WD-40 vs PB Blaster, Woodstove Restoration

[Todd67]

I've used PB Blaster to restore three Fisher stoves; my Mama Bear in 2012, my Coal Bear and Baby Bear in 2018.

I bought my Grandma Bear in November 2018 and lathered it up with PB Blaster right after I brought it home. I re-applied PB today to keep it from rusting more in my unheated detached garage. This stove won't get restored until this summer, making it the fourth stove that I use PB Blaster on.

I bought a gallon of WD-40 last month, which was nearly half the cost of a gallon of PB. I'm using the WD-40 to restore the Grandpa Bear that I just bought, which I applied to the stove today.

Just looking at the Grandma with PB on it, and the Grandpa with WD on it, I like the appearance of the WD-40 much better. With PB Blaster on the Grandma, it makes the entire stove look like rust (PB is an orange/red color). But with the WD-40 on the Grandpa, I can clearly see where the rust is. So far, I like the WD-40 better.

The Grandma Bear has a little more rust on it then the Grandpa Bear, so those two stoves will provide a good head to head comparison of two similar products (WD & PB) on similarly rusted stoves.

I will also use WD-40 on the old Papa Bear that is scheduled to arrive here January 9th.

The Papa Bear, Grandpa Bear & Grandma Bear stoves will get restored this summer. It's too cold in the garage to work on them before May.

I'll post my results here, so stay tuned...

 

[brenndatomu]

Not sure if these units are destined to be painted or not...hope not...WD40 is bad juju with future paint work.
http://k2forums.com/discussion/3241/causes-of-fisheyes

 

[Todd67]

Whether it's PB Blaster or WD-40, it gets removed with clear mineral spirits, so there is no PB or WD on the stoves when I paint them. The clear mineral spirits evaporate, so it's never been an issue.

By the way, thanks for the link!

 

[Desmond]

On my last stove I also used a product called Deep Creep made by Sea Foam. I found it really good too. I bought it at Canadian Tire. I've also wiped down stoves with lacquer thinner to remove all traces of left over oil. It really seems to evaporate. And by the way Todd, if you were to fire up one of your many stoves, you could heat your garage and work all winter!

 

[Todd67]

I've heard of Deep Creep but I've never noticed it in stores around Watertown NY.

My Grandpa Bear will most likely become my garage heater, but I like to restore a stove before I start using it. It's ridiculous how much a steel box sweats in my garage when the temps go from below freezing to above freezing. Because of that "sweating", I'll paint the inside & outside of that Grandpa Bear to help protect it from the elements.

 

[Todd67]

Within 5 days of putting WD-40 on the Grandpa Bear it was looking like much of it evaporated off the top of the stove, or soaked into the steel, which is far less likely than evaporation.

To be fair, this was the first time putting WD on the Grandpa Bear.

The Grandma Bear with PB Blaster still looks mostly wet. But to be fair, this was the 3rd or 4th time putting PB on the Grandma Bear. So the steel is already saturated with PB.

Added another coat of WD on the Grandpa Bear.

Also added the first coat of WD on my Papa Bear.

 

[checkthisout]

Why not use some type of rust converter? Then hit with a fine wire wheel to knock the converted rust off?

Then, dremel with tiny wire wheel for detail work around the door lettering.

 

[Todd67]

Why not use some type of rust converter? Then hit with a fine wire wheel to knock the converted rust off?

Then, dremel with tiny wire wheel for detail work around the door lettering.

Rust converters might be a good idea if I was able to restore the stove right away, but these stoves are sitting in my unheated, detached garage where it is too cold to work on them until May. Every time the temperature goes above freezing, these stoves (and all metal objects in my garage) sweat like crazy, and then the rust grows out of control. So I use the PB and WD-40 as long term rust inhibitors during our brutally cold winters.

I did buy some Evapo-Rust to use on my old Papa Bear door, specifically the nuts & bolts that hold the draft caps on. But Evapo-Rust has to be used & stored above 65 degrees, and it's not more than 50 degrees in my basement. Also, it's not acidic like other rust removers. WD and PB don't freeze, so I can use it all winter long on my stoves to make it easier to remove the rust later this spring.

Have you used any rust converters that you would recommend for restoring wood stoves? Something non-acidic?

 

[SpaceBus]

WD-40's intended purpose was to displace water from metal. If your goal is to prevent rust I think WD-40 is the best product to use. PB Blaster is the best penetrating oil I've ever used, so if you need to break apart rusted fasteners, I can't think of anything better.

 

[Todd67]

WD-40's intended purpose was to displace water from metal. If your goal is to prevent rust I think WD-40 is the best product to use. PB Blaster is the best penetrating oil I've ever used, so if you need to break apart rusted fasteners, I can't think of anything better.

I agree. The PB is actually staying on the stove surface longer than the WD so far. It looks like the WD is slowly evaporating, but the PB is not.

This test makes me wonder how bad, and how fast, a wood stove is going to rust in my garage after I burn some occasional fires in it. The amount of sweat that runs off these stoves and my metal tool cabinet is unbelievable.

