Thread: Rusting Howa's

I used to have a business doing fabrication in stainless steel. It is indeed stain-less not stain-nothing. What works best is not so much oiling it but rubbing. Rubbing helps develop a layer of chromium oxide which is the outer protective layer. If it has not been cleaned in a while a soft rag moistened with WD40 will polish it up, or a commercial cleaner used for SS kitchen ware. Never use Steel Wool or any steel abrasive. Steel wool will impregnate the surface of SS with particles that will quickly cause rust. If you want to work a blemish or scratch out use a synthetic (green usually) potscrub. These are available in different grades from coarse to fine. Apply the same logic as you would with sandpaper. Including going with the grain. However you will end up with a matt burnished finish, you will never get back an original foundry bright finish. Use WD40 on the potscrub. Stainless not regularly rubbed will always tarnish to some degree over time. Higher grades will tarnish less.