Diagnosis assistance needed

[Hannibal Mike]

I have a Shakespeare Marhoff that keeps accumulating a very fine brown surface covering that looks a bit like rust, but very fine. I have rubbed it with a cloth called "miracle cloth" that I bought at the Peoria NFL show. It seems to remove the coating with prolonged rubbing, but soon the very fine rust like surface returns. This not a valuable reel, but would like to avoid this problem with a good reel. I have 2 dehumidifiers in the basement to help control rust, but wonder if this is something else. Any ideas?

[WobblySpindle]

If it's rust, you might need to be a little more aggressive with it. First, stop the rusting with Corrosion-X, which might be enough by itself. You could also use a dilute citric or acetic acid bath followed by a thorough rinse and drying, then coat with a good wax or, preferably, Boeshield T-9. You don't need to resort to electrolysis or Naval Jelly, just something more than the Miracle Cloth to stop the rusting. You should be able to find Corrosiion-X at a fishing tackle store, and Boeshield at a woodworking supply house or a tool shop or well-stocked hardware store. I've used Boeshield T-9 on a collection of antique planes for the past several years, and it works better than anything else I've tried.