Tools and condensation

[Gordon Maney]

How do you keep your tools from rusting in an unheated shop? Hand tools and any other tools.

Discuss.....

[greg rider]

Have you noticed how some rust and others don't? It is kinda funny how that happens. My tools are in a shed without heat and I notice that things like saw blades rust quick and wrenches not so much. I have tools stored on the Dodge and my Mack and I keep them coated with WD40. If they get surface rust then I clean up with steel wool or a rust remover. Deeper rust will get the jelly or a pass on the bench grinder with a wire wheel. The nice (expensive) full polish chrome tools often laugh at rust. To sum it up get them a blast of WD40 whenever you see the start of rust.

[W_A_Watson_II]

If your hand tools rust, either you are not using them enough, or you are too clean when you use them (your hands are not greasy). :-)

[oprod]

Tools from rusting

Your best bet is to move to new Mexico. No rust here. Dry air. Old cars not rusty either.
I use boe shield on my table saw,planer etc.
It would work good on hand tools as well. It was developed for this purpose by Boeing.

[Frozen Parts]

We have real dry air here as well, but I have to heat the shop anyhow. It was -30F the other day...

[Tom Petroff]

Gordon
Spray WD 40 on them for now until you can get to them.
Will attract dust but that's better than rust.
Otherwise heat the area.
TGP

[Chewie]

I always took them in the house in the spring when the garage started to warm up. Only took a few days or so.

Explains why I have so many tool boxes.

[Gordon Maney]

I have not had good luck using WD-40 that way. I once carefully cleaned a good sized lathe and then sprayed it with WD-40. The next day it was covered with an orange haze of surface rust. Everywhere.

[Kevin Mienke]

I put a light coat of chassis grease on my bench vice, hammer heads, garden tools, and other such things that are prone to rust. I also keep my rarely used tools in wooden boxes with lids. I don't know the science behind it, but the tools that rust in metal boxes stay nice in wooden boxes.

[Gordon Maney]

I put a light coat of chassis grease on my bench vice, hammer heads, garden tools, and other such things that are prone to rust. I also keep my rarely used tools in wooden boxes with lids. I don't know the science behind it, but the tools that rust in metal boxes stay nice in wooden boxes.

The wooden box offers better insulation, so it prevents rapid/wild temperature changes.

[Kevin Mienke]

Building a wooden rolling chest to replace a metal one would be a worthwhile endeavor I think...the obvious disadvantage being the weight of it.

[Gordon Maney]

Imagine the beauty of it.

[712edf]

Vaseline works too, easier to clean up than grease.

Baby oil may be better than both.

Bucky