Anyone Use Silica Gel in tool box?

[gdocktor3]

I have two single bay boxes in a non-climate controlled garage which causes a lot of moisture build up on my tools. The problem is over night the central air makes its way to the garage, cooling everything off. Today, it was 95 degrees and the instant I opened a drawer, all the tools developed a thin layer of moisture. I currently have, in each drawer, VCI paper, real camphor gum blocks, and random desiccant packets that came in shoe boxes, packages, beef jerky, etc etc. For the most part it works pretty well, but days like today kill me. Literally had to wipe down most of my older metal tools to help keep my babies safe. So I jumped on eBay and found "Silica Gel Indicating Dessicant Canisters" that change color when fully absorbed with moisture. They then can be baked in the oven to dry them out for reuse. Something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-SILICA-GE...935591?hash=item236d335367:g:yJMAAOSwa39U02kw

 

[ttpete]

How does the central air make its way to the garage? That's your real problem because when you open the door and let in the hot humid air, naturally it's going to condense on the cold tools and boxes. You'll be baking those canisters several times a week at least. Can you block the cold air off some way?

 

[66HertzClone]

I've been saving the bags of them and tossing them in the drawers of my bench. The plier drawer and the drawer with drill bits were the first, I'd say it has helped. My garage is unheated.

 

[gdocktor3]

How does the central air make its way to the garage? That's your real problem because when you open the door and let in the hot humid air, naturally it's going to condense on the cold tools and boxes. You'll be baking those canisters several times a week at least. Can you block the cold air off some way?

The garage is on the same level as the basement, which is underground, connected by a door. The air handler is also in the basement as well as a few vents. Between the cool air from the A/C and the ground, it gets rather cool until the garage door is opened. It's not that the air is blowing into the garage, it's just residual.

 

[M6erfan]

I've thought about it but here in TX they'd last about 2 days in summer...

 

[johninct]

I throw a pack in a drawer any time I get one .

 

[ttpete]

The garage is on the same level as the basement, which is underground, connected by a door. The air handler is also in the basement as well as a few vents. Between the cool air from the A/C and the ground, it gets rather cool until the garage door is opened. It's not that the air is blowing into the garage, it's just residual.

You need to keep that cold basement from cooling the garage, maybe through insulation and caulking, and weather stripping around the connecting door/s. The less temperature change, the less water you'll see.

 

[gdocktor3]

You need to keep that cold basement from cooling the garage, maybe through insulation and caulking, and weather stripping around the connecting door/s. The less temperature change, the less water you'll see.

The garage is 1/2 underground. That is the main problem, not the A/C. Can't change that.

 

[jumbojak]

I use it. About a year ago I bought a big bag of crystal cat litter and started making my own packets. The cat litter was for a project that didn't pan out so well... but I was able to repurpose, so no loss.

 

[Reducto]

I use it. About a year ago I bought a big bag of crystal cat litter and started making my own packets. The cat litter was for a project that didn't pan out so well... but I was able to repurpose, so no loss.

Yep, crystal cat litter and a bag of coffee filters equals desiccant packs for days! A lot of guys use those in their gun safes for cheap and easy protection.

 

[jumbojak]

Days? Try YEARS! My bag is still 3/4 full and I've given a lot away to people. In fact, I've probably given more away than I've actually used.

 

[white 450]

Yep, crystal cat litter and a bag of coffee filters equals desiccant packs for days! A lot of guys use those in their gun safes for cheap and easy protection.

I use them in my "coolidor" humidor for cigars too. Works great for that purpose also except that instead of coffee filters make little baseball size bags out of pantyhose.

 

[PureLeaf]

I used silica gel professionally at work. There are a number of scientific studies on the topic. One of my dear friends did a recent dissertation on the use of silica gel, and I've personally used it at 100% RH to cause corrosion of iron and measure the oxygen consumption rate as a measure of the rate of corrosion.

First off, Silica gel is a buffer. It can be conditioned to various humidities, and it will both adsorb moisture, or give it off depending on the surrounding environment.

Placing it into a unsealed environment, like your tool drawer is not going to achieve anything. It will not help. There are studies even looking at the use of micro climate environments like tupperware boxes, and how even these boxes have 4-5 air exchange rates per day.

If you do have a sealed environment (IE you're placing your tools into sealed bags or containers), then you will still need to monitor the silica gel and the relative humidity of the bag and regularly rejuvenate the silica gel by drying it in an oven. The ideal environment to prevent corrosion of iron and mild steel is going to be below 17%. This is extremely difficult to manage. You'd be must better off using a moisture barrier to prevent the electrochemical process from occurring than trying to maintain that type of dry environment.

Additionally, even if tool drawers were air sealed, the large volume space of that drawer would require significantly more silica gel than the little tiny bags that come with your shoes, food items etc.

No harm is going to come of throwing those bags in your drawers, but its not preventing any corrosion either.

Heres a silica gel volume calculator:

http://brownell.co.uk/silica_gel_desiccant_calculator

 

[thesilverone]

use them in my boxes

 

[ZRX61]

I've recently heard about someone using those reptile heat pads they use in terrariums. He installed them in the bottom of the tool box under the bottom drawer & fed the power cable thru a small hold her drilled in the back of the box. Apparently takes a couple of days to warm up the entire box, but once it's up to temp no more moisture issues.

 

[ZRX61]

This kinda thing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/121694516778?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

 

[Dagny]

Adding heat is a good idea . How about a dehumidifier .

