Can I safely keep my power tools in a shed?

[Michael Yadfar]

Currently I'm a college student so I live at home, and plan to be there for another few years. Right now I have a little personal shop I'm starting in my shed because it's the only space I have for now. It's a wooden storage shed, so there's no insulation or temperature controls, and you can actually see daylight through the doors when they're shut because they don't seal off the shed too well. The shed is about six inches off the ground and is on top of a gravel foundation so moisture is limited from underneath. The shed is also well ventilated.

I store my hand tools in the garage which is a bit better because it's insulated. But the shed is my only option for stationary tools like my jointer, planer, table saw, band saw, work bench, and router table. The thing I'm worried about is my tools rusting from the humidity. I don't know if a dehumidifier would work since the sheds not properly sealed. I was thinking maybe cloth tarps or towels would work? When I move out shop space is probably one of my top priorities.

[Mike Wilkins]

Do a thorough cleaning job on all the machine surfaces, and then a good paste wax job. Should keep rust away and allow the wood to slide easily across the tops. There are also products made for machinery tops available from the woodworking stores. Boeshield is one brand.

[Erik Loza]

What Mike said ^^^^

IMO, paste wax may not be good enough to protect the cast iron surfaces for that span of time. I would look into actual greases or aerosol-type metal protectants that go on heavy. That is what we use to protect machines for long storage. CRC makes a good one...

283185
http://www.crcindustries.com.au/soft-seal-corrosion-inhibitor

Also, I might look into some anti-vermin measures. Make sure rodents don't get in there and chew up your wiring or make nests in the machines. Best of luck with it.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Keith Hankins]

I had your situation once. I had to build an out building to keep my tools. It was opened (vented) no insulation. I had to use a generator hows that for remote. Issues I had was rust. With big swings in Humidity due to seasons. I was constantly dealing with that. Second is critters. Field mice made a nest in my dust collection causing a lot of damage. That's it. I feel for you man. That was the most frustrating time in my woodworking life

[Earl Rumans]

I agree about the rust and critters. It will also be very hard on the electronics and motor winding's in the power equipment. Lots of oxidation on connectors and such. These things don't like being out in nature, even though they are under roof it's almost like being outside.

[Michael Yadfar]

I agree about the rust and critters. It will also be very hard on the electronics and motor winding's in the power equipment. Lots of oxidation on connectors and such. These things don't like being out in nature, even though they are under roof it's almost like being outside.

Back to one of my questions; is there a safe way to keep these in the shed? I don't really have a critter issue with my motorcycles or anything, but if I did, I can correct that with some mouse traps. But as far as changes in humidity, I don't know how to correct that. Like I said I can consider a dehumidifier but idk how that would work in a ventilated shed. Grease or wax should keep the tables and fences clear of rust, but the internal motor workings are what I'm concerned about. Like I said earlier, I don't know if covering these with like a cloth paint tarp or towel would work

[Richard Coers]

If you keep a big dog outside the shed! Sheds around here are magnets for theives. No lights around them, and cheap padlocks make for easy pickings. Don't forget about mice getting into them and nesting. I'd vote for conditioned rental storage unit. That's a heck of an investment to put in an unsealed shed!

[Earl Rumans]

Listen to what we are saying. In an uninsulated, unsealed, outdoor shed you could run a dehumidifier 24 hrs a day and it wouldn't make much difference. You just can't put expensive power equipment in that environment and expect good results. Now if this shed was well constructed, sealed and the entrance door could be sealed you might be able to get away with a dehumidifier but not in the shed you describe. I know you don't want to hear these facts but you have a lot invested in those tools and you should protect your investment.

[Larry Browning]

Here is another thought. How about selling at least some the more expensive and or sensitive tools, taking the money and investing it in CD or other long term investment that makes it a little difficult to get at right away. Then when you are ready to setup a proper shop, you will have the money with interest to re-purchase what you sold. That's what I'd do. The only down side would be if these tools had some sentimental value, like they belonged to your farther or grandfather. Otherwise, problem solved.

[Michael Yadfar]

The issue is that woodworking is my hobby and I use these tools. Now something I could consider doing is moving some junk out of the garage to the shed that can't really be hurt by the weather, and put the tools in the garage. I would have to get my father to approve this but I think this would be a better option.

My new question is if the garage would be suitable for these tools. The garage is attached to the house and is sealed and insulated. Only issue with the garage though is that there still isn't any temperature or humidity controls.

[Jim Andrew]

I used to move my tablesaw from job to job, and keep it in my unheated garage between jobs, and it was always rusty. Would use sandpaper to clean it up good enough to use, spray wd40 on it, and go on, but now I wonder if I had just put some spar finish on the top would not have been a good idea. As far as mice go, I'd keep a bar of Just One Bite in the shed, in case mice move in and you don't notice. You don't even need to open it, they will open the package, must smell good to mice.

