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Thread: Cast Iron and Condensation

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Chicago Area
    Posts
    285

    Cast Iron and Condensation

    Hello all,

    I just picked up an old Makita 2040 planer that is in great shape, but it's been sitting in in an unheated garage for about a week (temp ~ 35F).

    I know when I bring it inside in a few days it will get wet due to condensation. Any thoughts on managing this? Should I cover the bed in Boshield or wax before I bring it in? Cost the table and knifes (to the best of my ability) with oil?

    Just wanted to get a few ideas so I treat this lady as she deserves to be treated.

    I appreciate any thoughts.

    Michael

  2. #2
    Find a way to warm it up before you bring it in if possible, otherwise the condensation will only happenas long as it takes to warm up. Wipe it all off ASAP and you'll probably be ok.
    https://shorturl.at/mRTU3

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,889
    Oil. it down then put it in a plastic bag. Only the water in the air inside the bag can touch the machine. Let it warm up while inside the bag. Or just put a light bulb inside or under it for a day so it heats up above your dew point. I only get condensation below 45-50 degrees. But not on woodworking machines which is so thin and lightweight it does not lag behind air temperature that much. Only see it on my metal lathe(1775 pounds) and maybe a little on my mill/drill (650 pounds). Of course my shop never goes below 45 degrees in the coldest part of winter.
    Bill D.

  4. #4
    I would aim a fan at it while it adjusts to it's new home

  5. #5
    I think Bill has the best idea.
    https://shorturl.at/mRTU3

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Chicago Area
    Posts
    285
    Thanks all. Brent's fan idea is really good. I'm leery of putting a large garbage bag over it as it might hurt evaporation. I could heat the large CI bed with a heat gun ever so slightly and then keep a large fan on it...then check it frequently to make sure it stays dry. It's coming in the house on Wednesday so fingers crossed.

    I'll also coat the bed with Boe Shield to give it a protective coating. Thanks Bill.

    You folks are the best. Cheers!

    Michael

  7. #7
    You're doing it at the right time of year -- even though inside is warmer than the garage, if you're in the chicago area, the indoor air is probably relatively dry (as compared to any other season) so there won't be much moisture to condense onto the surface.

    If you have a forced-air furnace, as contrary to logic as it may sound, if you crank it up a few degrees at the moment you bring in the planer, and keep the furnace running for a bit, it'll really squeeze out more moisture and, while your skin my crack a bit, it'll make that air super-dry for the planer to acclimate.

  8. #8
    I really like the fan idea. Also, I would wait before applying wax/Boeshield/etc. for at least a few days after bringing it indoors. Reason being that you could run the risk of trapping moisture under the coating and locking that moisture in. Just my 2-cents.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    East Virginia
    Posts
    830
    Dunno, maybe wipe it off after it warms up? It's not like water is going to melt it. If I were worried about water melting it, I guess I might coat it with drain oil immediately upon bringing it into the house.

    In my shop, in a barn near the Chesapeake Bay, my CI tables get wet pretty much every morning for several months at a stretch every year from late summer to early winter. I coat them either with oil (and wipe it off before using the machines) or polyurethane thinned to water consistency. IMHO, some things are worth worrying about, but this ain't one of them...it's just a fact of life where I live.

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