My tools are dripping wet

aaah, the niceties of leaving in NE (or any place which gets hit with high humidity at times).

scrub, clean, coat with paste wax… rinse and repeat as necessary.

For an extra step of protection I actually cover all my machines with a moving blanket to keep the humidity levels between blanket and cast iron to a minimum. so far after a few years it seems to be doing well. still have some light rust from time to time (usually on the BS which due to it’s structure is hard to fully cover sometimes) which scrubs off easily with a green pad, but nothing major and nothing often.

definitely enjoying the granite TS top ;)

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

There isn’t much that can be done to eliminate this problem. Your best bet is to keep your garage warmer and/or keep the door closed when the weather changes like is has. An option would be to use a fan to warm the garage as the temperature is rising so the tool get change to warm up as the weather warms up. A heater in the garage and some insulation are the most practice options, this would also allow you to work more comfortably when is cold.

When ever you get a sudden change in temperature it’s going to happen. Any time your tools (or anything for that matter) is significantly colder then the air around it you will get condensation. Look us dew point for an explanation, if you are interested.

I had the same problem yesterday.Went out last night and was shocked at what I saw.Had rubbed down table saw and jointer with johnsons 4 days ago.We got up to 70 yesterday after it being cold for a bit. So today hit t.s,jointer,and shaper with some wd and steel wool followed by a super coat of paste,and covered em up.

-- They just don't get my chub on.-Bertha on modern handplanes

WAX THE HECK OUT OF THEM!

bold + CAPS = FULL FAT, which means “of utmost importance” ;)

-- Thomas - There is no such thing as a problem, there only are solutions.

You could use a dehumidifier, but your best bet is to keep your shop warm. ( it could get expensive)

-- Bert

Heating the shop is not an option this year. I just finally got it cleaned out and more than doubled my size. Thomas, I am diligent and heavy handed with the wax. I wiped everything down and went nuts with the paste wax. I covered the bandsaw and table saw with blankets. Fortunately, my table saw wasn’t bad. I left the cross cut sled on it last night and that covers almost all the cast iron.

-- http://www.etsy.com/shop/KandJWoodCrafts

It happens everywhere but more often in some places. I have only experienced it once in my shop in SW Oklahoma. That was years ago (when it used to rain here) but it can still happen. I am surprised it hasn’t happened this week with the kind of weather we are having. Clean and wax. Covering should help some. Control the air flow into the shop and condition the air if possible. Sorry to hear about the problem.

I started woodworking mid march last year, so I guess I missed the window. This sucks. Instead of buying more tools, I’m going to look into climate control

-- http://www.etsy.com/shop/KandJWoodCrafts

Before you do anything else, insulate and then insulate some more.

-- Bert

Watch craigslist for a dehumidifer….

-- Perform A Random Act Of Kindness Today ... Pay It Forward

There isn’t much that can be done to eliminate this problem.

short term solution: cover your CI surfaces. this will retard, or completely eliminate, rust due to cold temperatures. i have an unheated uninsulated 12×20 one car garage shop. i keep sheets of masonite on most of my CI surfaces. also converts my TSs into light duty assembly tables. for things like jointers, i cover them with anything – blankets, sheets, comforters, those wildly overpriced and not worth it HTC tool covers, almost anything. heck, i’ve placed a TS outfeed table made of plywood work side down on a CI TS and prevented rust formation. i haven’t waxed my jointer in 3 years. COVER YOUR TOOLS!

-- there's a solution to every problem.......you just have to be willing to find it.

Thanks for posting this. I also live in MA and this is exactly the kind of day that causes these problems. I hadn’t been in my shop all day, so after reading this I went out to check. It looks like my cardboard covers were up to the challenge.

About five years ago, when I was just starting to get some big tools, there was a day just like this in the winter. I was amazed at all the water that had condensed on the cast iron surfaces. Since then, I have kept them waxed and covered and had no problems.

Dehumidifying my shop would include dehumidifying the entire earth. For me, this is the best solution.

-- "I hope that women never find out about duct tape. Once they do, men will no longer serve any useful purpose." - Dave Barry

So all the cast is heavily waxed and covered. It’s amazing how fast that stuff rusts. I used a piece of plywood for the bandsaw. I just cut it until the table was covered and then shut it down. That’s pretty annoying and very unexpected. Instead of a productive shop day like I had planned, I chopped up some plywood I was using for a project down the road.

Chuck, same here. I have the draftiest 20×20 2 car garage in existence. I was planning on drywalling/insulating and putting in a ceiling at some point. That some point is going to be sooner rather than later.

The good news is I found a gas line while I was cleaning! I need to find out if it is still hooked up. That will make my heating solution pretty simple.

-- http://www.etsy.com/shop/KandJWoodCrafts

I live in Fl this is thing we have to live with all the time with the hi humidity and it keep thing with a Rust on your tools. I have to keep them wax and lub down .

-- Gary Panama City Fl In God I Trust

Is the space insulated? You wouldn’t believe the difference in using just R13. That’s what I used in my shop. Its 2×4s on 2’ center. Its all about keeping the drafts out and keeping the warm air from the cold air. It will help in the summer too. Before I insulated, my shop was getting up to about 115 degrees on hot days. It still gets warm, about 80-85, but not near as bad as it was.

Edit: Of course you would need a vapor barrier too. Good luck. Hope you get it figured out. Rust ain’t no fun…....