There are different techniques for preserving iron once it comes out of electrolysis bucket. If you don't deal with it right away, the iron relics will often start to rust right before your eyes as soon as they dry off.

Some of my iron relics will get scrubbed with a baking powder paste as soon as they come out of the electrolysis bath to remove the black oxide coating, some won't. When I've cleaned enough oxide off to my liking, and rinsed it clean with water and toweled off, it goes right into an acetone soak for a minute to drive off any remaining water. After that it's either a coat of Renaissance wax or a good dousing in WD40. The WD40 treatment gets repeated a couple of times.

I'd like to hear how others (Donnie B...) preserve their iron.

Jeff