rusting tools, metal building

Posted by Mac on February 20, 2009, 9:18 am

Howdy,
I have an interesting dilemma but first a little background.
For seven years I had my woodshop in our one-car attached garage. It wasn't
heated or cooled and not very tight. I live in the midwest with very cold
winters and extreemly hot/humid summers. When it rained it would take on
some water from under the doors and I would have standing water until I
sopped it up. About twice a year I would put a coat of floor wax on my
tablesaw, drill press, band saw, etc. and never, never had a problem with
rust.
Now, since a recent move, I have a metal detached two-car sized building.
It has a concrete floor, 2x4 framing, and what looks to be galvanized,
corregated steel siding and roof. No drywall, no insulation, just the steel
between my tools and the outdoors. I used about 12 cans of spray foam
insulation to cut down on the breez and did a lot of caulking, it's actually
pretty tight now.
However, my tools are rusting. For a couple of months I would go out every
week or so and there would be a fine,even coat of rust on all my power tools
(all my other tools are still packed for obvious reasons). Finally I waxed
them all and covered them with cotton duck and that has kept them pretty
clean but what do you folks think is happening here? Is there a chemical
reaction with the galvanized steel? Is it condensation, like a glass of ice
water sweating? Funny thing is, the building is good and dry. And it's
been freakin' cold here for the past few months, very dry air. I'm stumped.
We can't afford to tear it down and put up something nice for a few years
yet so I'm going to put a few hundred bucks in it by covering the ceiling
with plywood and framing up some interior walls with drywall. I'll make it
all removable with screws so the materials can be re-used later.
So what do you think?
-Mac

Posted by Don Phillipson on February 20, 2009, 10:06 am

> For seven years I had my woodshop in our one-car attached garage. It

wasn't

> heated or cooled and not very tight. I live in the midwest with very cold
> winters and extreemly hot/humid summers. When it rained it would take on
> some water from under the doors and I would have standing water until I
> sopped it up. About twice a year I would put a coat of floor wax on my
> tablesaw, drill press, band saw, etc. and never, never had a problem with
> rust.
> Now, since a recent move, I have a metal detached two-car sized building.
> . . . I used about 12 cans of spray foam
> insulation to cut down on the breez and did a lot of caulking, it's

actually

> pretty tight now.
> However, my tools are rusting. For a couple of months I would go out

every

> week or so and there would be a fine,even coat of rust on all my power

tools

> . . . Funny thing is, the building is good and dry.

Rust on the tools indicates high humidity (a function also of
temperature.) This is an objective or empirical indicator.
Your conclusion that the building is "dry" seems to be a
subjective impression (independent of temperature.)

I.e. these two items of evidence contradict each other.
If you want to prevent rust inside the building, you should
probably heat it (after first researching how humidity
varies with temperature.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Posted by on February 20, 2009, 10:17 am

>Howdy,
>I have an interesting dilemma but first a little background.
>For seven years I had my woodshop in our one-car attached garage. It wasn't
>heated or cooled and not very tight. I live in the midwest with very cold
>winters and extreemly hot/humid summers. When it rained it would take on
>some water from under the doors and I would have standing water until I
>sopped it up. About twice a year I would put a coat of floor wax on my
>tablesaw, drill press, band saw, etc. and never, never had a problem with
>rust.
>Now, since a recent move, I have a metal detached two-car sized building.

...

        Your old garage was partly heated by the heat coming through
the shared wall. That small amount of heat would have reduced the
humidity in the garage. You don't have that in your new location.

        I would suggest that a small amount of dry heat (electric or
well vented combustion heat) would accomplish the same thing. Of
course you can buy de-humidifiers designed for cold conditions, but I
suspect they would be marginally effective in those temperatures.

        In addition you may have moved to an area of higher natural
humidity. Changes in tree cover, water table etc. can make a large
difference in the humidity levels and therefore the rust.

Posted by John Gilmer on February 20, 2009, 10:40 am

> In addition you may have moved to an area of higher natural
> humidity. Changes in tree cover, water table etc. can make a large
> difference in the humidity levels and therefore the rust.

Amen to the hitting the nail on the head.

In an unheated building tools have enough thermal mass to remain cold whe
the building heats up. The heating building drives moisture out of the
concrete on ONTO your tools.

Quick and dirty is a little heat. You might consider coating the floor to
reduce moisture rising from it.

Posted by Hustlin' Hank on February 20, 2009, 10:48 am

> Howdy,
> I have an interesting dilemma but first a little background.
> For seven years I had my woodshop in our one-car attached garage. =EF=BF=

=BDIt wasn't

> heated or cooled and not very tight. =EF=BF=BDI live in the midwest with =

very cold

> winters and extreemly hot/humid summers. =EF=BF=BDWhen it rained it would=

take on

> some water from under the doors and I would have standing water until I
> sopped it up. =EF=BF=BDAbout twice a year I would put a coat of floor wax=

on my

> tablesaw, drill press, band saw, etc. and never, never had a problem with
> rust.
> Now, since a recent move, I have a metal detached two-car sized building.
> It has a concrete floor, 2x4 framing, and what looks to be galvanized,
> corregated steel siding and roof. =EF=BF=BDNo drywall, no insulation, jus=

t the steel

> between my tools and the outdoors. =EF=BF=BDI used about 12 cans of spray=

foam

> insulation to cut down on the breez and did a lot of caulking, it's actua=

lly

> pretty tight now.
> However, my tools are rusting. =EF=BF=BDFor a couple of months I would go=

out every

> week or so and there would be a fine,even coat of rust on all my power to=

ols

> (all my other tools are still packed for obvious reasons). =EF=BF=BDFinal=

ly I waxed

> them all and covered them with cotton duck and that has kept them pretty
> clean but what do you folks think is happening here? =EF=BF=BDIs there a =

chemical

> reaction with the galvanized steel? =EF=BF=BDIs it condensation, like a g=

lass of ice

> water sweating? =EF=BF=BDFunny thing is, the building is good and dry. =

=EF=BF=BDAnd it's

> been freakin' cold here for the past few months, very dry air. =EF=BF=BDI=

'm stumped.

> We can't afford to tear it down and put up something nice for a few years
> yet so I'm going to put a few hundred bucks in it by covering the ceiling
> with plywood and framing up some interior walls with drywall. =EF=BF=BDI'=

ll make it

> all removable with screws so the materials can be re-used later.
> So what do you think?
> -Mac

In addition to what the other posters have said, you may have it too
tightly sealed also, therefore allowing it to trap the moisture in the
shop. Also, using an unvented heater will trap moisture in the shop.

Hank

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