We recently received a lovely email from a customer who was trying out Owatrol Oil as a rust inhibitor on the recommendation of some of their readers – the customer is and editor of Tractor and Machinery.
Unfortunately, we don’t have any photographs of their project but we do have some kind words about our product! They also gave their honest opinions and we can explain to you how they have used it.
Scott’s email said:
If there was one product we were itching to get our hands on, it was this! We’d heard so many good things about Owatrol Oil that we wanted to see if the hype was deserved.
It’s worth explaining that there are several strings to this product’s bow. It can be used as a rust inhibitor, paint conditioner or for impregnating wood, but we used it as instructed by readers in a bid to enhance the look of an original tractor.
Owatrol Oil allows you to achieve that ‘oily rag’ look, without the mess, while stopping rust and protecting the base metal from further rusting, eliminating moisture and penetrating down to the sound metal.
We cleaned up the tinwork of our tractor before applying Owatrol Oil with a clean rag and achieved some excellent results. Yes, it’s expensive, but you don’t need that much to achieve the desired effect, so it should last a while.
He also took the time to rate (out of 5*) Owatrol Oil against some common indicators and here’s what he thought:
- Container/package: ****
- Usability/ease of use: *****
- Effectiveness: *****
- Value for money: ***
- Total: 17/20 – a pretty good score!
We know that Owatrol Oil may seem a little expensive but as Scott says, a little goes a long way. You will find that even a small tin can serve you well for many jobs!
Scott used his Owatrol Oil neat and applied it to the metal work of the tractor with a rag. This will protect the rusted areas from further damage and bring out the shine of the sound metalwork.
What is Owatrol Oil?
Owatrol Oil is colourless oil and is a somewhat complicated product which many customers find confusing; it can fulfil so many roles!
For starters, Owatrol Oil is a rust inhibitor which can be used directly on rusted surfaces as it penetrates through the rust to the sound metal below, isolating and stabilising it to prevent further damage.
However, that’s not all. Owatrol Oil can also be used as a paint conditioner for oil-based paints and works in a similar way as Floetrol does in water-based paints.
It maintains the wet edge for longer allowing you to work with the paint in more difficult conditions. It also significantly reduces brush and roller marks and improves paint adhesion, especially to unstable surfaces, and can help to prevent peeling and blistering.
In addition to these jobs, Owatrol Oil can be used as a penetrating wood protection product. It saturates the wood and prevents damage caused by moisture and UV rays; with the added benefit that it will also be protecting any metal parts too such as hinges, latches and bolts.
But that’s still not all! Owatrol Oil has many other purposes and can even be used for jobs such as sealing patio slabs and also allows you to paint directly onto rusted metal when used as a primer.
There are many more uses for Owatrol Oil but we won’t go into each and every one here!
We hope you found this post on Owatrol Oil used on a vintage tractor interesting. If you have any other advice or top tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. We love hearing from you!
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About Owatrol Team
Our team are ready and willing to support you with your requirements whether it is protecting your newly laid deck or renovating a luxury yacht, whatever the application Owatrol has the solution you are looking for.
I have just had my first failure after using (and ‘abusing’ ) Owatrol for over 20 years. I use it a lot including on my classic cars and also on work to historic buildings ( I am a freelance building surveyor and have worked for a number or organisations and recommended Owatrol widely) Therefore I am a bit worried!
I applied Owatrol silver primer in two thin coats ove a mild steel fabrication that had previously been coated with a thin layer of silver aerosol paint many years before as it showed some slight rust ‘pinning’ through. I left this for two weeks and have just sprayed Hicote high build primer on one side and Hicote black paint on the other. The paint has cissed up on both sides so will now need to be stripped right back.
I think I shall have to go back to Hammerite red oxide primer. Please can you explain what I did wrong as I understood that Owatrol works under all paint types if allowed to cure for a week or two. Certainly I have used it under cellulose and acrylic paints before without trouble as long as I had left it to cure for a while.
Hi John,
I have passed your message onto our technical team and will get back to you asap.
Many thanks,
The Owatrol Team
Hi there,
I wish to preserve the partly rusty look of my vintage motorcycle tank and toolbox etc. This tin ware is about 40 % light rust and 60% original paint. My plan is to carefully clean the surface with pure soap and warm water. Allow to completelyy dry..then apply Owatrol. What do you think? Will the Owatrol change the colour of the paintwork ( Its 2 tone light blue and off-white)
Hi there Stephen,
Owatrol Oil is perfect for preserving the look of rust on your motorcycle tank and toolbox whilst inhibiting it from progressing any further potentially causing damage. As you have suggested, we recommend giving the area a good clean before application.
Owatrol Oil will not change the colour of the paintwork although it may make it look slightly darker on first application, but after you have brushed it onto the surface and it has saturated and dried, it will return to normal.
I hope this was helpful. Please feel free to contact us again if you have any further queries.
All the best,
The Owatrol Team