My shop is in a typical NE unheated garage. I crank up a kerosene space heater when I am working out there, but otherwise it is unheated. At times there are changes in weather that cause everything, especially metal, to become wet to the touch.
- Is there a simple description of the specific conditions that cause this? I’ve noted several factors (esp. a large temperature swing) but I need to know more.
- Is there anything I can do (doors open or closed, fans, voodoo chants?) when these conditions arise to minimize this?
- What is the best treatment to prevent rust for iron tables?
- What else do I need to be careful about in my shop and esp. my power tools – motors? saw blades? jointer/planer knives? trunions? bunions? cheesecake posters?
Thank you all in advance.
Replies
Crack a window when you turn on the heat.
Boeshield, Johnson's paste wax, etc. will help with the cast iron.
I feel your pain. I live in MA near Boston and in the 13 years I've been doing woodworking I have never had so many rust problems. My shop is an unheated 2 car garage, and it has been the same unheated garage for 4 years now, but this year has been the worst. Part of the problem is the climate-we've had a couple of huge swings in temp, from really cold to fairly warm, in a short period of time. Cast iron does not warm up as fast as the air does, so condensation forms on all of the colder surfaces (think sweating toilet tank).
The kerosene heaterisn't doing you any favors either-burning one creates a lot of water vapor. If the air is really cold and dry it's not much of an issue, I've found, but if you run it and then the temp goes up in that time, the moisture hangs in the air and creates more condesation on metal (see above). I know this because I do the same thing.
Yes, you pretty much have to be concerned with everything metal that would normally rust, which is 90% of the metal in the shop (cast iron and tool steel). My jointer and planer knives have rusted, my chisels-for the first time ever!, etc. etc. If nothing has rusted yet, count yourself lucky and take some steps to prevent it.
There are a lot of different ways to prevent rust. Probably the most common is applying paste wax to metal surfaces (Johnson's or Butcher's, for example). Rub it on with a rag and buff it off after 15 minutes or so. You have to do this pretty regularly when the temps are swinging as much as they are around here, and I am still having problems. I think I am going to get some Boeshield (google it or look in a woodworking catalog), which you can spray on metal surfaces and leave there for extended periods. I don't have a lot of time to myself these days so my shop is not used all that often, and that is part of my problem.
Hand tools and such are best left in drawers with little packets of silica gel or something like that, but that's inconvenient for me so I just take my chances. As I said, this is the 1st time in 13 years I've seen any rust on my chisels.
I'm sure others will chime in, and you can use the search function to look up "rust" in this forum-I'm sure it's a fairly well-tread topic.
Good luck!
John
>> Cast iron does not warm up as fast as the air does, so condensation forms on all of the colder surfaces (think sweating toilet tank).
Or a beer mug on a summer day or, in my case in North Carolina, my mint julep glass.
As you say, it's not the cold air that causes the problem, it the rapid heating of the space and the watervapor by product of the kerosene heater.Howie.........
I bought some silica crystal cat litter (fairly expensive stuff that) and then use some sections of DW's stockings after they get runs - tie up one end - put in 1/4 cup crystals, cinch down the end and glue in place then put in drawers and tool boxes. Has worked for me for years now and I still have most of the gallon of crystals I bought. I checked last week and they were at like $11 for a one gallon jug.
As stated - expensive for what they are sold as, but cheap insurance for the tools.1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go 4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
Craft stores also sell silica in bulk for drying flowers -- after use it can be dried in the oven and reused. The cat litter may be fine, I just don't know if they add anything you don't want.My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
At the very least, provide some mink for the cheesecake <g>.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
i used a shop kerosene heater for years and had the same problems. although it's not fool proof try getting some of those breathable covers for your big machines. here's a place - but they are all over
http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=921-299.
jerry
The kerosene heater is a red herring - I haven't used it yet this year, but I had not considered it an issue, so thank you all.
My kerosene heater is catalytic and it doesn't make any soot or smoke after a small whiff when I first start it (I light it outside and then move it inside, being careful not to trigger the safety switch).
Metal slow to warm... that's obvious to me... ((now, at least))... thanks
That kerosene heater may not put out smoke or soot but I'd guess that for every gallon of kerosene that is burned it puts out way more than a gallon of water vapor in the air. If you could burn a fuel and vent it's products outside it would actually lower the relative humidity because the relative humidity goes down as the temperature raises.
Edited 1/26/2006 11:50 pm ET by tinkerer2
The tools will get wet when their temperature is below the dew point of the air. So either raise the temperature of the tools, or lower the dew point of the air (by lowering the humidity in the shop). Unvented fuel heater will raise the temp, but will also introduce moisture into the air. Insulation, and preventing moisture from entering the shop, will help. For example, I've had the most problem with rain entering the shop underneath the garage-type door during heavy rain. Working to stop this has helped tremendously for me.
I use a osb cover on my table saw, 1/4 inch thick. No rust problems.
20 years in a unheated shop, 2 stall garage, no cars.I feel for you too. Keep the cast table tops covered with Boeing lube or past wax, I keep a cover wood or masnite on the saw tops ,band saw, plainer if I'm not working in the shop for a long period. spray the saw blades with clear finishes, helps from pitching up too. I have old tight nap carpeting on the floor in the work area,helps keep the cold from the feet. It might help to keep a small fan on like I do in the winter, just to move the air. It seems to help some.
Grand Rapids, MI
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