My tools are starting to rust!

[neilm]

I'm using an unheated workshop at the moment with a generator until I buy a house. I just discovered my tools are starting to rust in this humid island climate. My hand planes are the most noticeable. Do I have to resort to WD-40 or can I use something else like Topcote that won't stain the wood?

What's the best way to remove rust. I tried steel wool but it's slow work. Will a buffing wheel damage a hand plane?

Neil

[Captain Blight]

Don't use it on the sole and you should be fine. Common enamel paint works grea on nonwear portions. Blueing is another noncontaminative soluion.

[Thad Van Gilder]

for non edge tools, there are always the ampco bronze tools. I keep a set on my boat most of the time. I got them on ebay for pennies on the dollar vs the price from a dealer.

-Thad

[Tom Robb]

How about keeping the tools in a closed chest with silica jell drying packets (re-dry the packets in the oven or microwave from time to time) and/or wrapped in oiled rags. Isn't there some sort of oil that evaporates onto the tools?
No heat in Kodiak? Ugh!

[Jay Greer]

My shop is humid as well. I do use electric de-humidifiers that are always working. However, the main rust preventative is a fine coat of Japanese black camellia oil on all of my steel and iron tools. This is followed by a wipe off with a paper towel and then a dusting with volcanic ash dust, known by Japanese tool dealers as "Ochiko". My tools have remained rust free for over fifty years.
Jay

[TerryLL]

Neil,
Been there. Had an island shop for 25 years in Sitka. WD-40 is your friend. An old standby is Johnsons paste wax. It's not waterproof, but if you use it regularly it'll do the job. The wax has the added benefit that it makes your tools very slippery, so it's great for plane soles and table saws.

[boatsnh]

I have an un-heated basement in central NH; well at least when the wood stove is off and I'm not working on anything down there. I've found Corrosion Block to be an excellent anti-rust product. I've used it for darn near anything on the boat that has/might corrode & took to using it on tools i n the house also. My wood planes I keep pretty "dry' but from time to time wipe down with a saturated cloth. Seems to work & no "oily" transfer.
Mike

[Hughman]

There's many ways to skin this cat:
*oil coating, Camilla, Boesheild T9 http://www.boeshield.com/, WD40, Wax;
*A tool locker with a drop light in it would solve most of your small tool problems, silica packets can't hurt;
*dehumidifiers in the tool locker would add some heat in there, too
*canvas covers on stationery tools, (not plastic, cover needs to breathe) along with wax on the machined tables.
Tablesaws and the like collect drips from the overhead, and condensation from the ground for a double whammy. Try to place these on a vapor barrier floor - at least locally, and a breathable cover over.
*paint what you can, and grease the rest

[Kevin G]

For my smaller hand tools, I keep them in old socks that have been "dampened" with light oil (3-in-1). Larger hand tools, wrap in old towels with same treatment.

KG

[Canoeyawl]

I took a page from Francis Herreschoff and use thinned shellac - it can be wiped off with alcohol (or not)

*A few notes -
Camellia oil is one of my favorites but for long term or extreme climates there are better solutions

Search for oil-based products with corrosion inhibitors

WD40 has no corrosion inhibitors. It will displace water, but is mostly solvent, an excellent hand cleaner by the way

Ordinary motor oil will absorb moisture from the atmosphere – it is designed to do that. Hydraulic oil or “spindle oil” is ok

Most wax is hygroscopic

[TerryLL]

When all else fails, ratfish oil will keep that rust at bay.

http://www.pangaeadesigns.com/_graphics/page/fish/large/ratfish.jpg

I believe the oil is extracted from the fermented livers of the ratfish. Smelly, but effective. Find some old fisherman there in Kodiak to tell you all about it.

[ssor]

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=1072

Mr. Smalzer will come to this thread and tell you that he has written extensively about this and that he recommends it without reservation.

[Ethan]

Living in southern Alabama/northwest Florida, I feel your pain. all the suggestions offered have merit.

But, I can solve your problem for under $20. Get a large plastic toolbox from one of the big box stores and take your planes inside with you at the end of the day. Sounds like a pain, I know, but it'll almost eliminate the problem. Plus, having them at home will facilitate some comfortable maintenance and sharpening, with the added benefit that it counts as "home time" if there's a significant other involved ;).

[paladin]

On any steel, use mineral oil....absolutely no vegetable oils, non scented, the chemicals in the scent will attack steel.
I use Choji oil for all my edged weapons, it's 99% mineral oil and 1% clove oil, and it will work well on your plane blades. If you can't get choji oil use a 100% mineral oil, just a light coating...wipe it off with a lint free non scented tissue paper. To clean the blades get Uchiko powder, it's crushed stone from the same stones used to polish and sharpen Samurai blades...do not use a power buffer, you put the dry powder on the side of the blade and using the folded tissue paper polish it slowly. You can do the same to the plane body to clean it, then a very light coat of oil, wiped clean. I have the Katana that I brought back from Thailand 40 years ago, and it had been cared for before it came to me, and according to a gentleman at the museum in DC it's at least 400 years old, and the blade shows very little wear and I clean it twice a year. My Bowie knife and Randall have the same care and they look brand new. I have three hand planes, and the blades are as good as the knives.

as an added thought...in the absence or availablity of good mineral oil, a fine gun oil, such as sold by Remington, may be substituted. It will not damage the steel.