I'm starting to wonder how much a wood stove will actually get used in my garage, and if it is worth the time and money to install it. But then again, I use my garage quite often during the spring and fall when a heated garage would be very helpful.

 

[SpaceBus]

I agree. The PB is actually staying on the stove surface longer than the WD so far. It looks like the WD is slowly evaporating, but the PB is not.

This test makes me wonder how bad, and how fast, a wood stove is going to rust in my garage after I burn some occasional fires in it. The amount of sweat that runs off these stoves and my metal tool cabinet is unbelievable.

I'm starting to wonder how much a wood stove will actually get used in my garage, and if it is worth the time and money to install it. But then again, I use my garage quite often during the spring and fall when a heated garage would be very helpful.

Well, if you kept it heated, you wouldn't have this issue. Insulation would also be key in this endeavor. I feel like it wouldn't be too much work to keep it above 50.

 

[Todd67]

Well, if you kept it heated, you wouldn't have this issue. Insulation would also be key in this endeavor. I feel like it wouldn't be too much work to keep it above 50.

It would cost too much money to properly insulate my garage. I don't know the exact dimensions, but it was built in the early 70's. It's a 2 car garage, but it's long enough to put 2 cars front to back as well, so it's basically a 4 car garage. All I use the garage for is to store my outdoor power equipment. The only time I "need" heat in my garage is when or if I have to work on a project out there, which typically doesn't happen during the winter months. A wood stove would get the most use during the colder spring and fall days, but not much during the winter months.

I'll install the Grandpa Bear stove out there this summer. I'll paint it with 4 coats of paint and see how many years it takes for it to start rusting. I don't think it will be too difficult to touch it up when needed.

I've got too many projects to finish in my house before I get too involved with improving my garage. If I was going to insulate anything, it would be my house, not my garage. We're also considering replacing all of our old windows this summer, because the curtains blow when the wind blows (windows closed of course). Ah yes, the joys of owning a 90 year old house.

 

[SpaceBus]

It would cost too much money to properly insulate my garage. I don't know the exact dimensions, but it was built in the early 70's. It's a 2 car garage, but it's long enough to put 2 cars front to back as well, so it's basically a 4 car garage. All I use the garage for is to store my outdoor power equipment. The only time I "need" heat in my garage is when or if I have to work on a project out there, which typically doesn't happen during the winter months. A wood stove would get the most use during the colder spring and fall days, but not much during the winter months.

I'll install the Grandpa Bear stove out there this summer. I'll paint it with 4 coats of paint and see how many years it takes for it to start rusting. I don't think it will be too difficult to touch it up when needed.

I've got too many projects to finish in my house before I get too involved with improving my garage. If I was going to insulate anything, it would be my house, not my garage. We're also considering replacing all of our old windows this summer, because the curtains blow when the wind blows (windows closed of course). Ah yes, the joys of owning a 90 year old house.

I know the feeling. We are in the middle of a surprise renovation of a 1975 Salt Box we moved into in November. We looked at really old houses, but none of them were in any condition to live in, so we had to pass. I just wish I had a garage at all, and I'm hoping to at least build a wooden carport this summer.

 

[Todd67]

I know the feeling. We are in the middle of a surprise renovation of a 1975 Salt Box we moved into in November. We looked at really old houses, but none of them were in any condition to live in, so we had to pass. I just wish I had a garage at all, and I'm hoping to at least build a wooden carport this summer.

Sometimes you have the money, but not the time. Or you have the time for the repairs, but not the money. Sometimes you lack both the time and money.

I hope you get your garage built, sooner rather than later. We've been in our house for 11 years (come this April) and we have learned patience and perseverance. Progress has been slow, but it's been steady, so I can't complain.

 

[Todd67]

It's been a busy summer, but I finally got around to finishing the Grandpa Bear yesterday. I'll finish the doors and install new firebrick today.

The WD 40 made the rust removal much "faster" than the PB Blaster. It goes on clear, which made it easier to tell when I had all of the rust removed. It was also easier to wipe off the stove than PB Blaster.
The WD 40 is also about $10 cheaper per gallon than PB Blaster.

So, which product do I prefer? The WD 40 is my choice.

 

[peakbagger]

IMHO a product that is great for long term storage is Boeshield. Its a mix of a penetrant like WD-40 and a wax base. The penetrant gets in the rust and the wax goes along for the ride and then as the penetrant evaporates the wax remains. Obviously the wax will need to be removed before restoration is started.

 

[Todd67]

Never heard of Boeshield before, thanks for the tip! Will mineral spirits remove that product?

 

[peakbagger]

Here is a FAQ https://www.theruststore.com/Boeshield-T-9-FAQs-W58.aspx

The only issues I have had are
Its tacky and tends to attract dust, (its preservative,not a something to keep it pretty)
The can tips can clog, I usually flip the can upside down and spray it for a second to clear the tip

 

[Todd67]

Ok, I didn't know it was in a spray can.