Garage/Workshop Humidity

[drs3317]

I have a few days a year when the humidity reaches a point where my machine tools will get surface rust. My shop is 400 Sq feet. Insulated 3.5" walls and ceiling. I have a 6500Watt heater and also 12k btu window air conditioner I will turn on to make it comfortable when working. Due to cost I will not run them all the time. I've been looking at economical options to control the humidity. 1) dehumidifier. 2) split heat pump, 3) run the electric heater on a low temp setting. 4) oil the tools and clean off each time using.
What have you used that worked?

 

[WisJim]

My shop spaces total about 600sf but my building is spray foam insulated and very well sealed. I run a 1500 watt portable heater and a cheap portable dehumidifier to keep the humidity around 40%. Heater is only necessary in the winter.

 

[drs3317]

My shop spaces total about 600sf but my building is spray foam insulated and very well sealed. I run a 1500 watt portable heater and a cheap portable dehumidifier to keep the humidity around 40%. Heater is only necessary in the winter.

Mine is sealed up pretty well also but not a high R value. It heats up fast with the 6500 watt heater. Which dehumidifier are you using?

 

[chinboys]

A lower cost solution:
You need to replace the interior volume of air that was saturated with water relative to a hotter temperature (daytime) with air saturated with water at colder temperature( sun down) by pulling in the colder air and exhausting the hotter air. The hot air holding the maximum water content if not removed will precipate out water when the temperature drops.
I would run two window fans... One blowing in and the other blowing out once the outdoor temperature begins to drop if your physical security of your workshop allows it.

 

[LopezBart]

Machine tools can tend to rust when they're cold-soaked, and warmer humid air comes into the building and condenses on them. Perhaps the lowest cost solution if the machine tools are not too large is a heavy cotton cover. My wife gave me an old quilt that was completely tattered, and this kept rust off my first lathe, even though it was in a milking shed in a wet area. Of course, frequent application of way oil helped as well. Do not use a detergent motor oil, of course.

 

[Hank11]

A humidifier from any home improvement store will do what you need. You will need to run it all the time during the warm humid months, or on a cycle provided in the machine.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Fans blowing air around the room also help. The HF moving blankets make economical machined surface covers.

 

[Ak Jim]

. Do not use a detergent motor oil, of course.

Why no detergent oils?

 

[LopezBart]

Why no detergent oils?

For rust prevention, the way oils are best as their "tackifiers" keep the oil on the sometimes non-horizontal surfaces better. I went back and read up on this (I'd always been told to avoid detergent oils) and the primary reason is that most people (myself included) use the same oil in the headstock, carriage, and on the ways. Since almost all older lathes don't have pressurized & filtered lubrication, the use of detergents intended to keep particulates in suspension so they can be trapped in the filter is counter-productive - you want the contaminants to drop to the bottom of the sump in the headstock, etc. so they can be removed the next time (if ever) you change the oil.
So, any oil is far better than no oil, but way oil is best, and don't put detergent oil in the headstock. I used to use chain saw bar oil on my Atlas ways before I could simply order 1 gallon of Vactra #4 on line.

 

[Ak Jim]

For rust prevention, the way oils are best as their "tackifiers" keep the oil on the sometimes non-horizontal surfaces better. I went back and read up on this (I'd always been told to avoid detergent oils) and the primary reason is that most people (myself included) use the same oil in the headstock, carriage, and on the ways. Since almost all older lathes don't have pressurized & filtered lubrication, the use of detergents intended to keep particulates in suspension so they can be trapped in the filter is counter-productive - you want the contaminants to drop to the bottom of the sump in the headstock, etc. so they can be removed the next time (if ever) you change the oil.
So, any oil is far better than no oil, but way oil is best, and don't put detergent oil in the headstock. I used to use chain saw bar oil on my Atlas ways before I could simply order 1 gallon of Vactra #4 on line.

Thx for the info. I always learn things on the site.

 

[drs3317]

Thanks for all the ideas. I solved my issue with a small 3.3 amp dehumidifier. My garage is insulated and only 400 sq ft. I bought it used on market place for $25 and has been working great. I let it fill the bucket for a few days to make sure it was working good before routing a hose through the back wall. The bucket is a couple gallon and I would empty it every twelve hours. My machines and tools are very happy now! Now just wait for the electric bill. At least now I don't have to keep everything oil soaked and clean off to use.