 

[Reducto]

I use them in my "coolidor" humidor for cigars too. Works great for that purpose also except that instead of coffee filters make little baseball size bags out of pantyhose.

I never even thought about pantyhose. The next time I go to a shoe store with the wife unit I will have to pilfer a handful of those temporary pantyhose sock thingies they use to try on shoes.

 

[Tinner]

Placing it into a unsealed environment, like your tool drawer is not going to achieve anything. It will not help. There are studies even looking at the use of micro climate environments like tupperware boxes, and how even these boxes have 4-5 air exchange rates per day.

This bears repeating.

 

[WWShop]

I use 4-5 in each drawer.

 

[PureLeaf]

This bears repeating.

Yet people do it lol.

Biggest waste of time I ever saw. Throwing a random amount of silica gel into an open environment. Its the same as attempting to desiccate the whole atmosphere of the earth with a few grams of silica gel.

Also to note. Some grades of silica gel have different MSDS and health and safety warnings. The one to be particularly aware of is cobalt chloride.

 

[stylee]

......

 

[gdocktor3]

Thanks Pureleaf. Makes a lot of sense.

 

[M6erfan]

this bears repeating.

+100

 

[pcmeiners]

Thank you Purleaf, people around here think a packet of desiccant will absorb pounds of water, and never run out of capacity to absorb. Fairy tales are fun to believe in.

 

[jumbojak]

Well, it looks like my bag of litter was a waste after all. Maybe I should get a cat.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

This bears repeating.

+1

You'd need enough silica to lower the humidity of the entire garage space... a toolbox is a sealed boxed with a LOT of holes Not going to make a difference

Either pay now or later... condition the space (electrical bill $$) or let the tools rust and replace as needed later. Wiping oil/wax or preservative on all your tools certainly won't hurt either. I picked up some Boa Shield just for those black-oxide tools that sit in my garage toolbox.


You could also route a vent/small fan from outside into the garage to keep it at the same temp/humidity... i.e., no sudden change and sweating.

 

[Tool_Crazy]

Yes. I use Dessicant bags.
I keep 2 in each drawer.

 

[VocaTexas]

When my mother was alive she had trouble with mold growing in the closets of her house. She bought a product at the Dollar Store that was some sort of dessicant in a large plastic bag. You hung it up and it would absorb water from the air. When the bag was full of water you replaced it. It would hold nearly a gallon of water.

 

[ttpete]

I'm sure everyone has experienced the first humid warm day of spring after a chilly overnight. You open the garage door, the warm humid air rushes in and condenses on every cold surface. I've seen it so bad that there's water dripping on the floor. This is happening to the OP every time he opens the garage in the summer.

If the garage interior were at the same temperature and humidity as the outside air, there wouldn't be a condensation problem. All of the desiccant in the world isn't going to help this. It appears he can't keep the garage from cooling via the A/C. Maybe ventilating the garage using outside air would solve the problem. You could put an exhaust fan up in the gable or roof and vents in the lower wall or door and circulate outside air through the garage continuously.

 

[Finky198]

I used them but mostly in my pelican cases. We have climate control but don't run it 24/7... I bought 4x 2oz sillica packs years ago and recharge them in the oven when the color Changes. They seem to do fine. I was thinking of building a diy desiccant dryer for our compressor with the cat litter...

But by the time you get those little packets out of a shoe box their already dead...

 

[pcmeiners]

"I used them but mostly in my pelican cases."
Desiccant works well in seal cases, there are no air changes unless the sealed cases are opened. Pelican cases are basically hermetically sealed, about as sealed as you can get. Toolboxes have multiple air changes per day, renewing humidity each time.

 

[Ray-CA]

My daughter is a Pharm. Tech and she sent me a 10-lb box of the desiccant packs that their shipments are packed with. Toss a couple in each drawer....

Ray

 

[gdocktor3]

Well since we're still on the topic, don't camphor blocks release a protective coating to protect the tools? I have some, but they're just about all gone. Anyone have a good source for real camphor?

 

[Ad13]

I ate a pack. Killed enough brain cells to justify putting some in the drawer.

 

[Koolmoose]

When I first moved to Cape Cod the tools in the basement started to become rusty after only 1month. That was with running a dehumidifier 24/7. Bo Shield T9 stopped all rusting. Firearms too! Apparently the stuff was sprayed on the tiles of the space shuttle. I don't know how that worked but Bo Shield and those pressure filled ink cartridges are two things that the multi billion dollar space program directly benefited me. The stuff is sold at Sears. Kind of expensive but it lasts a long time.
Steve��

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Easiest, don't open the door first thing in the morning…. wait till the garage acclimates a little, but that's likely not the answer you want. I think the easiest/cheapest will be to run ducting and fan to circulate the air in the garage with outside air.

Are you opening and closing the door, or simply opening it? I've only noticed condensation following a rain shower (summer) and the humidity would suddenly spike and I had the garage door open.

 

[R.Anderson]

I've recently heard about someone using those reptile heat pads they use in terrariums. He installed them in the bottom of the tool box under the bottom drawer & fed the power cable thru a small hold her drilled in the back of the box. Apparently takes a couple of days to warm up the entire box, but once it's up to temp no more moisture issues.

Interesting idea.

Great for winter too, heated tools

 

[Empty Pockets]

I continue to hear of a product called Eva Dry advertised on the radio. I have never used it, but have considered it

 

[gdocktor3]

I think the bottom line is if you're tool box isn't sealed off from outside air, a moisture absorbent won't be real effective. Costing them with something is the best idea.