Protecting and Storing My Tools Efficiently in a Tough Climate

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

If the tools aren't being used for large periods of time that coincide with the biggest problems, it seems the biggest help might be to remove them from that environment during that time period.

If the issue is mainly humidity over temperature (my problem is high humidity in my house settling on things when it hits the back room where it gets colder because we're too cheap to heat the house much - while it gets humid in the summer, it thankfully hasn't been much of an issue for rust if I keep things cleaned of dust and fingerprints) I wonder if a dehumidifier would be a helpful, and possibly more effective than an AC type unit? I haven't any experience with these outside of the one my parents have had in their basement forever, and living in VT, obviously my climate issues are much different than yours!

[Kenneth Speed]

I find it interesting that we have discussed all sorts of alternatives for keeping machinery and tools free of rust and nobody has mentioned the article in the 8/2012 FWW which conducted a test on this very issue. A product called CRC 3 36 was found to be the best but regular WD-40 was also rated fairly highly. Waxes and oils didn't perform nearly as well as the spray oils. The only spray product that seemed to cause some trouble with glue adhesion was a product called LPS 3.

You can get a can of WD 40 almost anywhere and while it isn't the BEST rust fighter it's still very good; seems like a no brainer to me!

[ray hampton]

if we are talking about tools without wood handles, dipping them in a thin oil and hang them up to drip-dry

[Dominic Greco]

Not to sound like a broken record, but those Goldenrod Dehumidifers already mentioned in this thread are pretty freaking awesome. Of course, they are not suited to anything mobile. A wall mounted cabinet is perfect for them.

My tools are in an unheated garage. And the temperature fluctuations were causing me to experience rust from condensation. No matter how often I applied paste wax, or wiped the tools down with a rag soaked in Topcoat, the rust still came back. Back in Sept of 2009 I ended up installing the smallest Goldenrod dehumidifier they sell.

It took hardly any effort. I just needed to drill a couple of vent holes to help with air movement. Since that time I haven't had ANY condensation related rust issues. If I don't wipe a plane down after using it, I'll still get a slight discoloration. But nothing like I did before.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I think the thing the FWW missed is that a lot of how well something works depends on how frequently you apply it. Pretty much anything, even just extra jojoba oil from when my wife makes cosmetics type stuff works for me because I'm usually in my shop enough that things are getting used enough that everything's getting hit with oil pretty regularly - the protection only needs to last until the next time I rub some oil on the tool. Which if things are going well in life, will hopefully be the next day. If something's not going to get used for a long while, then I need to put something on there that's going to offer longer protection. That said, it looks like from the article like WD40 might be a good solution either way, although I think something even higher tech might be better once we start talking weeks. Certainly if something isn't going to be used for months or a whole season or something, something like vaseline or cosmoline or something thick like that that almost "seals" the surface from the environment might be a good solution. I mean, there's probably a reason that a new vise shipped on the slow boat from asia comes coated in that stuff.

I've heard nothing but good things about the goldenrod, but I wonder how well it works when dealing with a high temperature and high humidity situation? My understanding was that by keeping the temp. high enough in the cabinet, and keeping the contents warm enough, it prevented moist, air from leaving condensing on cooler objects when it comes in contact with them - obviously the OP isn't living in a rainforest, but does that concept still work with the humidity is very high and the temp. high? If it's humid enough that the relative humidity is still high at 100+ degrees, can raising the temp. more still dry out the air in the cabinet? Maybe I'm misunderstanding something about how those things work, or underestimating the way temperature and humidity interact at the temperatures the goldenrod works at. I admit I'm not the brightest in this field, and the OPs issues may only arise during times when the temp. and humidity swing one way or the other. ( I know I can certainly leave tools outside all day with no problem, but if they're exposed during the swing from dawn temps to day temps, it's an issue. . . )

The other thing that's been mentioned, but always bears repeating is to keep things clean! Humidity in and of itself is an issue, but when things get covered with dust, the dust helps attract that moisture in the air. If you have body oils in that mix of dust, the salts in your sweat and oils can really add to making things worse as now you have attracted moisture combined with that salt making a recipe for rust.

[Kenneth Speed]

Joshua makes some good points inasmuch as almost anything will work if it's used often. I worked in a shop where they used diesel fuel as an oil on saw tables as rust proofing and a lubricant.


I have nothing against the Goldenrod except that it really needs to be in a closed cabinet to work well. I don't keep all of my tools in a closed cabinet ( I'm not sure I could design a cabinet to hold everything! LOL!!) so I rely on oiling things. I think I will try that sanding wax; if for no other reason I have about twelve or fifteen pounds of beeswax I bought ages ago that I've never used for anything.

I carry a piece of beeswax in my shop apron to use as a lubricant on handsaw blades, screws, and saw tables but i still wipe almost everything but the cat with my Devil's brew soaked rag.

Yeah, what he said about body oils and sweat! I have a LN large shoulder plane that I have to be insanely vigilant about to keep from rusting particularly where I hold it. I think it gets even with me because I often notice I've collected a tiny new cut when I use it!

[Andrae Covington]

...I've heard nothing but good things about the goldenrod, but I wonder how well it works when dealing with a high temperature and high humidity situation? My understanding was that by keeping the temp. high enough in the cabinet, and keeping the contents warm enough, it prevented moist, air from leaving condensing on cooler objects when it comes in contact with them - obviously the OP isn't living in a rainforest, but does that concept still work with the humidity is very high and the temp. high? If it's humid enough that the relative humidity is still high at 100+ degrees, can raising the temp. more still dry out the air in the cabinet?...

I believe your description is correct. Technically speaking, it's not actually a dehumidifier. By increasing the temperature a degree or two above ambient, it raises the dew point and therefore prevents condensation. The moisture is still in the air, it just doesn't condense on the tools. Theoretically, as long as the ambient temperature is less than the ~150° operating temperature of the GoldenRod, it should work.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Oh - I didn't realize the Goldenrod went that high! I guess I should have done some research.

Kenneth's point about the goldenrod needing to be in a closed environment to work most effectively. I think it's actually a good argument for a chest over a cabinet - seems like getting a really good seal on a chest feels like it'd be easier than getting a really good seal on a cabinet.

[Kenneth Speed]

Out of curiosity and because I have a huge amount of beeswax ( don't ask) I made the turners wax that was mentioned in this thread. I haven't used it yet but it sure smells a lot better than my dirty old rag soaked with my devil's brew of oil.

I made the mixture and poured it into a clean coffee can that has a plastic lid. There'll be plenty of room to keep a rag in the can too.

The beeswax mixture is harder than Vaseline but softer than paste wax but other than that its hard to describe.

I'll give a short critique of the beeswax mixture after I've used it a couple of times.

Ken

[Carl Beckett]

I believe your description is correct. Technically speaking, it's not actually a dehumidifier. By increasing the temperature a degree or two above ambient, it raises the dew point and therefore prevents condensation. The moisture is still in the air, it just doesn't condense on the tools. Theoretically, as long as the ambient temperature is less than the ~150° operating temperature of the GoldenRod, it should work.

This is my understanding as well - you are heating the tools to above dew point, to prevent condensation. Note that just because the goldenrod runs at 150 - doesnt mean the tools are this high. Its a matter of the heat loss of the cabinet in which they are kept - (Watts) - and 'could' require some insulation (there will be a temp gradient inside the cabinet). Other heaters (with a safety shutoff) would do the job as well. And for sure, hot humid environments will be harder to manage via temp increase.

(personally, I have been eyeing the under the floor electric heaters - they can lay flat and have a controller - but instead am going to try adding a split mini heat pump to the entire shop and fix the problem properly)