Best way to store hairsprings

[LittleWatchShop]

I picked up a dozen or so hairsprings on ebay--the wild wild west of material suppliers.

A couple were rusty and a couple were bent out of shape.  The rest are usable.

Now I want to know the best way to store them so that they do not rust.  Obviously, inside, climate controlled house, but I wander if immersing them in oil and putting it back in the paper wrapper is a good idea.

??

Here is an example paper wrapper.

 

[jdm]

54 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I wander if immersing them in oil and putting it back in the paper wrapper is a good idea.

No it is not. Not even large mechanical parts are wet in oil for storage, just a different wrapping paper was/is used, Cosmoline in the US, different names elsewhere. That wrapping leaves such a stubborn sticky residue that cleaning it is a big job, and would be totally disastrous for the most delicate item, that is an hairspring exactly.

Look at how it was done in the the old times, that light paper is probably rice paper. It is acid free and has good absorption of humidity or fluids. If your parts come in that already leave them there, or rewrap with your own rice paper. For further peace of mind store together with silicagel sachets, and that's all.

[KarlvonKoln]

7 hours ago, jdm said:

... Cosmoline in the US, different names elsewhere. That wrapping leaves such a stubborn sticky residue that cleaning it is a big job, ...

... For further peace of mind store together with silicagel sachets, and that's all.

Re silica gel desiccant: I do this too.  For small parts which I don't wish to become corroded, I leave them in their original wrapping if it looks safe, and I keep a couple of desiccant packets in the parts drawer with them.

Re Cosmoline: JDM is not kidding.  You would not want to clean Cosmoline off watch parts!  My own brother brought me a beautiful Elgin pocket watch which would not run.  He'd just bought it, but he didn't tell me where from. It had a grade 241 movement, into which some idiot had sprayed a whole lot of Cosmoline, then stored it away in a wooden box for several years.  After I removed the balance and lever, I went through many soakings in alcohol with the other parts.  I had to use pegwood and a soft brush; that stuff was between teeth, between pinion leaves, in every little nook and cranny.  It was a long, long cleaning effort, sticky and awful.  Please don't ever consider putting that stuff on a watch part.  It's not the great idea that it may sound like.  
(On a positive note, that movement had no corrosion at all anywhere.  But then, many watch movements can stay clean without Cosmoline, so there's that.)

Edited December 18, 2021 by KarlvonKoln

[oldhippy]

Anti rust paper is what I used wrap them in that. 

[canthus]

Here in the UK there are plenty of covid19 lateral flow tests being used, including myself.  Each test kit has a small package (1cmm x 2cmm approx) of silica gel.  I keep these and use for bits that I want to keep rust free.

[oldhippy]

Many computer parts when packed come with silica gel. On them it says DO NOT EAT. 

[KarlvonKoln]

5 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Anti rust paper is what I used wrap them in that. 

That's a great idea.  I can look for some online, I suppose, but is there a particular kind of store that would stock anti-rust paper?  Hardware store maybe?

[oldhippy]

Plenty of places if you look on google. 

[KarlvonKoln]

15 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Plenty of places if you look on google. 

There are indeed, and it's not too pricey at all.  I think I'll just order some now, so I'll have it when I need it.  Thanks  for the idea OH.  Don't know why  it didn't occur to me before.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Something like the anti-tarnish watchmakers paper that otto frei sells? 

If you are putting them in a sealed container you could throw in one of the oxygen absorber packs marketed for food storage, too.