tool protection in florida salty air along east coasts

[john bardsley]

How do I protect woodworking tools in the florida salty air. Would like to set up my shop in my home Just north of Daytona Beach, Florida. Is there a coating that can be sprayed on the tops of the woodworking tools? What do I do about chisel, planner and saw bades? What would suggest short of an airconditioned space.

[Glenn Clabo]

John,
I run a dehumidifier in my basement shop all year. I set it so it keeps it around 30% which in the summer means pretty much all the time. I have had no problems.

[Steve Strickler]

Amsoil makes a Metal Protector in a spray can that works well. (I use it sometimes).
Regular coats of paste wax works great too. Heck, I have even used WD-40.
Pick your "poison"!

[skip coyne]

I see the Salt air already got TO YOUR KEYBOARD

I've lived within 5 miles of the Gulf all my life , WD40 is availible in bulk , (gal can )at BORG , pour in your own spray bottle.

better toolslive in Box's plus WD40 keep things under controll . Dont get real upset about surface rust on power tools or mundane work tools , its a fact of life and dosn't hurt anything .

you quickly see the steel quality , some stuff is rusty after a week , some never rusts

I keep mundane work tools in a bucket boss 5 gal pail , lives on the screened in, un-climate controlled porch they dont look pristine but they are perfectly servicable

[Jack Norfleet]

For table tops, I use Boeshield followed by paste wax. That lasts me a couple of months. For chisels and other hand tools, I use the same formula and then make sure to wipe them down with a wd40 impregnated rag after I use them. As for blades and knives, I have not had a problem with rust so I don't do anything to them.

All in all this works well for me in Orlando.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

When ever I see a post like this salty air humidity etc I wonder: What do / did they do in the navy?

They had to do something.

[John Miliunas]

John, first off, welcome to the Creek!!! Great to have you join up! If you've done any cruising around our forums, the one constant, which you will see is, we absolutely love pictures, so share some at will!

While I don't live in a coastal area, the Midwest has its share of climactic challenges. We have some rather severe temp swings, as well as pretty heavy duty humidity during the Summer months. The suggestions you've already received, will definitely get you in the right direction. Personally, I'm real big on keeping bare metal surfaces waxed up regularly. This would include the cast iron in/out feed tables on all my bigger equipment, as well as all my hand planes. A dehumidifier in your location, I would think is a necessity! Another thing, which I found helpful is to keep some type of fan running 24/7. I use a ceiling fan in my current shop, though in the past, a simple 24" box fan was left on all the time to keep the air circulating. Certainly seems to help and it can't hurt! Cheap to run, too!

[Allen Bookout]

For table tops, I use Boeshield followed by paste wax. That lasts me a couple of months. For chisels and other hand tools, I use the same formula and then make sure to wipe them down with a wd40 impregnated rag after I use them. As for blades and knives, I have not had a problem with rust so I don't do anything to them.

All in all this works well for me in Orlando.

That is the best that I have been able to find living on a saltwater canal in Punta Gorda, Fl. Same result as Jack.

[Fred Woodward]

When ever I see a post like this salty air humidity etc I wonder: What do / did they do in the navy?

They had to do something.

Fishing on the coast, especially in tropical or hyper salinity water like the lower Texas Gulf coast (Lower Laguna Madre or Baffin Bay) will take a toll on the finest equipment even with the best of conditions.
I've used a product called Corrosion X for about 8 years on boats and all hardware and fishing equipment exposed to the elements down there. Result...no corrosion or rusting to any surfaces that were treated when new and before first exposure to the elements. No NEW corrosion or rust to any hardware cleaned and CX applied.
It is great stuff and works like a charm on table tops or any exposed metal on tools.
Developed for the US Navy (Seals as I understand it).
Spray it on a cloth and wipe it on the metal. That simple.

I've used several of the products normally mentioned for woodworking tools but the Corrosion X is the best product I've found by far. No affiliation with the company.

[Allen Bookout]

Fred,

Thanks for the input as I could not think of the product that I had seen mentioned before that I wanted to give a try. It was Corrosion X. I am going to write that on my Boeshield T9 bottle and give it a try next time just for comparison even though the T9 is prety good stuff. There can always be something better.

Do you wax over the Corrosion X for saw tables and the like?

Allen

[Fred Woodward]

I do use wax on my table tops. Put the CX on very thin; a little bit will go a long way. Follow the directions on the spray can.

I fish with kayaks in salt water. Everything gets maximum exposure to the salt. This is really good stuff.

http://corrosionxproducts.com/corrosionxpage.htm

[Howard Acheson]

Wood Magazine performed a test that they reported on in an issue last year. They tested most of the current products that claim to protect metals. They also included a couple of brands of furniture paste wax.

The test was to coat clean cast iron with the product and subject it to a salt spray test which is common as the standard test for corrosion. The only product that protected more than 12 hours was Boeshield. All the others failed including the paste wax.

Many will use the Boeshield followed by a coat of paste wax to make the surface slippery.

[Dick Latshaw]

Another vote for Boeshield T-9 and Johnson's paste wax. On new surfaces, I spray on the Boeshield, let it dry over night, and then apply two coats of wax. An occasional waxing seems to do the job after that.

I do wipe down hand tools at the end of the day and try to wipe up moisture on tool surfaces immediately. I also store hand tools in drawers or boxes and cover cast iron table tops with cloth - old bed sheets, to prevent condensation from settling on them.

[Frank Fusco]

You already have some good suggestions. I'll add mine. Johnson's paste wax is great for most surfaces. I also use a gun (and parts and accessories) protectant called, strangely enough , Rust Guard from Midway http://www.midwayusa.com/ . Where WD-40 is a short term protectant and Johnson's wears off, this stuff is long term reliable.
Edit: My wording above might be misleading. The Rust Guard does an excellent job of long term protection. However, it is NOT suitable for items frequently handled, only storage.

[Ed Blough]

After living in Tampa for 30 years and keepign my tools in my garage I found what I think is the best approach to rust control.

For wear surfaces use Johnson Paste wax and/or Bioshield T-9. To protect chisels, screw drivers and other metal products I use Penetrol. Penetrol is made by Flood products and is a paint flow control. It is carried at most paint stores, Home Depot and Lowes. On the container it mentions rust prevention.

I just paint or dip my tools into it, and it forms a protective barrier that water doesn't penetrate.
I have experimented with it and it puts a micro scopic coating almost like spraying lacquer on the tool. But the difference between it and lacquer is it seems to bond to the metal and doesn't chip or peel off, although it will eventually wear off. The coating is very thin I have coated combination squares and things that have a rather tight sliding surface and it hasn't caused any problems with binding or such. It really protects tools. My grandsons left a pair of channel lock outside. I found them a year later and they still looked brand new.