Storing Hand Planes

[Chris Fitzpatrick]

Hello, I'm moving overseas and need to pack up my hand planes a few months in advance:mad:. I'm concerned about corrosion and breakage. I was going to spray them with camellia oil and wrap them in bubble wrap? Any opinions? I heard of people having problems wrapping them in some materials. Thx, Chris

[Dave Parkis]

I would wipe them down with Camellia oil and wrap them in cloth. Also, stop at your local pharmacy and ask them if you can have some of the desiccant packs they use. Pharmacies generally just throw these away, so they would probably be happy to give them to you. Once you get them, toss 10-15 of them in whatever container you're going to store the planes in.

[Hilton Ralphs]

You need to get VCIs (Volatile corrosion inhibitor). Lee Valley have a version (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=59367&cat=1,43456). You could also buy plane sacks which have this product embedded in the material.

[David Weaver]

you want to put a healthy thorough coat of paste wax on them and put them in a box or something fairly airtight (doesn't have to be like bag airtight, actually you don't want it to be bag airtight), and something that will make their temperature changes slower than the ambient outside if there will be outside temperature changes.

Camelia oil is very short term. Actually, I can't even figure out why woodworking retailers sell camelia oil other than that they want to sell you something you can't get elsewhere (so they can charge 20 dollars a quart, which you surely wouldn't pay if they suggested something common like mineral oil).

Paste wax is your longer term solution and longer than that is some type of grease.

[Jim Koepke]

I heard of people having problems wrapping them in some materials.

Some materials will react with metal. Many a coin collection has been rendered worthless by people using vinyl coin envelopes.

I do not know the material of which bubble rap is made.

Mylar is fairly non-reactive with most metals. Bubble wrap is not made of mylar.

jtk

[Everett Fulkerson]

Get some gun storage bags, they're airtight and treated with (VCPI) vapor phase corrosion inhibitor.

[Curt Putnam]

My cast iron tools were stored for 5 years in an unheated garage with zero rust. All I did was spray them with Corrosion-X Heavy Duty. http://www.corrosionx.com/corrosionx-heavy-duty.html

[Jim Belair]

Get some gun storage bags, they're airtight and treated with (VCPI) vapor phase corrosion inhibitor.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=58755&cat=1,43326

...then the bubble wrap.

[Bill Houghton]

you want to put a healthy thorough coat of paste wax on them and put them in a box or something fairly airtight (doesn't have to be like bag airtight, actually you don't want it to be bag airtight), and something that will make their temperature changes slower than the ambient outside if there will be outside temperature changes.

Camelia oil is very short term. Actually, I can't even figure out why woodworking retailers sell camelia oil ...
during the test marketing phase, it outsold the skunk cabbage oil by about ten to one...

I concur on the paste wax.

[Sam Stephens]

during the test marketing phase, it outsold the skunk cabbage oil by about ten to one...

I concur on the paste wax.


snake oil is supposedly the gold standard....

[Jim Matthews]

I use Flitz metal polish (http://www.amazon.com/Flitz-BU-03515-Plastic-Fiberglass/dp/B001447VB2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375571316&sr=8-1&keywords=flitz) and the "Blue Bags" mentioned above.

[Bob Jones]

Vasoline could be a good option. I would avoid bubble wrap because some plastics accelerate rust. I have seen more than one person here complain that they took a while to open a new plane and found it rusty.

[Lamar Keeney]

Done the long term storage and transport of a major portion of my tool acumalation (3 years storage without climate control) I took all wooden handles and such off, applied 30 wt motor oil, rapped with wax paper and used what ever to I had around to keep them seperated and padded.

Everthing from hand saws to a Stanley 45 when cleaned looked as they did when wrapped. I think the waxed paper would be a good idea regardless of what you treat your tools with before the bubble wrap.

Gooe luck with your move, Lamar

[Stanley Covington]

Hello, I'm moving overseas and need to pack up my hand planes a few months in advance:mad:. I'm concerned about corrosion and breakage. I was going to spray them with camellia oil and wrap them in bubble wrap? Any opinions? I heard of people having problems wrapping them in some materials. Thx, Chris

I feel your pain. My work makes me move every 1.5 to four years, often to hot humid Asian countries. In some instances, my woodworking tools have been stored for years in humid climates in containers located in direct sunlight. The most difficult climate I have experienced so far has been Guam with constant 87% humidity, daily rainshowers, and unrelenting airborne salt. I quickly discovered that my previous anti-corrosion regimen was not adequate. You should see what the climate there does to structural steel and painted finishes! :eek:

A boat mechanic friend on Guam who heard my complaints recommended CRC SP-400 for long-term protection. It works like a dream even in a wet, salty marine environment. The downside is, while it never really hardens, it is a waxy, tenacious product that requires mineral spirits to remove. Also, it is stinky and sticky until it dries and not something you want to apply indoors. But despite these shortcomings, it is absolutely perfect for long-term storage. I highly recommend it. It is a commercial product not typically available on store shelves, but I guarantee you it is worth ordering if you need long-term heavy-duty protection.

Bullfrog Rust Blocker is a water-based VcPI product that forms a thicker protective membrane. It is easy to use and non-toxic, but not as tough as CRC SP-400. I keep a bottle of this handy and easy-to-use product in my toolbox.

Camellia oil sold in the US is almost always mineral oil with perfume and dye added. Don’t get me wrong, mineral oil is an effective non-toxic product for short-term protection, but it is not worth the price they charge for it in the guise of Camellia oil. Unless the label says 100% Camellia Oil, and the MSDS sheet supports this claim, assume it is mineral oil. It will evaporate and wick away over time, as do all oils.

Real camellia oil is not as good as mineral oil for rust prevention. It dries, oxidizes and gums up. Leave it for the cosmetic, haircare, and culinary industries.

Do not wrap oiled tools in cloth. The fibers will wick away oil and transport moisture to the steel. Plastic or aluminum foil is best. VCI paper is good, but only if it is new and full of fresh chemicals. Once the VCI chemicals have all evaporated, paper is not much better than cloth.

Good luck with your move. :)

Stan