after looking for spray-paint at the hardware shop, i came across a clear/transparent laquer/spraypaint. i know rust is caused by metal reacting with oxygen. so, if i spray a layer of this stuff on metal objects, do you think it would help prevent rust and corrosion? I dont know how practical this would be, or how long an application would last.

just an idea...
comments would be welcome.

oh, and merry Christmas

Applying the spraypaint will help to prevent corrosion. You have to prepare the object tough. Moisture and oxygen can still get to the metal. It´s important to clean the object and not touch it before the paint is applied. We had a demonstration on that one. We cleaned a piece of steel touched it with hands that were a little sweaty and applied clear spray paint. After a few weeks we could see the rusty fingerprints.
If you carry the object in a pocket the paint will likely be damaged.

Thanks M a x

So it doesn't seem like such a practical idea, except possibly for long term storage.

It all depends on the item you are going to paint. If it's something that won't be thrown around or subjected to abuse I don't see anything against using such a paint. But if you are talking about a knife or tools such coat of paint would make sharpening a hassle and it would start peeling after few uses. On the other hand 15 years back found a small table knife (all steel) when hiking. I took it home and cleaned it and sharpened it. Since I wanted to add a personality touch to it I dipped the handle in the can of orange oil paint. That happened when I was 10 years old. That knife served me well for a year or so, than when leaving for New York I stuck it behind the garden house. My dad found it past summer and told me that handle was perfect while the blade was all eaten up. So it works but in above case painting the blade would be highly unpractical.

Matt