Wierd rusting problem in shop

[lbperry]

All the tools I put in one section of my shop rust. The only thing that I can see unique about the area is that it's the area where I store my rattle cans of paint. Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone have any good ways of storing rattle cans of paint so that they're visible but the vapors don't cause problems? If that is the cause of the rusting problem.
Second related problem. I've Got several good files that have gotten rusty because of being hung in this area. Any good ways of derusting them without ruining them?
Thanks for any info,

 

[jeremy v]

Is your shop heated, and if so is the output of the heat source directed towards that area of rusty tools? I am asking because it might not be related to your paint cans. If you turn on a heater and it heats up the room faster than the tools themselves can warm up in response, you can create a localized situation where you have minor amounts of condensation on the tools until they warm up to the new higher temp of the shop. Same thing as cold glass of water outside on a hot day. It would also depend on the humidity where you live, but it is a possibility if you use any shop heating.

 

[kindyr]

Do you store any other chemicals with the spray cans? I seem to recall certain prep chemicals(acids if memory serves) have been known to cause rust issues on nearby tools.

 

[Strouty]

What is the floor, does it change at all under that area? My shop has issues due to moisture coming up through the floor.

 

[diesel research]

its not particularly weird.

you live in alabama. 90º and 90% humidity during the day, 60º at night. Dew.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JQUHBU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

put a couple in your box drawers.

 

[rick carpenter]

Probably a good molasses soak for the files and hit them with a good file card.

 

[Steroblan]

++What kindyr said. Maybe some naval jelly, Muriatic acid, battery acid, cat piss or similar product on the shelf leaking?

 

[Johnny chaos]

Agree.... Most likely some type of acid somewhere if its specific to only one area

 

[fourjeepin]

I have this happening to anything metal stored in the cabinet with pool chlorine. Any chemical which says it is an oxidizer will increase rust.

 

[fullthrottle24]

I had same thing happen in metal cabinet. I have rattle cans in there. I was trying to figure out what was causing the problem. I had some paint stripper in there also. Removed every chemical from cabinet, and yet the rust still persists. Gonna take out rattle cans and de rust, repaint and see if it comes back.

 

[lbperry]

Lots of good ideas. Thanks for all of them.
Don't think it's heat/moisture related. I've got radiant electrical heater mounted several places in the ceiling of my shop. I will double check the wall and floor in that area for signs of excess moisture.
Hadn't thought to check the cans for possibly corrosives. I may well have a can of spray paint stripper there. Will check that today.
Molasses and a file card to derust a file? Are you kidding? I've never heard of using molasses. I've got at least one other deruster I'll try on them first but I'd like to hear more about the molasses.
Will check those things out today.
Thanks for all the suggestions, they've given me something to work on.

 

[G_P]

Spraypaint won't cause rust. My rattlecans are stored in a steel cabinet and it nor anythng else in there rust.

Is there a car battery nearby? It could be leaking acid. Or you could have a draft in that area allowing humid outside air into the room.

Sent from my C5120 using Tapatalk 2

 

[zuk123]

lbperry- there are lots of threads on here about molasses as a derust agent. Takes a while but works. There is some debate about whether you can save a rusty file.

I've tried vinegar soak, and file cards. They remove the gunk but also change the teeth. It might be worth trying.

This guy makes videos that I love for some reason. He demonstrates how he cleans files.

the file cleaning bit starts around 5:00

zuk

 

[Alan Douglas]

The old-time method of "sharpening" files was to leave them out on the grass overnight. The sides of the teeth rusted away, leaving the points. I can't imagine it worked very well.

And I agree about a source of acid vapors somewhere.

 

[2oolhound]

I did a vinegar soak on some rusty tools a while back. Then I left some tools beside the tray of vinegar a few days latter and they rusted up just from being near the tray. Seems a little moisture in the air that won't normally cause any rust was enough to oxidize when in the vapour zone of the vinegar.

 

[Frosthy]

Got chinese drywall/similar in one part of the shop?

 

[lbperry]

Only thing I've been able to find in that area of my shop so far is a rattle can of the "aircraft" paint stripper that WalMart sells. No indication of it affecting the paint on the cans around it or the cans themselves. Maybe its vapors enough to affect bare metal? In addition to the files, it corroded a plane and a hand saw and a couple hand sledges and ball peen hammers. Gonna keep looking for the culprit.
Thanks for the ideas,

 

[jeremy v]

I don't have any more answers for you, but here are a few questions that might help you in your attempts to find the culprit.

Is there any difference in the air smell at all when you walk into that area of the shop?

If you walk into that zone and the air temp feels a little bit cooler than the rest of the shop it might indicate a zone of slightly higher humidity.

Is the extent of the problem equal from floor to ceiling or is it mainly tools up high or down low that are rusting. If up high it might be a product that has lighter than air vapors.

Does the problem abruptly stop at the edges of the rusty zone or gradually fade away?

When it is windy outside, can any possibly wet or moist outside air penetrate a weak garage door seal etc. and hit that area of the shop?

How good is the overall airflow in your shop? The better it is the less likely a single product's fumes will affect the tools right next to it.

Does the rusty part of the shop possibly get hit with moist car exhaust when you pull a vehicle into the garage on a regular basis?

Any small water drain containers nearby that you use for draining shop air lines or air compressor tanks, or slow compressed air leaks that may be slowly leaking moist shop air towards the rusty tools?

Floor drain nearby that may be a collection spot for water that drips off of vehicles or that lets moist air from the drain P-trap evaporate and increase humidity in the local area?

 

[Danglerb]

Condensing moisture from the air is the most likely.

 

[CWP1616L]

You got an evaporative cooler in the shop?

 

[TheGrooveking]

Got chinese drywall/similar in one part of the shop?

+1, this has been known to cause major problems in many places.

TheGrooveking

 

[lbperry]

No Chinese dry wall, I don't think. I built the shop about 20 years ago. Drywall upstairs but only OSB and pegboard downstairs.
The moisture idea could possibly be it. The problem area is right under the open stairway to the second floor. It gets hot upstairs and since the hot air carries more moisture, it may be carried down the stairwell when I use the fans, heat or A/C downstairs.
Similar tools 4 to 6 feet along the same wall, not in the area of the stairwell, don't seem to be affected.
For years I've been thinking about putting a door at the top of the stairs so I don't have to heat or cool the upstairs area when I have the heat or A/C on in the shop. May be time to get around to that project. Not that I need another one.
I'll clean the area under the stair well out good this weekend, keeping in mind all your suggestions, and see if I run across any other possible sources of corrosion.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll let you know if I find any obvious culprits during the cleanup. Otherwise I'll start pricing prehung doors.