[StevenBauer]

I saw these advertised in the Lee Valley flier that came recently:

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/assorted/56z6110s3.jpg


Corrosion-Inhibiting Storage Bags




Widely used commercially, these make excellent storage bags for the garage, workshop or toolbox. They are impregnated with VpCI-126™ (stands for "vapor corrosion inhibitor"), a harmless chemical that deposits a microscopic layer of crystals on ferrous and non-ferrous metals, protecting them from corrosion. Made from puncture-resistant 4-mil polyethylene, they have re-sealable zip-closures and remain effective for up to 2 years. The 6" x 8" bags hold driver bits, pruners, wrenches, etc.; the 10" x 12" size stores larger tools (e.g., bench planes up to a #4); the 12" x 18" bags can contain planes up to a #5 jack or a set of gardening hand tools. Available by size or in a sample pack that contains two each of the 6" x 8" and 10" x 12" bags, along with one 12" x 18" bag.
Economical and reliable insurance against moisture damage.
Made in USA.



http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=58755&cat=1,43326




Steven

[floatingkiwi]

Man, you guys are knowledgeable.
I like the sound of that ochiko, or uchiko stuff. The Japanese have a way of doing things that demands respect, eh?

[eleventhirtyfour]

I'm a big fan of Fluid Film...
It does have a very distinctive odor, though... A friend caught a whiff of my toolbox and immediately recognized it as the same stuff they use to lubricate/prevent rust on Navy helicopters as they strip and re-assemble them. He rolled his eyes thinking about how many 5 gallon buckets of it they used to go through...

[Jim Budde]

My shop is heated only when I am working, rest of time tools are subject to Nebraska temperature and humidity swings that are notorious for causing rust. After trying mucho alternatives, both commercial and home brewed, I have settled on, and been extremely happy with two products sold by PMS of Holland Michigan: Take the rust off with "Rust Free" and then protect against future rust with "T-9". Usually clean and re-apply "T-9" in early spring ... one application seems to last for about a year. I think same web site Hughman suggested ... www.boeshield.com or 1-800-962-1732 (just in case you wondered, I have nothing to do with the company .. just a very satisfied customer)

[Jay Greer]

Man, you guys are knowledgeable.
I like the sound of that ochiko, or uchiko stuff. The Japanese have a way of doing things that demands respect, eh?
Well, I must agree that they do. In fact they have been using camelia oil and ochiko (volcanic ash dust) to keep samurai blades rust free for over a thousand years!
Jay

[pipefitter]

I can vouch for the Boshield products. Our shop is a 1/4 mile away from the river here in FL. and the table saw top was the first test because it would rust over in no time at all. Boshield seems to last the longest without contamination of wood and plastics that we cut on the saw.

[SMARTINSEN]

Get a large plastic toolbox from one of the big box stores and take your planes inside with you at the end of the day. .


Lots of good advice here.

I have found that keeping my hand tools in a covered box makes a world of difference in how much moisture will be picked up by the cold steel. In my case, I made small wooden boxes for my various planes, chisels, and other things that I need to protect from rust. I line the bottoms of the box with newspaper soaked in WD-40.

[wharf rat]

I'm a big fan of Fluid Film...
It does have a very distinctive odor, though... ..

Ditto for Fluid Film. You can get it at your John Deere dealer. It's made for marine use and doesn't wash off with plain water.

I believe the odor comes from lanolin...at least that was what I was told by the sales rep for them. Maybe he was pullin' my leg--but it does have a distinctive odor.

Boeshield is great too--made for Boeing.

[dstreck]

My shop is uninsulated and unheated, and winter is murder on my cast-iron tables and any unpainted steel left in the open air. I use a combination of Brownells cold gun blue (as suggested by Mr Smalser) and topcoat with T-9. Works well (no rust issues at all since I started using it this year) but because the T-9 tends to attract sawdust I clean it off with mineral spirits before I use any of the tools. Then I re-apply at the end of the day. PITA, and God knows how many cans of T-9 I'll go through this season, but easier than having to Scotchbrite/WD-40 surface rust off of everything constantly. In milder times of the year I'll probably revert to a light coat of paste wax once or twice a week.

[Gezzunder]

I have just been put onto Lanotec's Lanolin Grease as a result of some trials done by the navy. Amazing stuff and every bit as good as related here (http://www.lanotec.com.au/files/T_Incitec.pdf). Living by the coast as I do, I was forever oiling my tools to protect them. Haven't touched them for a few months now and they look better than ever.

Apart from the findings in that link, we have found that when used as a bedding compound, it also acts to inhibit electrolysis through dissimilar metals (It is non-conducting up to 70KV) and is excellent as a protective coating on battery terminals etc.

When applied to metal, it 'wicks' around the metal. This means that if it is scratched, the grease will work it's way back over the area for a complete barrier.

Well worth a look

[goodbasil]

This question has come up before. I had good luck with the old fridge and lightbulb.
I was in a store and saw these for the first time. They seem to be very airtight, sure would be with some Saranwrap over then the lid. Should be good for smallstuff and books etc.
I'm going to try and get some stateside, the place I saw them here is known for a high markup. www.snapware.com Click: Household products, then smartstore

[2MeterTroll]

well for my money. build a boat or six. its hard to get tools to rust if they are being used all the time.