Rust is bad.....

CC · Aug 16, 2011

Hi
I live in NW Pennsylvania and have a pole building shop. I keep it warm in the winter with wood and waste oil heater. I have problem with my grinding vises and squaring block rusting. I had them sitting on a granite plate and they rusted on the bottom. Is there a material that I could put on top of the surface plates that would protect the plate surface and keep the vises from rusting? I see that my Hermann Schmidt 6" squaring block probably was shipped originally in a nice wooden box. IIf I build a box, is there a certain wood that is better to use? I began using blocks of camphor in my boxes last month. Is there any best practices for using the stuff? Any info on preventing rust will be appreciated.
Thanks!

Anvils · Aug 16, 2011

CC, I live in the wet side of Oregon where we have a lot of rain but not a lot of cold weather. My shop is standard wood frame construction and is insulated insulated. I also heat it with wood but I do keep a small electric heater in the party of the shop with the machinery. If I keep the temp. in that area just above the dew point ( usually about 50 deg) I never have a rust problem. If I have something that is not in the heated area and it is allowed to cold soak then moisture will condense on it and it will rust. This may be your problem. The larger the mass the longer it will take to raise its temp. above the dew piont that day. I hope this is of some help
Norm

PeteM · Aug 16, 2011

You might want to search the archives for "rust" and other keywords (rust prevention, etc.). There have been several long and helpful threads on the topic.

Ohio_Ford_Farm · Aug 16, 2011

Do you keep it warm all the time in the winters? Or is it kind of a only while I work out there type of thing with the heat? If your seeing rust on your tools I wonder what's happening in your machines? I have a large Dehumidifier in my shop, I also have AC for the really hot and humid days here in NE Ohio. I try to keep the humidity around 50% or lower inside if I can.

sfriedberg · Aug 16, 2011

Three suggestions:

Avoid wood toolboxes and storage racks. Gerstners and the like weren't intended for damp environments. And I ruined about 40 high-quality router bits by standing their shanks in a mahogany storage rack over a winter.
Wrap things in VCI paper or storage bags, which you can buy by the roll from Uline.
Spray or coat with LPS #3, Boeshield T9 or Dinitrol, which will leave a waxy film. The film lasts for years and is easily removed with mild solvents later.

dazz · Aug 16, 2011

If you can store your rustable stuff in a cupboard then you can install a anti-condensation heaters along the bottom of the cupboard.

Normally about 15W or so. Often installed inside motors, wardrobes etc.

tailstock · Aug 16, 2011

Here in Southern Ontario we have cold winters and humid summers, due to the lake effects. Have to keep the shop above 50 degrees all winter and dehumidify all summer. If not everything turns brown overnight. Tried oiling everything, but that becomes a pain and you always miss something. Best you can do is try and control the moisture in the shop and keep the air circulated, dead air is where the moisture hides. It can be a tough problem to get a handle on sometimes. :wall:

ian3846 · Aug 16, 2011

Have you thought about using a electrinic rust preventor? Just hook it up to a steel cupbard or storage bench and every thing in or on will be protected.

jscpm · Aug 17, 2011

That is interesting that the bottom is rusting. The granite must be catalyzing the oxidation somehow.

Normally it is bad to leave a surface plate exposed to the air because grit and oils will settle on it. I keep mine covered with a sheet of plexiglas. Believe it or not the air is filled with tiny drops of oil that will cling to anything exposed to the air.

A dehumidifier will cut down on rust in a humid environment like a basement, but it is not cheap electricity wise.

If you are using camphor that is pretty smart.

Various waxes can be used as well. Carnuba wax is the king of waxes and can made to form a hard, airtight seal. Candy, like peanut M&Ms is coated with a thin layer of Carnuba wax so fine you can't even see it. You can buy Carnuba aerosol spray in a can.

rustytool · Aug 17, 2011

As an alternative to buying VCI paper, plain old wax paper can be paced over the surface plate or used to wrap tooling. Wont attract moisture like cardboard or wood. Greg.

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Rust is bad.....

CC

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Anvils

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PeteM

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Ohio_Ford_Farm

Cast Iron

sfriedberg

Diamond

dazz

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tailstock

Hot Rolled

ian3846

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jscpm

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rustytool

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