Everything depends on why you stripped it in the first place. If it was for painting, then you can't coat the surface because that would defeat the purpose. For painting, final stripping is done as close to immediately before painting as practical. At least a primer is applied to protect the steel, or the frame is stored in a "dry room" until time to paint. Some companies do all the prep work, then coat with an oil to protect the steel, but that means a proper wash and dry are needed before painting.

OTOH- if your goal is a bare steel cosmetic, then get the clear paint onto the frame immediately.

BTW- not all steels rust at the same rate, and it also depends on the stripping/polishing methods used. Sand blasted steel tends to rust fastest because of the larger surface area of the rough texture, whereas shot peened (steel balls) finishes are comparatively rust resistant. When I produced cone wrenches, we could go about a week between polish and plating, except on the hottest, most humid days of summer.