We are moving early next spring to southwest Florida not far from Marco Island, and I am afraid I will have to give up woodworking. There is no space for my hobby inside the air-conditioned space of the house and thus I'll have to work in the garage, if at all.

I have heard tales about rust in this climate and fear it's a lost cause. We will be there winters only, and while temperatures are not too bad during those six months, the humidity is always way up there. And the tools will sit there year round.

Is there a way the tools of this pastime might be saved? I am getting rid of all my stationary power tools, the tablesaw, bandsaw, jointer, miter saws, planer, and am trying to get down to the basic neanderthal kit I have of hand planes, chisels, and saws.

I'm losing sleep over this pending life transition.

Will plane socks help? Chisel rolls? One thought I have is to simply move the whole kit inside to the laundry room for the six months we will be traveling up north each summer and fall. They would be in air-conditioned space then.