The Inspector wrote:
IF you can 100% encapsualte a piece of ferrous material in a guaranteed to stay flexable coating, after assuring that 100% of any oxygen has been removed, then you stand a pretty fair chance of makng that item last for quite a while, Pierce the encapsulation even a minute amount and the rust awakens, that's why cannons and swords fished out of peat bogs look all bright and shiny for about 12 minutes until oxygen attaches itself and lunch is on -
Thanks! I'm familiar with (but hadn't joined the dots) that coating or treatment concept as used by museums for the purpose of preserving those self-same swords, belt buckles etc.
Interestingly* I was discussing an iron latch on a farm door (with someone in a museum conservation dept - it was nearly lunchtime...) that was about 120 years old (estimated). It was very rusty, except for the bit which was handled by the shepherd (and his predecessors) with hands which were in contact with sheep-grease (liniment) which had worn the metal smooth, but there was, of course, no rust there...
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And the chemical etching process does continue but at a slower pace than you might imagine, you'll get a rational answer back from your elected officials before etch through even enters your thought processes.
Yeah, we were debating between whether it was a 200 - 2,000 year issue. And then there's the etch process.

And all the glass will end up flowing to the bottom of the frame - in a millennium.
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I forgot about MG's wasting away, I always presumed that all the oil that leaked out would protect the metal.
Of COURSE! If only I'd known to run a tube from the oil cooler (or 'auto-leak') to the sills, it'd still be with me now...
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And, no your question is not and will never be considered as 'boring' If I want to know something I'll ask and balance out the replies I get back and assertain the truth from there-fair enough?
Sure. Thanks!
*Or not.