The sweaty stuff. . .

[Adam Cruea]

I decided to come down to my hovel after work today, and after smoothing one side of some soft maple for a crafting table for my wife, I was checking out my planes. I noticed a disturbing find.

As is customary for our crafting (expending carbs and proteins, not electrons), I have been one sweaty little bugger. Duh, obviously. But it seems that I've missed a couple of spots on quick checks, and it's wreaked havoc on some of the cast iron on my planes (and even on some LV A2 cap irons where it's gotten under the lever cap and I didn't see it). Thankfully, no dangerous, deep pitting, but more than just can be scraped off with a fingernail light sand paper.

Is there anything you more experienced guys and gals do to ward off sprinkling your tools in unforeseen places? Or do you just thoroughly check them religiously after every session of sawdust making? I'm really kind of annoyed because it seems that I must have had some sweat drip onto my LN60 1/2 under the adjustable toe and it's slightly rusted the iron body there (thankfully, it came off with a light 600 grit touch).

Other than that, I don't have rusting problems down here in my basement. The humidity is about 50%, so it's actually kind of dry. Saws, planes, straightedges. . .they're all fairly shiny, with maybe that normal "it's been used for it's purpose" patina.

Thanks.

[Frederick Skelly]

I wear a sweat band around my forehead. That reduces the droplets but doesnt eliminate them. I still have to check.
Fred

[David Weaver]

If the only part of the plane that touches wood is the sole (i.e., you don't use the planes for shooting), then you can apply a very thin coat of light cut shellac all over the plane.

I generally use a half beeswax half mineral oil mix on the cheeks of my planes, and from time to time I'll smear some on the top of the cap iron, but not often. That's one of the nice things about having vintage planes, you don't have to worry too much about them.

[Winton Applegate]

Is there anything you more experienced guys and gals do to ward off sprinkling your tools in unforeseen places?

Women glow.
Men perspire.
Horses sweat.

I tend to get a bit moist but I don't recall dripping.
It is often 80 or close to 90 here in my shop but if I were actually dripping . . .
Well
I think one of these or these.

I was dog sitting for a friend's K-9 one week end about a hunert years ago and a day or two later I noticed that "someone" had hoisted their leg on one of my large dovetail saws. Stored on a nice tool board but near the floor. It was a mere Crown gents back saw (a large one). You know the ones . . . so much set and so dull you wonder if you were cut out for wood working or if maybe you should take up an easy sport like brain surgery.

At the time it was a prize but I had hardly any idea how to go about using it.
Good thing I didn't catch Mr. Pissy in the act or it would have been catapult time.
Dog what dog ? ? ? ?
Nah . . . not me . . . not here. Are you sure you are feeling alright ?
Can I get you some tea ?
Then we can figure out where you left said doggy.

PS: in the welding fabrication shop we used these but might rust your nice tools.
wasn't a problem for us though and we had a mill in that shop.

PPS: and don't dog sit.

[Shawn Pixley]

I've been sweating in the garage/shop lately. It was over 90 degrees and 80% humidity. The sweat has been falling on the work. I wipe down the planes each night with an oily rag. I learned my lesson a couple years ago when a few finger prints turned to light rust. Blood cleans off with peroxide - DAMHIKT.

I need to be eternally vigilant against rust given the salt air.

[Adam Cruea]

It's about 66F in my basement (the central air unit is down there. . .what a pity ). But yes, I do still sweat, Winton. It isn't perspiring, it's full on sweat. Drips off the nose, drips onto my glasses. . .and that's barefooted on a cold tile floor with no shirt, just a pair of shorts. Keep in mind, though, I shave my head, so even a little bead of sweat just rolls off my head easily. Keep in mind, I'm the same dude that, in the middle of winter, if I have to shovel the driveway of snow, I go out in boots, shorts, and a sleeveless shirt or else I start having an asthma attack because I get so hot.

Shawn - What type of oil do you use? I've got a huge bottle of pneumatic oil. . .that should do the trick, right? And I hate it when perspiration drops onto my work; I'm always afraid running the plane over it that it will destroy the sole of the plane.

David - double boiler for the beeswax/mineral oil mix, right? Bonus is you can use that as a finish for some projects, yes?

