rusty car keys

#thumbnail:

I learned how to protect stuff like this while in San Quentin. But that's another story.

keep a small rag in your car in a piece of tupperware. coat part of the rag in oil and wipe down the key once it is out of the water and dry. don't slather it on, just oil it and then wipe it off. it should help prevent the rust. if you get too much oil on it, however, the key will become a dust and dirt magnet.

nice tip. I have this problem too... Will try the oiled rag.

Either I'm lucky or good. I do the same thing and haven't had a problem. I rinse the key in fresh water when I get out but that's it. And, in fact, it lives in my wet wetsuit, so it never dries. Wonder if it's a stainless steel key?

I also think rinsing in fresh water is the easy way to go. Most stainless steel grades can eventually corrode in ocean water. If you do the oil trick it's important to keep the key clean because your door locks can get gummed up really quickly from any contaminants. I had to get one of my door locks fixed because of salt/sand getting in there.

KoK bringing the nickname "keyster" meaning.

I had @Daniel's problem w/my door lock, too, and b/c of advice on SR, I tried graphite powder, and now my door lock works really well again. You can buy graphite powder in any hardware store. Comes in a little tube that allows you to spray it in to the lock. Cheap & works well.

PS, burro's thumbnail is definitely a pic of Duck Dive's mom's Audi!
Everything rusts in the Sunset, it's BLEAK AS HELL! :D

just the tip

I've used WD40 in the same way as @sticker. I find that accumulated rust will wipe off after a spray or two, though I've never tried on keys like the thumbnail. I'm sure there's a limit. I actually had my lock cores on a roof box seize (and a key break inside) due to neglect of this sort, so I'm fairly certain that could happen to a car lock as well, don't want to find out.

Post surf, I lick my key before I put it into the lock. Really..... Gets the salt off. Keeps it out of the lock.

Seems to work. No rust. No muss.

@KoK... you're a dirty, dirty man.

I bypass the key in suit most of the time and use a masterlock key box, like the realtors use on for sale house. was about $25 at a hard ware store and has a custom 4 number combo and a loop that you can hang on the bottom of the car it would really take some effort to break into it.

(just like the above comment ) --- I went fully LOCK down mode when I witnessed a full grown man virtually burst into tears as his new subaru, boards, laptop with IP, and all his shit .... his whole car was grand thefted ~ those thieves sit a wait - this happened in the ###### parking lot at 9am - before work.

Lock one of these to you bumper, door handle, or rack: (good for parties where you're gonna get so wasted you just might loose your keys) 00 or locked to your car at the trailhead too:

http://www.amazon.com/3-Number-Combination-Lockbox-Realtors-Shackle/dp/B...

http://www.armstronglock.com/product_info.php?products_id=169

If you surf more than 999 times at the same spot, you're screwed with http://www.amazon.com/3-Number-Combination-Lockbox-Realtors-Shackle/dp/B....

I made a key blank out of a piece of scrap aluminum, then I took it to the locksmith who copied the car key to my blank. Aluminum doesn't rust. It is softer than steel, so in theory I could bend or break it, but I've had this for a couple of years with no problems (this style of key is pretty hefty, about twice as thick as a normal house key, which helps).

I used the university machine shop, but you could do it in the garage with a hacksaw and a file.

More details to above-I had a really good experience with the masterlock storage box. Its a little tricky to open back up if your fingers are in full frozen mode but I've always managed. I lost a key out of a wetsuit before while walking to the surf from car.
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-5400D-Set-Your-Own-Combination/dp/B000...

I lick the sucker before I put it into the door lock to minimize salt water going into the mech. Still had to use the old graphite trick when the lock started getting gummy. How about rotating the key if it starts to show corrosion? Spares are pretty cheap you know.

That's funny, I lick it too before I stick it in. I thought that I was just me.

Hold on, that didn't sound right.

And a Kook shall lead them all. Welcome key lickers.

I prefer Billabong keys

+1 for ###### just to stop king of kooks from totally dominating the best comments.

That's a tall tall tall order there....I was looking for a way in....like slyly mentioning my trombone that's out on the porch rusting away, but I had to reel it in because it was too obvious because it's so obviously bleak and grey out there and not impervious to rust detritus. So of course, KoK bags a HR over the powerlines with just the right amount of subtlety being the keyster he is. :D