Feeling better

[Moses Yoder]

I don't work in my shop during the winter, it is not worth heating. The latch on my toolbox needs some work, and especially in dry weather (winter) the doors will sometimes swivel open 6 inches or so. My wife had bought me the LV medium shoulder plane a few years back and it sets in one of the pigeon holes in my tool box. This spring I went out and started work on stripping and repainting a dinette and at one point was admiring some of my tools and pulled out the shoulder plane. The top of the plane and about an inch down on the left was covered in rust. I must have used it and put away without oiling and then the doors on my box stood open and it rusted. I was so disgusted I just threw it back in.

At one point this summer I started a thread wondering why rust was bad, and it was clearly explained that rust is indeed bad. Even the Bible talks about not putting your trust in earthly things that are destroyed by rust. I have only been working in my shop on Saturdays usually, and on a lot of Saturdays we have other stuff going, so I have spent all summer stripping a table. I put the primer coat on today and will be painting it this week. It had 6 coats of paint on it. After my painting was done today I cleaned up a plane to sell and then thought while I was cleaning I might as well work on that shoulder plane. I pulled it out and sprayed it down with Simple Green and started scrubbing with a maroon scrub pad. Surprisingly, the rust came right off easily. After ten minutes it looks almost like new again. I took it apart and carefully oiled it with camellia oil and set it back in the box for the winter.

I feel better now.

[Myk Rian]

You know those desiccant packets that come in many types of packaging?
I keep them in the tool chest. I also wrap high value tools in rust-proof paper.

[Moses Yoder]

You only get packaging when you buy stuff in packages. I cannot recall buying something with a dessicant packet in the last five years. Also I do not have any high value tools, my most expensive tool is only worth about $200 I think. I am making my own oil mix this fall based on a thread on storing saws and am oiling all of my tools before winter.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I took it apart and carefully oiled it with camellia oil and set it back in the box for the winter.

Ballistol is better & cheaper. Stinks though.

[Chuck Wintle]

Rust never sleeps as the saying goes.

[David G Baker]

Stores that sell guns generally carry different sizes of desiccant packets for gun rust protection or you can buy the packets on line. They aren't very expensive and really do help protect your tools.

[paul cottingham]

Try the mutton tallow LV sells. Works great, rub it in with a cloth, and eventually the cloth becomes impregnated. That and a toolbox (actually for a gunsafe) heater. Best nine watts Ive ever spent money on. I seem to have pretty acidic sweat so my tools got quite stained before I arrived at this.

[Ed Aumiller]

Keep small blocks of camphor (sp?) in each drawer and tool box... really helps...