Replies

1. 
   RW | Nov 11, 2002 12:06am | #1

   How handy are ya? My pop got sliding door hardware designed I think for barn doors or something like that and built doors to fit. In operation, this works no different than sliding closet doors or pocket doors or - other than he had 2 tracks and 4 partitions, making for a 16' opening when they were all pulled back. Top hung, 2 on one track, 2 on the other. He built the doors from some kind of U channel perforated steel, filled the centers with 2 sheets of pinkboard, sized them to glide about 1/2" off the floor, and hung them. Light, moved easily, kept cars away from dust and vise versa, and insulated somewhat since he heated the portion of the building with the workshop in it.

2. 
   domermatt | Nov 11, 2002 09:05am | #2

   What do you mean moisture brought in by the cars? Are you talking moisture in the exhaust? or snow and rain dripping off the  car when it's in the garage?  I must be missing something.  I wouldn't worry about moisture from cars, I would worry about moisture in the air. Where are you from? Depending on where you live, that could be a huge problem. I keep my tools coated with Renaissance Wax and have no rust problems at all.

   When people 100 years from now see my work, they'll know I cared. --Matt Mulka
3. 
   mrles | Nov 11, 2002 09:29am | #3

   I own a printing company and we use a silicone spray on our paper cutters to help with the rust. The surface of the papers cutters is the same surface on a tablesaw. However on my wood working equipment I still use baby powder, I've did this for over 20 years and haven't found any reason to change. My shop is a dedicated building and has air and heat  but cast iron still rust in it if you don't it protect some way. I sprinkle a lite coat of baby powder on when I'm through for the day. Whenever I come back I use my shop vac or a brush to remove the powder.

   Good Luck Count Your Blessings and Your Fingers Often

   les

1. 
   riverr1 | Nov 11, 2002 09:39am | #4

   Les,

   When I first started plastering none of the old pro's (little Italian men) used stainless steel tools. They all had a couple of socks inside of each other and filled with either baby powder or pumice. They would knock the socks on their tools at the end of the day after cleaning up. Kind of like a bowlers rosin bag. They did this to prevent rust.

   Don

1. 
   mrles | Nov 12, 2002 06:01am | #7

   Don

   I'm glad someone else has heard about this besides me. I'm the only person I know of  that does this. Sometimes I will have a visitor in my shop and if I haven't dusted the powder off I get some curious looks. After I explain I still get curious looks. This isn't an original idea I read it somewhere or someone told me about it, I can't recall where it came from. It works for me, thanks for the reply.

   God Bless

   les 

4. 
   Marcello | Nov 11, 2002 06:06pm | #5

   You have started in your garage like I did. I "temporarily" took up the first car space untill we got settled in our new house. Then I came to all this wood given to me by a friend, so I had to buy a band saw, a planer, modify a bench.... I have now "temporarily" taken up the second car space. Until I build me a new shop, there is a sign on my shop that reads "No Cars Allowed In This Two-Car Garage Untill I Get My Shop".  I still use the dining room for my finishing work. -- I do get jeers and heckles from my wife and kids.  "Are we having shellac for dinner again?"

5. 
   joncu | Nov 11, 2002 11:02pm | #6

   My shop is in the garage too--has been for 20 years.  There are several products available for tool surfaces, which are advertised in tool catalogs.  Some of these reduce friction between the surface and the work piece.  One thing to watch out for is that anything you put on the tool may get transferred to your work piece and interfere with gluing or finishing.  If you're not worried about that you can use steel wool to rub a good quality grease into the tool surface followed by vigerous rubbing and polishing with cloth.  This works as far as the rust is concerned, but is probably a bad idea for fine woodworking.