[Michael Yadfar]

Yea I mean all I have now in the shed is a table saw I just bought, I was going to buy a planer, jointer, and router. If the garage is not suitable either, I guess I could rethink this even though I really need a hobby. I guess I could invest in farm animals instead if this doesn't work out. I'm not the video game type of kid.

But thanks for all the advice so far, all I have left to find out is if the garage is suitable, which I already asked about in a comment above

[Earl Rumans]

I have my shop set up in my garage and it is insulated but not heated. I see no problems with using your garage. I just fire up the heaters when I am working in the winter and use fans in the summer. When it gets too hot in the summer to work in there I just don't but that is only a few times during the summer. I will eventually put one of those ductless heat pumps in there but just don't have the money right now.

[Charles Taylor]

...all I have left to find out is if the garage is suitable, which I already asked about in a comment above

The garage is where most hobby woodworkers have their tools and do their work. I live in the humid South and used a garage for about a decade.

[Larry Browning]

The issue is that woodworking is my hobby and I use these tools.
My bad, I thought you were looking at long term storage. I think things will be a bit easier if these tools are going to be in use at least once ever couple of weeks or so. I don't think you should have problems with motors and other internal parts. I think you main issue will be with rust. As someone said earlier, they make some really good products to fight rust, and as long as you maintain a good coat of wax or something like BoeShield on your surfaces, you will be fine. I would not recommend covering them at all. That will only help keep the moisture in and make the rust worse.

[johnny means]

My first shop was a covered patio. I built many a project with the tablesaw and jointer I had out there. Unless you live in a particularly moist climate, like a tropical rainforest, your shed will do just fine. I know plenty of guys running commercial shops out of large sheds and barns. Sure, you'll have to scrub off a little surface rust from time to time, but I bet an airy shed is probably better than a lot of basement shops out there. These aren't Rembrandts we're talking about, a little patina isn't that big a deal.

[Myk Rian]

Like I said earlier, I don't know if covering these with like a cloth paint tarp or towel would work
HTC machine covers, or good heavy CANVAS tarps. Like truck drivers use for loads.

[Keith Hankins]

I had a garage shop for a while, but my walls were insulated. That will work.

[Jim A Walters]

Another option is to use a Goldenrod dehumidifier stick. http://www.goldenroddehumidifiers.com

Cover the equipment with a tarp and put one of these sticks underneath it. The stick warms the air under the tarp slightly compared to the ambient temperature outside. It's enough to prevent condensation as the temperature changes. They make these for gun safes to prevent rust on guns in areas like basements, but they have many other applications. Check out the website for more info. The smallest 12" stick uses 12 watts and covers 100 cu ft. The largest 36" stick uses 38 watts and covers 500 cu ft. So yes, it does cost something to operate but it's probably pennies a day. I don't have one so I can't speak from experience but I've heard they work well.

Jim

[phil harold]

HTC machine covers, or good heavy CANVAS tarps. Like truck drivers use for loads.
what Myk says or:
waxed
and are covered
or bagged with heavy plastic
so moisture can not condensate on the machine
they should fair pretty good

[Larry Browning]

My experience has always been that a tarp or cover of any kind (especially plastic) tends to make things worse. They trap moisture and cause CI to rust more than when not covered at all. I think the wax or boesheild is a much better option.

[Michael Yadfar]

Another option is to use a Goldenrod dehumidifier stick. http://www.goldenroddehumidifiers.com

Cover the equipment with a tarp and put one of these sticks underneath it. The stick warms the air under the tarp slightly compared to the ambient temperature outside. It's enough to prevent condensation as the temperature changes. They make these for gun safes to prevent rust on guns in areas like basements, but they have many other applications. Check out the website for more info. The smallest 12" stick uses 12 watts and covers 100 cu ft. The largest 36" stick uses 38 watts and covers 500 cu ft. So yes, it does cost something to operate but it's probably pennies a day. I don't have one so I can't speak from experience but I've heard they work well.

Jim

Thats definitely an idea... Have you actually tried this yourself? I wonder how well that would work

[Jim A Walters]

I haven't used one myself but as I mentioned I've heard they work well. I did a quick search and found another thread where others have talked about using them in tool cabinets and other places. There's also a pretty good explanation on the principle of how they work.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?173926-My-Thoughts-on-Rod-Dehumidifiers

i should also mention that you would want to have your table saw or other equipment in a small enclosed area such as under a large cardboard box and try to not have anything touching it so that air can freely move around it. The heat from the goldenrod will keep the air slightly warmer than the air outside the box and will prevent the condensation that causes the rust. It would also be wise to follow some of the other suggestions posted as far as keeping some type of rust preventative coating on it.

