Model m Is rusting

[devo343]

i live in a high humidity area so rust is always a problem. what would you guys recommend to Rub/Wipe on the backplate as rust protection/preventive.
and since i live in a high humid area how often would i have to reapply this?

thanks

https://imgur.com/a/qxtGFCU

[devo343]

I just sanded down the current rust spots.
and Applied Gun oil to the backplate hopefuly that works as a rust preventive. 

[Tactile]

You could sand the rust spots & brush them with Rust-Oleum primer. Unlike many other solutions which may drip off or evaporate and require another application this would only need to be done once.

[Rob27shred]

You could sand the rust spots & brush them with Rust-Oleum primer. Unlike many other solutions which may drip off or evaporate and require another application this would only need to be done once.

I concur to this. Actually I'd say prime the whole backplate so you don't have to worry about rust anymore at all. Would definitely be worth it since you live in a high humidity area & already are having some rust happen.

Edit: The gun oil will need to be removed before applying the primer. 90% or 70% isopropyl alcohol will do the trick I believe & also clean any other oils or whatnot that may be on the backplate too.

[devo343]

how effective would the gun oil be?

[thoughtorgan]

how effective would the gun oil be?

Gun oil is generally really good stuff. Designed to not interact with most metals, woods and plastics. A light coat will protect metal for years and years and years. However, a word of caution. I have heard of collectors gripe about oil seepage. Multiple instances of guns with the muzzle stored upright, caused oil sitting on the metal to seep down into the wooden furniture. With guns, this means you just need to rotate your stock and give it a wipedown every couple of years. I wouldn't say using oil to protect the metal on your keyboard is a bad idea, far from it. I would just be careful to use a light amount of oil - and check back in a couple months to see if anything has dripped off.

[devo343]

Allright i used lubrication Hoppes 9 gun oil which from what i read still has rust preventive stuff in it. I plan on checking the backplate every few weeks just to make sure it hasnt seeped or done some werid thing. I plan on bolt modding this within 2-4 years anyway. But thanks for answering my question


Picture of it
https://imgur.com/a/uWazlCt

[devo343]

Im wondering would the oil destroy rivets because i opened it up a few days ago and lost 1 rivet

[va7acq]

I'm not surprised. Those rivets are part of the barrel plate, which is made of ABS plastic. ABS plastic is known to break down when in contact with petroleum based oils.The penetrating nature of gun oil means it will eventually seep underneath the rivet and reach the other side of the metal base plate.

To stop the oil from attacking the ABS any further will require a full disassembly, a thorough cleaning of everything with a detergent, and of course a screw/bolt mod to put it back together.

Although the metal base plate looks exposed, there is actually a very thin layer of oxide coating it from the sheet-metal manufacturing process, which acts as a rust inhibitor. The oil won't hurt it, but any sanding will also remove this thin layer. While you have it completely disassembled, you may want to consider painting the metal base plate to restore it's protection, and stop any rust problems for good.

IBM intended these keyboards to be used in industrial environments, after all. So long as you aren't storing your keyboards in a dank leaky basement or an outhouse, they should be able to withstand a typical indoor environment. Do you have rust problems with other metal items kept indoors in your house? What part of the world do you live in?

[devo343]

yes i do my gpu copper heat pipe is doing the same thing and i live in the east coast of the usa where it is humid year round. my room humidty however ranges from 50-60% which i don't think is enough to cause rust on its own i don't think?

[fohat.digs]

To quote Neil Young: rust never sleeps.

Guns, tools, etc, are special cases because they get bumped around. For something like a plate that stays enclosed in a box for years on end, a simple coat of primer all over is the best idea. Rust-o-leum is great paint and was specifically formulated to keep rust at bay. I try to keep oils and plastics apart whenever possible.