Another good preservative to use in places like that is the spray lubricant used on big winch cables and exposed chain drives. It sprays on, and then the solvent evaporates and leaves a sticky residue of water resistant lubricant.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!