Suitable coating for spring-steel wire?

This will be an odd request since solid-strand spring steel wire hasn't been
used in a/c for nearly 80 years. Here goes:

I'm using 15ga. solid-strand spring steel wire in my Wright 1902 glider. It
was shipped with an oil-coating that held up for a few months. Problem is that
the oil did not protect the wires from mosture for very long and now they are
surface rusting. Does anyone have a coating recomendation that will not flake
off when the wires are coiled into a 2ft. dia. bundle? I'm also looking for
something that will not remain sticky, as linseed oil does, or be oily like the
original coating. The wings of my plane are undoped cotton and I'd like them
to stay clean when I set up and break down the plane. Black and clear are both
acceptable colors for this job.

Thanks in advance,
Harry