I have been reading up on rust prevention and one name that comes up over and over is Ballistol. Apart from keeping Prussian guns clean and rust free, there are those who use it on leather, wood, goats, people, old records, and planes.

Here are a few links:
Woodnet discussion on Ballistol.

The Story (or legend) of Ballistol

Side by side rust experiment

Leather Treatment

The claims are well into the philosophers stone category, and apparently anyone who uses it becomes a fanatic ballistol zombie. I have j a rather large container, so if I become a fanatic ballistol zombie, you know that my theory is true.

have read a few gun forum posts where they like Renaissance Wax for the outsides of guns and Ballistol for the insides and moving parts.

Has anyone developed a preference or opinion on Microcrystalline Waxes? Lee Valley sells this for a bit less.

Microcrystalline wax is a fairly broad range of materials so I started looking for what conservators like to specify. As a result I found This Cosmolloid 80 H. So far, gram for gram, this is the least expensive, but then you don’t get the pretty can. I am not underrating the can here, it looks good on your shelf and will probably last there for a very long time.

I have managed to use up my tiny tin of Renaissance Wax through excessive use and having the tin at an angle in my greenhouse/shop on a hot day. Apparently I am a poor conservator of conservator materials.

Unless someone else has experience or knowledge with these materials, I may have to break down and get some of each just to do a side by side test of rust preventative materials.

My thought is that spending a bit up front learning what works best will in the long term save money and time on clean up of rust, and protecting tools.

I have a bit of a preference for other waxes for protecting tools than Renaissance Wax on tools that I regularly use, but that may be because it gets quite hot in Texas, and the tools I use regularly are not kept at anything like a controlled temperature. The low melting point on microcrystalline wax may make it a less ideal treatment in warmer areas. It does do a great job on tools stored in a more controlled environment, but then I have less problems with rust on tools kept inside. I have not done a side by side test, this is just from personal experience.

When it gets hot and humid, rust forms easily. I suspect that I will end up treating my tools with Oxpho-Blue followed by ballistol, unless some form of microcrystalline wax does better. I have a Camphor Block in several of my tool boxes, but I have no idea how well it works, but I do like the smell. The link mentions an aromatic taste, but a 1 oz dose has killed children before, so I don’t advise eating the stuff or using it where young critters might get their paws on it.

I have been using ballistol for a little while now, and here is my data.

The smell is a bit off from licorice. It smells kind of like the liquor Anisette or maybe Galliano. It does not even vaguely remind me of old socks. That being said, it is not a bad smell, more of a discordant smell. It does not seem to belong, and you do notice it.

Because they say, it holds up forever, and because I got a gallon bottle of it, I poured some into a cheap 8 oz bottle .

This has been out in the weather, but not in direct sun. When I used it last, the smell was mostly gone, only a mild fragrance note really. So you can ignore the scent warning if that is an issue, with a bit of time and preparation. The type of bottle I used has a tendency to get scrunchy in the weather. When it is hot, the air expands and the cap lets the air out. When it cools the air contracts so the bottle smushes in. This will allow the release of most volitiles over time, but prevent a lot of oxidation.

So far, I have not seen any rust form under it, and it seems to work well. It is not hard to apply and it penetrates and cleans quite well. I am tempted to try it for sharpening.
Oddly the thicker oil of Camellia penetrates and lubricates better, I think, but does not prevent rust quite as well. Camellia is the best lubricant I have found for door hinges that squeak.

As far as I can tell, I have not turned into a ballistol zombie, but it may take time. I do rather like the stuff, however.

Bob