensions, it fit in the saver which removed some of the air and sealed the open end. I also have some mylar bags for food preps - I got some 1 gallon and smaller bags that have a ziplock seam on them, I sealed those above the seam after putting food in them.

I have 5 & 6 gallon bags too - I use a clothes iron to seal those as they are too big to fit in the food saver.

I have other mylar bags that printer toner cartridges cam in. Those cannot be used for food as the preservative for the toner is not food safe, but I can put other things in them.

I had forgotten that I could displace with argon, I tig weld a lot so that would be a smart thing to do. When you apply a doubler plate to a ships hull you can weld on a fitting on the inside with a cap and fill/vacuum with inert gas. It keeps the plates from rusting internally.