Widget, the Victa bases are notorious for rust, and the Chinese ones are twice as bad, the left hand corner where the handle bolts on is the main problem spot. If you are just after rust protection, I rub the underside back as best I can and then give it a coat of fish oil. Once dry it is probably about the best rust protection you can get. If you want you can give it a couple of coats but it does take quite a while to dry
