Rust caused by foam insert liners???

[tlinmd]

A few years ago, I bought a few packs of foam cut-out insert liners from Sears (you know, the kind you trace the profile of your tool onto and cut through with an x-acto knife so your tool is held in place). About six months ago, I used one of these to store a new set of Gearwrenches and Craftsman Pro stubbies.

A few days ago, I go to look at them, and they have rust pits all over, in addition to dulling of the chrome. Only one or two wrenches were spared the rust, but even those have dull chrome now.

This has NEVER happened with my Stahlwille long-pattern combos that have hung in a fabric tool roll on the wall for the last ten years, or any of my other wrenches stored the same way!

My question is, has anyone else ever had these foam liners cause rust? Is it the quality of the chrome? Chemicals the foam is emitting?

I am totally at a loss here, and pretty saddened too. I clean off and shine all my tools after I am done using them, and like to keep them that way. Guess I can't do that with these now.

tlinmd

 

[capnrob97]

I believe they trap moisture.

Same thing with firearms, you shouldn't leave them in the cases with the foam liners.

 

[Alchymist]

Not so much the rust, but have had a lot of tools and instruments stored in a black soft foam that turned to mush and stuck itself all over the tool. Hard to clean off.v

 

[Hootbro]

Not all foam is equal. You really want a 2lbs or less density foam or it will not breath and get moisture trapped in it.

You occasionally have to pull your tools, wipe them down with a quality oil like Breakfree CLP to keep rust off a foam shadowed tool.

In your case also, I suspect the chroming on the Gearwrench is not all that great. I have had some Bluepoint wrenches in my shadowed aviation tool kit that I know I have not pulled out in 10 plus year to finally pull one and it is fine.

 

[jjjrmx5]

I believe they trap moisture.

Same thing with firearms, you shouldn't leave them in the cases with the foam liners.

Yep.

If you work in a building or environment with large swings in temp, the foam traps moisture and them slowy releases it causing condensation and thus rust.

Seen it in more car trunks and hatches than I can count where condenstaion gets in and then water (always seeking the lowest point), gathers around the foam in the spare tire well kkeping the spare tire from making noise, and then slowly rusts out where it is mounted due to the water having no where to go.

Same with a box. Dense foam just holds dense air and moisture longer than open cell foam or no foam.

 

[el tanque prohibido]

You get moisture trapped between the liner and the pliers. I have the same situation going on with my pliers after the long winter. And the rust is only on the pliers side laying against the liner; the side facing up is fine.

 

[WVBrady]

I believe they trap moisture.

Same thing with firearms, you shouldn't leave them in the cases with the foam liners.

With guns there is sometimes a chemical reaction. I remember reading that if a rifle was wiped down with Hoppes No. 9 and left in a gun case with foam liner that it would rust. I had done this and it rusted the barrel a little just overnight.