Frederick - I'm pretty sure I would soak the band. The way it is, I try to use my shirt to wipe the sweat off and it generally gets to the point where it's soaked. I might try a bandanna around my gourd to soak up the sweat and see if it helps, though.

[David Weaver]

Yes, double boiler can be something as simple as a mason jar sitting in a large pot of boiling water - (so that even if the whole contraption falls over in the water, there's no chance of oil on the burner).

Works for all kinds of stuff. I saw a turner describing it as a sanding wax to fill pores before finishing, but it's better for just about everything else - chapped lips, rust prevention, cracked hands, finish on handles, etc.

[Adam Cruea]

Ooooooo! Seriously? Cracked hands?

I have a nasty, nasty time with my knuckles cracking open due to the constant fists in the wind, then the sawdust sitting on them for hours. My wife might appreciate baby-soft hands.

[David Weaver]

Yeah, it's cheap, it fixes cracked hands as a moisture barrier, it doesn't stink (as long as you use unscented mineral oil) and it doesn't look like shiny grease. You'll like it.

Costs about $10 to make a quart of it. I have the quart I made 3 or so years ago and have used about a quarter of it and carry a tin in my pocket that I fill out of the tub. It makes you wonder why some of the branded beeswax stuff has stinky things in it or other additives, because it doesn't seem to work as well and it's more like a few bucks for an ounce.

[Shawn Pixley]

I use either Jojoba or Cammelia oil. The Jojoba was from a garge sale for a quarter. The Camilia oil was given to me. I have it in a spray bottle and a clean rag moves it around.

My hair is long right now, and have to tie it back as it flops into my eyes, vision and mouth - ich! But the sweat from my face, neck, cest and arms drips a bit onto the work.

[Jim Matthews]

I had to switch to wood body planes, my shop is so hard on cast iron.

I put 3 in 1 oil on my Japanese oil reservoir, and lube any steel
that is left out in the open. It seems to work okay.

There are some steel formulations that bloom into rust after a single day,
in my dank little Sanctum.

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[Winton Applegate]

It's about 66F in my basement . . . I do still sweat,

OK I gotta' re think this.
I got it. You know those gel pack things you put in the freezer and then in your Colman cooler
You first dig out your hunting vest, the one with the big pocket in the back for stuffing birds in or what ever those are for (I don't hunt) . . .
and then maybe a pair of your shorts with the BIG cargo pockets . . .
more gel packs there.

Dude . . . it's either that or you strip your beer fridge for the coils and wrap 'em around your bod.

just chill . . .

PS: since we ran out of money for manned (and womanned) space exploration I bet you could pick up an astronauts space suit cheep. Keep all the fluids in that and I bet it has it's own environmental comfort control. Drop a few grams of plutonium or what ever in the old power chamber and you'r good.

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting fact of life, we are all pretty much the same yet we have varied chemistry in our perspiration.

Whether it is due to environment, genetics or diet it isn't for me to say.

Most of the time my planes are cleaned with a dedicated 1" paint brush before being put away. There are actually two on my bench, one with short bristles and one with long.

If my work involved green wood or if my perspiration level was high, it is very quick to take a plane apart and wipe down the parts before setting it on its shelf.

jtk

[Adam Cruea]

OK I gotta' re think this.
I got it. You know those gel pack things you put in the freezer and then in your Colman cooler
You first dig out your hunting vest, the one with the big pocket in the back for stuffing birds in or what ever those are for (I don't hunt) . . .
and then maybe a pair of your shorts with the BIG cargo pockets . . .
more gel packs there.

Dude . . . it's either that or you strip your beer fridge for the coils and wrap 'em around your bod.

just chill . . .

PS: since we ran out of money for manned (and womanned) space exploration I bet you could pick up an astronauts space suit cheep. Keep all the fluids in that and I bet it has it's own environmental comfort control. Drop a few grams of plutonium or what ever in the old power chamber and you'r good.

I was literally laughing out loud here at work when I read that.

Yes, I am a toasty bugger. It's a very rare thing when I am cold, and that's usually when I'm ill.

Well gents, thanks for the wonderful ideas. I will incorporate some of these and hopefully not have much more to worry about. Thanks!

[John T Barker]

They are hand tools. People using them are supposed to sweat.