Greetings All,
I have recently started migrating to a ( mostly) non powered shop. I have gotten rid of my Festools (mostly) and started acquiring Lie Nielsen, Clifton and old Stanley Bedrock planes as well as all the other fun stuff to start filling out my kit. What I am looking for input on is storage. I use a 100+ year old shed on my farm here in north Florida as my shop and there is zero climate control. We also get pretty good temperature swings most of the year leading to condensation on metal. I am currently storing all my newly acquired treasures in the house ( I think the planes look awesome on the mantle in the family room, wife… not so much) but ideally I want a safe home in the old shop. Any suggestions? I am leaning towards building a cabinet with a dehumidifier such as you use in a gun safe.
Replies
Sounds like you have a plan for what you want to have on display. Other tools could be stored in a tool chest(s) or cabinet(s). The American Dutch Tool Chest allows this to be displayed when the lid is opened and and fall front taken off, but can be closed up at the end of the work day for more rust protection.
I moved from humid Virginia two years ago, where I fought condensation and humidity for too many years!
For planes, the silicone impregnated plane socks get good reviews. But, I think the biggest thing is just making sure they are in a decently sealed container of some kind, a wooden chest, plastic totes, etc. If you wanted to use some DampRid (or a similar product) in the box with them, it sure couldn't hurt.
Keeping some form of protectant on them is helpful as well. I like the Boeshield T-9 a lot. It worked on several tools back east (table saw table, drill press parts, chisels, drill bits, etc.). I use wax, different thin oils, etc. as well. I think any tool you can't cover up, or store in a container has to have some film protectant.
Since moving to California, I've mostly been cleaning the rust off of my tools and putting them to work... But, that's just me gloating, sorry. Moving probably not an option, huh?
I live in southern Alabama and have the same issues. My problems diminished greatly after completing my fully insulated small shop a number of years ago. Even with that, at certain times when temp/humidity conditions are just right, the problem recurs. Here are some options I can think of:
Keep the tools warm
Dehumidify
Surface protection on the tools
Keep the air moving
Full-time heat/AC
Shop insulation
In my shop, most all of my tools are in the open and distributed around the shop. I found some time ago that, at those critical times, if I leave a small fan running, it circulates the air throughout the shop enough to prevent the condensation from occurring. I also try to keep my exposed tools waxed.
You say that you are leaning toward using a cabinet. This should work quite well by itself (the few tools I keep in drawers seem less susceptible). However, if needed, it is easy to install a small heat source like a 25-40 watt incandescent bulb in the bottom. You could even install a small cabinet fan to circulate the warm air.
Wipe with a light coating of Camellia Oil to provide protection against rust. Also worth collecting those bags / sachets of silca gell that lots of things come packaged with and keeping them in draws, cabinets etc that your tools are stored in.
I am also in N FL & I've fought the same battle. I never had any luck with oil, humidity rods, sealed cabinets, etc.
The final solution for me was to build a climate controlled room in a corner of my shop.
Rust is no longer an issue & I can actually enjoy ww'ing from June to September ;-)
Def climate control your space. Otherwise you'll be forever fighting a losing battle, iron/steel and humidity just don't mix. By the way, where do you keep your lumber??
Climate control is a touchy subject in this case... my near future goal is to build another shop building for WW and, call me crazy, I kind of dream of doing it all post and beam, mortise, tenon and peg lol. Ideally I will do it from some reclaimed farm timbers which I am currently sourcing ( reclaimed wood has gotten ridiculous) and if that fails I plan to use pine and cedar. Just a small building, 12x16 is the current plan with no power runs. Think of it as its own joinery project I guess.
Anyway, that is part of the reason why I am looking for ideas on preserving tools without AC..
I dont have a lot of lumber stockpiled but what I do have is either in the current shop or in a bay in one of my tractor sheds.
You could be a neighbor! I am also in NE Florida. I have finally enough hand tools where it became too much of a chore to select which tools to move in and out of the house/shop for projects.
I have mostly insulated the shop, and I use a dehumidfier from time to time, but the biggest thing is apporpriate sized airtight food storage containers, and I bought a big bag of silica gel packs, I put 1-2 packs per container. I also use the Paul Seller rag in a can to oil the tools after use It looks nothing like the cool guy set ups for hand tool displays but it's been through spring/summer/fall (or what we call that here) and no rust so far although I had to chase some off the cast iron jointer bed.
I use the vpci tool protection from lee valley and I live in an area in muskoka Canada with lots of temperature swings 100 humidity etc . I do heat my shop in the winter but do not air condition in the summer, the vpci wipes are made in England which has lots of salt air ,rain etc so I thought I would give these a try they work great and only need to be applied once a year. Hope this helps cheers
Thank you for all the replies. Some good info and advice in there...
North Fl here too. I have good results with good old Johnson paste wax, also, don't leave cast iron in contact with wood. I left a cherry board I milled laying on my tablesaw, next day the saw top was rusted bad.
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