From: Paul 'Sir' H. 19/08/2000 18:59:00 Subject: Stopping Rust? post id: 119359 Indulge me. If I were an ancient king off to meet my maker, and I wanted my favorite broadsword to arrive in as good as shape as I thought I was, how would I stop the rust? My theory? Simply cover the iron in wax. Would that work/? Over a thousand years? From: Andrew Fraser 19/08/2000 20:18:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 119395 Well there are a few ways. Rust is caused by two things water and air Covering it in oil will keep the water and air out. Or putting a more reactive metal, like magnesium will help. The magnesium is more reactive than the iron so it will rust first, and give its electrons to the iron Or you could keep the iron at a negitive voltage Fraser "better living through Bundy" From: daveh ® 20/08/2000 6:13:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 119479 Magnesium is a bit high tech for an "Ancient King" Eventually your sword would disintegrate. Even covering it with molten glass would eventually fail as glass is really a liquid and would flow away. Iron bein higher up the electrochemical scale would oxidise anywhere on earth eventually. From: Alan™ ® 20/08/2000 20:51:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 119675 Simple, threaten the sword maker, that he will loose his head if the sword rusts. From: Alan™ ® 20/08/2000 21:08:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 119682 OK you guys want a serious answer. I think wax is fairly permiable to oxygen. Lots of oils wont provide long term protection. As for protecting it with magnesium, that would only really work if you had the sword in water, otherwise you just can't get the chemical cell working. Some of the oils (fish oil) will last quite a long time, because it can be quite thick and will stay adhered. Daveh, it worth reading back through the FAQ. Glass is definitely a solid, an amorphous one ie no crystal structure. The myth of glass being a liquid, is the result of poor quality glass being used in cathedrels, where the glass was of uneven thickness and the people installing the windows simply did the simple and intellegent thing of putting the thickest edge on the bottom. From: neilneil 20/08/2000 23:30:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 119786 temper the sword in oil From: Alan™ ® 21/08/2000 10:02:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 119838 Thinking further on this topic. If you can prevent rust from starting, it's fairly easy to prevent it from spreading (this may sound pretty obvious, but the corollary, once rust is there, it will spread like rapid fire and it very difficult to get rid of). To keep the rust away, the best option you have is to regularly resharpen the blade. This will remove any of the new nucleation sites for corrosion. The nucleation sites are little pits, which moisture can sit it and oxidation occurs. Technically they are micro-galvanic cells. By regularly removing the sites, means the whole process has to initiate again (which takes a long time). However if the sites aren't removed, the pits become deeper, and the link up causing general surface corrosion. Which is will require much more material to be removed, to prevent future corrosion attacks. From: Paul H. 22/08/2000 11:39:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 120523 Hmm... I thought wax would adhere better than oil. Didn't know it was oxy-permiable. Fish oil you, reckon... ...the best option you have is to regularly resharpen the blade. I'm thinking of some swords found in grave barrows. Thanks all. From: Alan™ ® 22/08/2000 18:52:00 Subject: re: Stopping Rust? post id: 120827 Andrew basically got it right Paul. If you keep the moisture out and the oxygen, it will last for ages. Knights, Kings, etc were buried in lead caskets, which were often airtight. Lead is fairly corrosion resistant, thus the caskets last a long time and so do the contents. This forum is un-moderated. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual poster and not the ABC. The ABC reserves the right to remove offensive or inappropriate messages.