Rust hitting machines, tried everything

[Mark Gordon]

Hello-

As a long term reader, I'm making my first post with a "help me."

I have six machines in a garage workshop in Tampa Florida. There is no climate control, only a fan, and I only work in it about 10 hours a week.

The problem is that recently, I'm getting a LOT of rust on my metal surfaces, TS, Jointer, BS, .... all of my cast iron.

After not using them for about 4 weeks, there was noticable surface rust. I cleaned, sanded and waxed the surfaces and three days later there was more rust!! I've never had this problem before and I usually use a paste wax every two months. with no rust at all.

So far, after reading this forum (of course) I've tried the following:

1) RO Sanding using 300-600 grit, then using paste wax. Lasted two days before a wipe with a clean cloth looked brown red.
2) Steel wool with WD 40, followed by paste wax. Lasted about 3 days
3) Bought Boeshield, Cleaned then spayed and wiped off. Lasted two days.
4) Same as above, then paste wax. Lasted four days

The rust (except for the first time) is not spots, but a even coating of rust just starting.

I can't AC the garage, and while the summer was extra- evil humid, now it is not.

I would be very interested in any theories and solutions.... Why is the rust monster stalking me?

Thanks. Mark

[Steve Stube]

Maybe you can tie the rusty cast to the time you first started storing an acid in your shop, pool chemicals etc.??? WD-40 (a penetrant, not a lubricant) can actually cause rust over time but not in three days.

[Mark Gordon]

Maybe you can tie the rusty cast to the time you first started storing an acid in your shop, pool chemicals etc.??? WD-40 (a penetrant, not a lubricant) can actually cause rust over time but not in three days.

Steve-

I'll go and look through the garage and try my poor memory, but I right now I can't think of any changes.

I agree that three days is so totally wacko that I figured that it was just dust. They I cleaned off the areas well, and came back in two days, and it was there!

Thanks

[Ron McNeil]

Mark, when I started having rust problems mostly from condesation from my propane heater in the winter Time. I cleaned the surfaces of my machines and then purchased these covers from woodcraft and did not have rust problems after that. I just kept the machines covered until i needed them.

[lloyd morris]

Mark,

Sorry to hear you are having such severe rust problems.

I use a humidifier with excellent results in my garage. It needs to be
emptied daily but I am amazed how much water it takes out of the air
(about 1 1/2 gallons per day). That with Bioshield and paste wax solved
the rust problems here in Western North Carolina for me. Hope this helps.

Lloyd Morris

[Lee Schierer]

We make machines from cast iron where I work. When we get in a piece of equipment, we spray on Boeshield T-9 and leave it wet. It protects better and longer than spraying it on and wiping it off. It will tend to dry up and get sticky, but when you want to use your tools, spray the surface again and just wife it off and do the work on your tools. When you get done spray on another wet coating and leave it.

Wood Magazine did some tests a couple of years ago and they found that Boeshield T-9 was the best protector. Wax helped, but not much.

[Don Hutton]

I had a similar problem and determined it was due to the storage of swimming pool chlorine in my shop. Once I removed the chlorine the rusting stopped.

I hope this helps,
Don

[Mark Gordon]

We make machines from cast iron where I work. When we get in a piece of equipment, we spray on Boeshield T-9 and leave it wet. It protects better and longer than spraying it on and wiping it off. It will tend to dry up and get sticky, but when you want to use your tools, spray the surface again and just wife it off and do the work on your tools. When you get done spray on another wet coating and leave it.

Wood Magazine did some tests a couple of years ago and they found that Boeshield T-9 was the best protector. Wax helped, but not much.

Lee-

I'll try that, I had heard that it gets a little sticky when you leave it on. However, I notice that the spray (my 12 oz can) is very directional. That is, it tends to get a small spot (about 2 inch circle at 18in distance) very wet and not much overspray. It's seems to me that I would use 1/2 the can if I coated the whole surface from the bottle. Do you use a heavy coat or a light coat?

Thanks

[Mark Gordon]

I had a similar problem and determined it was due to the storage of swimming pool chlorine in my shop. Once I removed the chlorine the rusting stopped.

I hope this helps,
Don

Don-

I had the driveway cleaned with heavy bleach about a month ago, but that was outside the doors, and while it may have started the original rust, it's not that persistant.

Maybe I have to go through all the chemicals in my garage and sort them out.

Thanks

Mark

[Lee Schierer]

Lee-

I'll try that, I had heard that it gets a little sticky when you leave it on. However, I notice that the spray (my 12 oz can) is very directional. That is, it tends to get a small spot (about 2 inch circle at 18in distance) very wet and not much overspray. It's seems to me that I would use 1/2 the can if I coated the whole surface from the bottle. Do you use a heavy coat or a light coat?

Thanks

We make it a failry heavy coat. It stays wet for a few days and gradually dries. To remove it, just spray on some more and wipe it off.

[Jerry Clark]

just wife it off and do the work on your tools. Hey Lee-- I thought this was funny-- couldn't resist!

[Steve Clardy]

Maybe just get them cleaned back up again, and use the covers as Ron suggested, or take an old bed sheet and cover them.

[Brad Schmid]

Don-

I had the driveway cleaned with heavy bleach about a month ago, but that was outside the doors, and while it may have started the original rust, it's not that persistant.

Maybe I have to go through all the chemicals in my garage and sort them out.

Thanks

Mark

Mark,
Especially check for lawn chemicals. I had temporarily stored a half bag of fertilizer once and within a few days I had rust on my nearby drill press column and table. After removing all lawn chemicals from my shop, I have not had a problem, even here in the ulta high humidity of Houston.
Brad

[John Miliunas]

Mark, you mention using a fan (no AC). Do you, by chance, leave that fan "on" 24x7? If not, try it. Basically, park it along one of the long walls, so that it creates a circular flow throughout the shop. I've had shop areas where there were real high temp and humidity swings and just using that simple method, prevented probably 95% of the rust, which previously would accumulate quickly. Depends on the size of your area, but mine was @17x20 and the fan was on 'round the clock on "Low". It was just one of those cheap box fans (24" or similar) and uses very little electricity. Keep us posted on what you may find works for you! Good luck.

[Guy Baxter]

Do you have a cloths dryer or dryer duct running through your garage to the outside vent?
A break in a cloths dryer duct can add a lot of humidity to a garage real fast. And it will stay humid if the garage is sealed tight. DAMHIKT.
Just a thought.
Let us know what corrects the problem.
GB