Some of my tools and bike parts are showing corrosion from this season's warm and humid rainy season. Have tried using X5 spray, but it seems to form an emulsion with body oils that ultimately causes rust. Looking for ideas on how to treat steel and aluminum items that are stored dry but still subject to ambient air.

Keeping rust off can be achieved by keeping a thin coat of oil(can be motor oil.) if it is rusty already sand the tool with a light grit & remove the rust as much as you can. Get some motor oil(cause it is cheap & works well & soak the tool in the oil for a couple days. if it is really a rusty bucket resand & resoak. clean & leave a light film on it.

Since Thai tools leave a lot to be desired rust is a way of life- but you can limit the amount of rust & keep the pliers cresent wrenches etc. from seizing up.

My son tells me, he is in the car trade, that used engine oil might be dirtier but works better.

Actually, following his advice, I coated the underside of my cars in Holland with used oil, repeated the process once a year, and never had a rust problem, even with French cars.

My tools are all covered in a film of used oil, wiped off, and stored.

No rust.

In a moment of despair I also covered the bicycle of my son, and it works!

Thanks bear and hans.... Those suggestions make sense for sure, although even a locking pin I coated with oil before installation ended up corroding a bit. Maybe I need some boat axle grease for some applications. Might try a plant-mister with oil in it too.