I’ve a small 12 x 16 unheated shop in Upstate NY at my Summer Camp. Unfortunately, I may need to leave some very nice (and expensive) hand tools in it over the Winter – planes, chisels, saws, etc. All very rust prone.
Any suggestions on to how to prevent them from rusting?
I was thinking of slathering them in Boeshield T-9, then wrapping them in cloth also soaked with T-9. Any thoughts on that?
I could also buy a few pounds of bearing grease, coat everything with that – and then try to get the stuff off in the Spring by soaking in mineral spirits..
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks for your advice..:>)
Chris
Replies
You may not need any protection
Chris,
My shop is heated only when I'm in it and it often houses a wet and or snow covered car, but I never have any problem with rust. I wax my planes and cast iron surfaces to reduce friction and this may provide some protection from rust.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
http://www.rlmillard.typepad.com
Storage bags for damp conditions...
I have similar difficulties with rust in my damp basement in Coastal Mass.
VOC bags have worked for me, this Summer.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=58755&cat=1,43326
I second the coating with camelia oil, prior to storage.
VOC Bags
Hi Everyone, Thanks for the suggestions!
Anji - if you sniff the bags, might they smell like camphor? The LV description sounds like that is what they might be impregnated with. Anyway - I will likely be getting some of the bags..
Meantime, I have seen that the Boeshield T-9 is 'paraffin dissolved in solvents'..
So today I went to Aubuchon (our hardware chain here in in Upstate NY) and got a block of paraffin usually sold for home canning. In the next few days I will use my cheese grater (I cook - wife won't know about it) to shave a bit of it - and try to dissolve it in mineral spirts/naptha.
I will then spray it on an old. useless blade (bent etc) - leave it out in the rain for a bit. And see what happens.
I'll try to report with a couple 'before and after' photos.
Chris
Camellia oil?
Lie-Nielsen reccomends camellia oil for use after sharpening with water stones. Might be one answer. I don't know upstate NY that well but in most places I would worry more about break-ins and theft than rust.
I have stored guns long term with a wipedown of silicone but that is a no no for woodworking tools I think because of x-fer tool to wood and the finishing problems that causes.
Chris
I have tried various products including Wax, Kerosene, & Camelia oil with limited success. The best product I have found is http://www.australianinhibitor.com.au/news/31/ferro-pak-g15.html
I do not know if this is available in the USA so you will have to do some searching.
Regards
Did you wax the gear?
An alternative is Cosmoline, commonly found on cast iron tools during shipping.
It's tenacious, so using this stuff means lenghthy cleanup next year when you open the camp.
It's tenacious, so it will work.
http://www.goodson.com/store/template/product_detail.php?IID=8761
woodworker drink?
I thought Cosmoline was a diet version of a Cosmo cocktail. Oh wait, that's Cosmo-lean. Bitten by spell-check again. ;-)
Cosmoline cocktails...
I would pay good money to watch anyone finish a quart of cosmoline.
I would not stick around to watch the aftermath (without a splash guard, anyway).
For what it's worth .. I live in Florida. We don't have winter problems here but there are plenty of issues in the summer with the humidity and the salt air.
My shop has a window A/C unit but I only turn it on when I'm in there. My way of combatting corrosive issues on my hand tools is to coat them with camillia oil when I'm finished using them. Then I store them in Rubbermaid plastic containers along with one of those bags of silica that comes packaged with some electronic equipment. I haven't had any trouble with them since doing this.
Boeshield Works
I discovered Boeshield T-9 (4) years ago; it is a great product. I live in IL and have to live with the humidity in the summer and a shop that needs to be reheated on the weekends in the winter. What I do and this has been bullet proof in my shop, is keep a shop rag that is saturated (kept in a ziplock) with Boeshield and wipe down the tools when you are done for the day. When I'm am ready for the next session just reapply and wipe with a clean rag. I purchased the (1) gallon container, it should last a couple of years. I have a scroll saw that has not seen action in at least a year, it currently sits on the concreate floor and had Boeshield applied (at the time it was sprayed) when it was stored away. When I seen your post a couple of days ago, went out a reapplied some Boeshield to get the old coating off the scrollsaw just to see if it had any rust, well it did not. If I was going to leave tools for a while I would be confidant with applying a thick coat and letting them sit. Hope this helps.
Jay
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