stop tools from rusting in unheated garage

[cvcman]

my tools are in an unheated garage in my box...I do turn heat on when im going ot be working there...I have made drawer liners out of thin gray wool like indoor outdoor carpet and sprayed the carpet with Starrett M1 spray...then every fall before the cold weather arrives I open the drawer and spay the entire contents with M1 and it seems to work fine..

It semi drys with a thin protective film

what do you guys do

 

[reddog289]

Never heard of that trick. Latest one I heard is to put a stick of chalk in the drawer.

 

[Thunderbisciut]

I have a can of Boeshield.

 

[bsaint]

I used to use large packets of shipping desiccant bags.

 

[TimDaToolMan]

You guys must live in a harsh climate. I live in Illinois, and my dad's garage has not been heated at all for the past 2 years (been really busy with work).

Besides that, these tools have been here for 20+ years, and the garage is only heated part of the time, so that would invite condensation from heating and cooling.

Nothing has ever rusted. Full sets of wrenches, sockets in buckets, you name it.

 

[Gotmayhem]

It has more to do with general humidity. I imagine that Illinois is a lot less humid than other places in the US.

 

[woody 73]

Strange in my old garage (man Cave) the garage had a lot of air coming in through the cracks in the old siding and my tools would rust very fast. In my new house I built a new man cave (unheated) but the rust is slowed down because of good insulation in the new walls; I tend to spray everything withy a wax spray to further slow down any rust.

 

[4xdog]

I live in Illinois, and my dad's garage has not been heated at all for the past 2 years... Nothing has ever rusted.

I have to be careful here in my garage in Saint Louis or I will get rust. It's not that far to Illinois and our weather is mostly the same.

Part of the problem may be my garage construction -- full brick with a slate roof. It tends to hold temperature for a while. It's almost been raining in my garage if the temperature and humidity go up too fast. The inside of the garage can stay below dewpoint for some time.

 

[Bryanthegreat]

There is a spray called tool box buddy that I recently acquired. It says that it will penetrate, remove rust and leave a film on tools for up to a year. Works like a penetrating oil and does leave a film on my tools but I haven't had it long enough to tell you how long it lasts. It is available at most auto parts stores or online. It is made by Lucas.

 

[niget2002]

I have one of each of the big silicone moisture absorbant packets in each of the drawers. Once a year I take them out and run them through the oven to re-dry them out.

 

[4xdog]

...silicone moisture absorbant packets in each of the drawers. ...the oven to re-dry them out.

You probably mean "silica", yes?

How long do you keep them in the oven, BTW? I've used my old lab's oven to reactivate dessicants by heating for 24 hours or more. The 8+ hours at circa 240 °F I've seen recommended for some packets seems like a long time for a home oven.

 

[pipsters]

I really can't see those moisture packs doing anything in a tool box. They only work in sealed packages. You're just drawing the moisture from the surrounding garage, which is re-humidified when you open the garage door.

Now, if you vacuum sealed your tool box and had them in there I'd agree, they would be worth the time.

 

[goodspeed]

I use them in my boxes with no issues.

 

[pendragon1998]

For drying silica, grab a pack with the wetness indicator that changes color when dry. Put it in with your other silica in the oven and when it is dry, the rest is too. I get them out of shoe boxes.

 

[lametec]

Open drawer, spray some CRC 3-36, close drawer.

 

[Rico.]

Open drawer, spray some WD-40, close drawer...

 

[cvcman]

wd40 is useless for this..its a water displacer NOT a lubricant.....it works great for dying out wires etc but no good for lube

 

[jackfork]

I have never had a rusting problem with hand tools. I cover my stationary tools with plastic which has worked so far. Before I did that they rusted pretty bad.

 

[stonesfan68]

You guys must live in a harsh climate. I live in Illinois, and my dad's garage has not been heated at all for the past 2 years (been really busy with work).

Besides that, these tools have been here for 20+ years, and the garage is only heated part of the time, so that would invite condensation from heating and cooling.

Nothing has ever rusted. Full sets of wrenches, sockets in buckets, you name it.

I've lived in Houston for the last 6-years. Corrosion-free tools that I have owned for 15+ years prior to living here are now rusting. If it weren't for air conditioning and oil nobody would live here.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I don't clean the grease off my tools when I'm done with them. I just give them a quick wipe them with a rag. The layer if grease and oil keeps them from rusting. I also keep Mobil 1 oil in a squirt can to do my lathe ways and machine stuff.

Learned this trick from a salt water boat mechanic. He wouldn't even wipe his tools with a rag. His tools were filthy but they didn't have a spot of rust on them.



Chris

 

[JKady]

My dad's shop is unheated but has a separate room for storage, he just leaves a light on full time in the wetter months (okay, 9 months out of the year here). All his stuff is nice and dry and rust free.

My work tools are in an insulated (not heated) shop and get daily use, so no rust issues there either.

Only tools I have rust issues with is the ones in my truck box, but that's because they generally come out when it's raining out and someone else's rig breaks down. That and they get to live in a box with usually damp recovery gear or tie downs.

 

[RV77]

maybe lay a sheet of newspaper in each drawer.

 

[volaredon]

You guys must live in a harsh climate. I live in Illinois, and my dad's garage has not been heated at all for the past 2 years (been really busy with work).

Besides that, these tools have been here for 20+ years, and the garage is only heated part of the time, so that would invite condensation from heating and cooling.

Nothing has ever rusted. Full sets of wrenches, sockets in buckets, you name it.

I too am in Illinois and have problems with rusty tools from being in the "heated part time" garage, too.

 

[lilredex]

The solution for my unheated garage .......go to your drugstore and get some Camphor blocks, snip off a corner of the packaging and put one in every second or third drawer. They last a couple of years and give off a moth ball type odor (moth balls work too). Best of all they stop the rust.

 

[retrobuilder]

Here is a good source- supplies sheet and foam materials that help greatly reduce moisture induced rusting. Another good spray on coating Bullfrog from Cortec. actually makes a difference.

http://www.theruststore.com/Bull-Frog-Emitter-Shield-P25C12.aspx

 

[Lightfoot]

a charcoal brickette (in an upside down jar lid) in the back corner of the toolbox works for me, and it's dirt cheap. Just trade it out every spring when grilling season comes and you open that new bag of charcoal.

 

[Rico.]

wd40 is useless for this..its a water displacer NOT a lubricant

Oh Crikey.... Well whatever you do, don't tell my tools as they seem to be
under the impression that it does work. Maybe I just got a bad batch of WD-40
Who knows...

 

[cvcman]

well hard to say its working unless you do half of them with and half without
Just telling you it is a Water Displacer hence WD....it is NOT a lubricant, maybe pee would work too

 

[JeremyManning]

I used to use large packets of shipping desiccant bags.

Same here

 

[Lightfoot]

Just telling you it is a Water Displacer hence WD....it is NOT a lubricant,

sorry man,
WD40 is not a cure-all for everything, but it is a lubricant too.

 

[Brownsfan]

I use the zeerust drawer liners from Lowes. I still have some moisture but no rust. I would like to get a small heater of some sort and put is near my tool box so it would stop the moisture as much as possible