Jim

[phil harold]

My experience has always been that a tarp or cover of any kind (especially plastic) tends to make things worse. They trap moisture and cause CI to rust more than when not covered at all. I think the wax or boesheild is a much better option.
Many things are shipped over the ocean sealed in plastic
keeping the air exchanges to a minimum is key
if the air inside the bag is not changing, moisture content should stay relatively the same
dehumidifier or silica gel packs will enhance this
but just throwing a tarp over it is not the answer

[Michael Yadfar]

Many things are shipped over the ocean sealed in plastic
keeping the air exchanges to a minimum is key
if the air inside the bag is not changing, moisture content should stay relatively the same
dehumidifier or silica gel packs will enhance this
but just throwing a tarp over it is not the answer

Would you recommend the advice of putting a tarp over and having a small humidifier underneath? Even in the garage I'm somewhat concerned with humidity. The good thing though is that I think my jointer may end up being my only cast iron table top. My table saw I believe has an aluminum top, my router table will be laminated wood, and I don't believe the makita planer I'm looking at is cast iron either.

[phil harold]

yes i think that would work
I have heard good about htc tarps too
http://www.lowes.com/pd_27674-23796-TS-9112_0__?productId=3701818

see if you can fit tarp/cover to fit each machine
sound like you are going to use the equipment in this shed, or is it just storage?



if you are going to use them in the shed I would consider insulation and closing up air leaks

the best way to keep cast iron from rusting is to use it ...
and maintain the wax, slippit, biosheild, or what ever protection/lube you like

ps aluminum corrodes too

[Sam Whit]

I keep all my tools in that condition in Alabama all year. No problems here.

If you want good, permanent, long term storage look at how the government stores guns.

1 word. Cosmoline.

[Michael Yadfar]

yes i think that would work
I have heard good about htc tarps too
http://www.lowes.com/pd_27674-23796-TS-9112_0__?productId=3701818

see if you can fit tarp/cover to fit each machine
sound like you are going to use the equipment in this shed, or is it just storage?



if you are going to use them in the shed I would consider insulation and closing up air leaks

the best way to keep cast iron from rusting is to use it ...
and maintain the wax, slippit, biosheild, or what ever protection/lube you like

ps aluminum corrodes too

Insulating the shed was another idea... The thing with that though is it isn't my shed like I said so I don't want to invest a whole lot of my own money into it. It's my parents shed and I plan to move out in a few years. I know whether the tools come with me or not they're going to go, because my parents have absolutely no interests. Somehow I grew up completely different from my parents haha. I probably have to hide the keys to my machines because I can almost guarantee my dad will try to use the machines without me training him, and he will either end up hurting himself or the machine. Anyways though, with the aluminum, I've heard of it corroding too. I believe it's not as bad as cast iron though, but I could be wrong.

[John Schweikert]

Honestly, I think you are over thinking this. Store the tools using some paste wax or Boshield and use standard tool covers and just see if you need to do anything else in the future. I think the issue here is that you are getting answers from too many people who live in very different environments which may not pertain to you.

I have stored various tools in a simple garden shed for 10 years with no rust issues (Nashville, TN). The only rust issue I have had was using a propane heater in my insulated bow roof shed which caused flash rust on every cast iron surface.

An airy shed with no direct moisture may turn out to be just fine for you. The majority of the world doesn't have living room quality workshops as shown in every woodworking magazine, and "we" do just fine.

[John Brown]

I have my tools (table saw, jointer, sander and more) in the same type shed you are using, they have been there for years and I have had no problems. Protect the cast iron with something, I use WD 40 or some other spray can of something similar. After all WD 40 is water displacement, and mice don't like it. I understand your concern but carpenters and other contractors have their tools in much worse conditions than you.

[Larry Browning]

+1 to the previous 2 posters.

[Michael Yadfar]

Yea I mean I guess I am overthinking this a bit, even though I do think it will be a problem to a degree. I'm not in a humid area, I live in southeast PA, but we do have fluctuations in temperature. Then again also, I have less than $2,000 worth of tools, it's not like a little rust is going to cause me to lose a lot financially. Still though, I will probably try to keep as much as I can in the garage, and keep the machines constantly waxed.

Another question I have is how to protect my table saw. I have a Ridgid portable contractor saw, and it's not a cast iron table. I believe it's aluminum, it's light and colored like aluminum, but it's not a smooth material, it's more of a rough surface.

[Larry Browning]

On a side note Michael, please update you profile with your location. It really will help when people answer you posts, and you won't have to continually keep telling people where you live.

[Larry Browning]

Another question I have is how to protect my table saw. I have a Ridgid portable contractor saw, and it's not a cast iron table. I believe it's aluminum, it's light and colored like aluminum, but it's not a smooth material, it's more of a rough surface.

You can wax that too. The wax not only will protect from rust an corrosion, but it will act as a lubricant on that rough surface.