From: r cielec <teaat4p@yahoo.com>
"Does anyone know of reliable sources for these products? Purpose and application would be for anti-corrosion/oxidation and such of steel and aluminum parts in storage. My recollection is that some years ago, packets of dessicant were readily available from industrial supplies and good, old hardware stores."
Hi Richard, Generally, I don't worry about this sort of stuff. I put parts in a box, and store them in a climate controlled room in the house. No problems with rust. If I were to store items in a moist area (garage, damp basement, barn, etc), then I'd consider coating steel items with a light layer of oil, grease, LPS, or such. Dessicant is frequently used for electronics storage or shipping, as well as for photographic equipment (and other stuff, no doubt). The key to using dessicant is that it has to be used in conjunction with a sealed container. The dessicant is placed into the sealed container along with the items being stored, with the idea that the moisture trapped in the container will be attracted to the dessicant and not to the stored items. If a sealed container isn't used, then the environment will supply much more moisture than the dessicant can handle, and the stored items will suffer.
regards,
Steve Kurt
Peoria, IL