looking for rustproofing tip/idea

olbarn · #1 03-25-2006, 10:31 PM

After a long time with no dedicated place to work, I'm now turning the corner and have a place. It's part of a shop/storage room adjacent to the garage. I'd like to keep my carving tools out there, but am concerned with surface rust. It's not wet, but it's not dry either. More a little dampish, but not much. If you were going to store tools in a nonheated area and wanted to guard against moisture/surface rust how would you do it? I've thought about an old cube refrigerator with a constantly burning light bulb and I've thought about some type box with a silica gel moisture absorbing canister. ???

Thanks folks!!

macktruck · #2 03-26-2006, 12:08 AM

I live in SE georgia where it's very humid. I use the silica gel in old nylons made in into pouches.( Tidy Cat Crystals is made is made of silica and alot cheaper than buying the individual packs).
I also wipe my tools with johnson paste wax. that way if it's awhile between uses that tool won't rust.
hope that helps
macktruck

Thomp · #3 03-26-2006, 12:46 AM

Living in central louisiana its semi tropical. we dont have much salt air get in this far, I have much the same problem with my supposidly shop out back a dirt floor pole barn, that sweats inside from nightly ground moisture especally during larde tempature changes,,
, without ability to to physically finish the floor i put plastic on the floor and let the chips build up then ctossed off sand in the sawdust to keep it from being slippery.. it helped greatly from the floor moisture in the shop area,,
i really need 2 foot of fill then 6 inch slab but i contend with the problem,

for my saws tables and sawblades i use parifine wax 50/50 mix with vasoline, heat the wax and stur in the vasoline, it will make a waxie paste, i have on occasion added acetone and work the mix into light skim rust with 000 steel wool, as you dont want to use sand or emery paper. keep a fan going with the acetone or you will find your enjoying the rust removal too much........

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #4 03-26-2006, 08:27 AM

the ol' light bulb in the refrigerator trick lol...well it works for keeping welding rod dry, don't know any reason it wouldn't work for carving knives!

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #5 03-26-2006, 08:30 AM

A good product I use in my shop is "Top Saver" less than 10.00 last time I saw for the kit, it had top saver, blade lube, blade cleaner and router bit lube....try http://www.empiremfg.com or most tool places sell it now I think.

olbarn · #6 03-28-2006, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hi_Ho_Sliver

the ol' light bulb in the refrigerator trick lol...well it works for keeping welding rod dry, don't know any reason it wouldn't work for carving knives!

And that's exactly where I got the idea from. Used to work for a welding supply dealer. We sold rod ovens, but most people just took an old refrigerator, stripped the compressor, etc. out and put as big of a light bulb in as she size of the fridge dictated. Cheaper than our rod ovens.

lorax · #7 03-28-2006, 03:55 PM

What about a dehumidifier for the shop area? Maybe that would be more in line with fixing the problem instead of the symptom.

olbarn · #8 03-28-2006, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorax

What about a dehumidifier for the shop area? Maybe that would be more in line with fixing the problem instead of the symptom.

An idea for sure, but in an unheated garage/shop like I have I think it would be a losing battle.

Thomp · #9 03-29-2006, 01:22 AM

the refrigerator idea is great for welding rods and such, but i really would make shelves inside or some way to prohibit children from gettin inside it,

when i was a kid a child in the neiborhood was smothered from playing in a refrigerator, we do what we can to protect them little rug rats but they are adventurious and will find a way to do the things we tell them they are not to do, its fine for them to experiment, they learn from exploring and such, but dismantling locks on refrigerators and blocking the doors so they couldnt be closed locked to prohibit kids from playing hide in go seak in them....

it just scares me, to know a kid could die from playing innocently in and around old junk...

not preaching, just making a point to keep us awair....

olbarn · #10 03-31-2006, 04:14 PM

[quote=Thomp]the refrigerator idea is great for welding rods and such, but i really would make shelves inside or some way to prohibit children from gettin inside it,

I agree 100%.

But the refrigerator I'm thinking about using is a small, cube, apartment size one that would be sitting up on a workbench inside a locked garage/shop.