Rust prevention requirements depend on what you do near the tools
and where you live. If you expose tools to pickle and, or etching
acid fumes you can expect problems almost any place. If you are
within a few miles of salt water you can expect to have varying
amounts of very small salt crystals in the air. these will cause
corrosion. Don’t leave fingerprints on steel. If you are in a
subtropical or tropical marine climate with higher humidity you can
expect to have problems in a non air conditioned . I live in
something like the later but far enough away from salt water so salt
"dust " Is not a problem but dinural swing humidity is. . The
main shop area is about 300 sq ft. I have a 5000 btu air
conditioner that runs most of the time in the warmer and hotter
seasons. In the few “winter” months an electric water heater
inefficiency keeps the area warm and dry enough so that humidity
swings are not a problem. I don’t use pickle or do etching in this
space. I use WD-40 and have had zero rust problems over the past 12
years. WD-40 has been subject to a lot of rumors , but it is a good
preventative for normal use and is easy to wipe down and very
available in the US. I do use some vapor phase inhibitors in tool
boxes but I don’t think they are doing anything any more. For
longer term storage something like Boeshield is probably a good
idea. I have it but don’t use it much.
http://www.boeshield.com/index.htm
This was developed by Boeing for longer term storage of tools and
parts. It seems to me to be paraffin wax in Stoddard solvent but
that is probably a little simplistic.
Jesse