Incandescent Bulb in Tool Cabinet

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
A Golden Rod, as mentioned is what you want.
A few bags of desiccant or a can of desiccant will help also.
Desiccant can be "recharged" by sticking it in a 250 degree oven for about an hour.

You'll also need to put some seals around the cabinet doors to keep the dry air in and the moist air out.
Small vents in the top and the natural rising of the warm air will evacuate the moist air from inside.


<grin>

Jan Bianchi - many thanks for putting me on to this.

Heck,, with a name like Bianchi, you should know all about these Golden Rod things!!
- For anyone wondering why - Bianchi is one of the top holster makers in the world. The Bianchi Cup is one of THE premier events in shooting.
I just got a kick out of the coincidence.

[Jan Bianchi]

Sorry, but then I don't even know from bicycles.

[Jan Bianchi]

Thanks for this tip too. I'll probably go with the goldenrod over the light.

[Chuck Burns]

I'm in a dry part of Colorado now, but prior to moving here I lived on the California Coast. I had a Goldenrod, about 24" in length, in my gun safe for 30 years and never had any rust or corrosion issues. I did put a foam seal around the door and teflon on the threads of the capscrew in the lifting eye hole in the top of the safe. Put that was as much to keep sawdust out as anything. Most gun folks I know have a Goldenrod in their safe.

As far as a surface treatment for your planes and such you must want to try Corrosion X. I've had great luck with it on tools that live outside. The tests that have been done by firearms enthusiasts show that it works better than anything else. Though that would probably not include things like heavy grease coatings, cosmoline or LPS-3 that render the tool or gun unusable until after extensive cleaning.

[Todd Burch]

A cheap 25w night light inside your tool box will be good enough. If it works here in Southeast Texas, it should work for you there. Mount it in the bottom.

Another option that I use is Camphor blocks. You can get them from your local drug store. Last case I bought was a next-day delivery. My case came in <2" square blocks, about 3/8" thick, individually wrapped. Maybe 24 to a case. They'll last you a LONG time. Unwrap one and throw it in the bottom of your box. It will sublime and coat your tools with a very light coat of oil over time. Since you mentioned ceramic stones, I don't know how they would be affected - might want to ziploc them or relocate them. If you have other tool boxes with metal tools, or drawers, you can put a block in each one. For a small drawer, break a block in half or into quarters.

Finally, I've gotten to where I'll wipe some inexpensive 3-in-1 type oil on my metal before I put it away for storage. I'd rather gamble the potential oil stain in my drawer bottom than rust on my tools.

Todd

[Dave Dionne]

A 25-40 watt light is big enough, I work in lighting and have a couple of 3 foot spheres and a 10' sphere they are coated white on the inside and the coating is humidity sensitve as moisture changes the refelctive properites of the coating to measure light output. Anyways we burn a 40W incandecent inside at all times when not in use, keeps the inside temp at about 25.5 - 26.0 degrees C and very dry.

You figure that the 3' round sphere has a lot of internal space, should wrok great in your cabinet.

Lee Valley also used to sell a dessicant that you could leave in it's own can with the top off or place in a different container and it was silica based, it will turn colors when it has absorbed it's higher end of moisture then you bake it in the oven the color reverts and use it again.

Hope this helps

good luck
Dave

[Bill Neely]

There's another product originally intended for Pianos called a Dampp Chaser.

[James Suzda]

Isn’t the real reason that “machinists cabinets” are made of wood is to protect the fine tools against moisture? I’ve had some of my better tools in a wooden cabinet in my basement which is so moist during the summer that water drips off the cold water pipes. The tools and rulers in the cabinet show NO signs of rust whereas some of the lesser quality stuff hanging around look pretty bad. Another sign of how wood protects metal, I made a little ‘jig’ to hold my pocket hole jig, drill bit and driver. The part of the driver that is sticking out of the wood is quite rusted whereas the part that is buried in the wood is nice and shiny.

[Bob Genovesi]

Jan,

Browning Golden Rod dehumidifier, I use these and they work very well.





Do a search and you'll find the best price.

[Lamirande Marcel]

hi i have a cabinet where i make my wine . I put a bulb 100 and a Econo-Heat-Manual-Control-Thermostat . the heat in the cabinet is set at 24 c just the good temperature for my wine may be that could be good for you

[Bob Oehler]

Another option is to put a open container of rice in the cabnet. I have one in my old safe. It keep the humidity down and just put new rice in every 6 or so months keeps thing dry. I have not tried it with woodworking tools but the safe stays nice and dry. I keep my anitque watches in there, some of wich are more the 200 years old.

Be good and Keep Dry
Bob O.