Keeping rust away

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

Hi all

Just a little advice, please.

My new workshop is 12' x 10' timber shed fully insulated, door, ceiling and floor.

I have the usual lathe, mill, band-saw, grinders and pedestal drill.

I have a 180W dehumidifier which I run from about 7pm until 7 am.

It collects about 1/2L max of water per twelve hours sometimes very little.

The lathe and mill are kept covered when I am not in there and as I do not want to see rust on either would like to know if I am doing the correct thing.

The end of the shop, where the lathe is about 1/2M from wall is close to a garden fence and has sun on the roof for a couple of hours most mornings.

There are two small double glazed windows over the bench (1M from and at right angles to lathe.

The opposite side is within 200mm from the house wall.

When the weather really cools down I intend to put a small oil-filled radiator in which will, I hope, just keep the temperature at a working level.

Because I am a carer and elderly I usually only use the shop for 1-2 hrs each afternoon.

Am I doing what I should to keep rust at bay?

Many thanks for any advice.

Richard.

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

[nigel jones 5Participant @nigeljones5]

I use a small dehumidifier and when it rains water runs down the inside of the walls, thats how good new homes/garages are build these days! Anyway, yes the dehumidifier stops rust for me. To keep warm on extremely cold days i use the wifes hairdryer!

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Richard,

With an insulated workshop you have a good starting point. I assume you oil your machines, a small heat source – even an old fashioned incandescent lamp ( 40W or 60W) will help keeping your machines free from rust. I use a small oil-filled radiator in my workshop, it is turned on 24/7 throughout the winter months. I have never had any problems with rust in my workshop.

This topic has been discussed in other threads, a few links:

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***Link***

Thor

 

 

 

Edited By Thor on 04/08/2015 17:49:20

[clogsParticipant @clogs]

Hi Richard 2, I'd say practically perfect in every way…just stop temperature fluctuations on the lower degree's

of scale…it's the dew point that is the worry…

My workshop is huge, drafty and damp, (converted watermill) impossible to heat as a whole…..all my machines are individually covered and heated with an eco bulb from September – March…never a rust problem……

Clogs

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

The dehumidifier should work but when I had a wooden shed I also used the chemical packs you can buy to stop condensation. Put them by the machines.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I would 3rd the cover and a weak source of heat under the machines. It doesn't take much. It's possible to get tube heaters in all sorts of wattage from very low to high.

Some people extend the central heating. It can be done but the pipes need well lagging and usually have to be buried.

If you find yourself cold the older style radiant mount on the wall heaters are good. The ones with an element enclosed in glass and a reflector behind them. They are available in various lengths and wattages. That plus a duck board to stand on if it's a cold floor. A duck board is a little like a wooden pallet only more open. Wooden bars at a width and space so that is comfortable to stand on in a lattice arrangement.

John

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Edited By John W1 on 04/08/2015 18:47:10

[Steve PaveyParticipant @stevepavey65865]

If you don't want to dehumidify the whole world you really need a vapour barrier on all the surfaces, placed on the 'warm' side of the insulation. The wall construction of my converted garage (which used to be a complete nightmare from the rust point of view) now consists of feather-edge board, breathable membrane, lightweight block, insulation, vapour barrier and finally 10mm plasterboard on the inside face. I also insulated the floor, with a vapour barrier and 18mm ply on top. I now have no rust problems at all, and as my day job involves working with timber i know that the humidity is much lower than before I did the conversion work.

The vapour barrier I used was polythene sheet from Screwfix – very cheap – and some aluminium tape for the joins.

[richard 2Participant @richard2]

Many thanks everyone.

I'll keep you posted as to how things work out.

Into the workshop to continue my hot-air engine.

Richard.

[Brian CurleParticipant @briancurle55201]

I seem to remember from some time back that the efficiency of dehumidifiers is temperature dependant ie the colder it is the less efficiently they work. This being the case heating to some degree would be required in colder months

[John RuddParticipant @johnrudd16576]

My 'shop' is a brick garage some 25 x13 and houses 3 lathes, 4 mills, bandsaw, grinder etc…,

after each use of machinery, they are cleaned down with a shop vac to remove swarf etc….then a light spraying with some engine oil and WD40 and then covered with either an old sheet or bath towel…..been like this for the last 10-12 years…no surface issues so far….but the machines look nice and clean

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I forgot to mention oil but frankly I would stick to slideway oil. It's intended to be exposed to air, work cold and doesn't cost much really. It also sticks around for a long time and for me doesn't have a noticeable smell. I'm not keen on breathing in wd40 fumes in particular.

John

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[VicParticipant @vic]

I used WD40 on my mill table many years ago. Two days later it was covered in rust, never again.

My current workshop is a 44mm wood cabin with double glazed windows and a sealed door. Only the floor and roof are insulated and I've had no rust at all so far.

[MM57Participant @mm57]

8' x 10' timber workshop fully insulated (a partitioned-off end of 20 x10 shed):
– external walls and door – 18mm pressure treated pine, 40mm kingspan, 18mm chipboard, no vapour barrier
– internal partition – 12mm pine, 12mm chipboard
– ceiling – Onduvilla tiles, pressure treated 12mm pine, 40mm kingspan, 12mm chipboard, no vapour barrier
– floor – pressure treated 18mm pine on 50mm runners on paving .

I have the usual lathe, mill, etc

I have a dehumidifier which I run from about 0430 until 1200 which seems to have a nice side effect of low-level heating as well

It collects about 1L max of water each run, sometimes very little.

…no sign of any rust whatsoever – even put test strips out to try to encourage it

EDIT: external walls are vertical ~5" T&G with 1"x3/8" cover strips over every vertical join

Edited By MM57 on 06/08/2015 16:46:54

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I did have a shed at one point. The people who built it lined it with builders paper – sort of waxed paper. Other than heating for me I didn't do anything else other than lining the windows with one way film to hopefully prevent any marauding " vandals " from being tempted to get in. Over 2 years no problem with rust.

Then a poorly built single brick garage. More an outhouse built in 1911. Just a little heater and a cover on my lathe. No rust but problems with the roof so I moved into the house.

John

PS I feel we should all vandal this and vandal that to help Neil so he wont have to post messages explaining why he hasn't edited it out as some ONE for some reason thinks it's racist.

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Edited By John W1 on 06/08/2015 17:04:55

[NeilCParticipant @neilc]

Has anyone tried Mobil Arma LT listed by Myford to protect against rust?

If so does it prevent rusting?

How is it best applied (spray, brush, dunk)?

Are there any safety precautions that need to be taken when using the stuff?

NeilC

Sorry should have said Mobil Arma MT not Mobil Arma LT

Edited By NeilC on 07/08/2015 00:19:00

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I bought some of this recently

**LINK**

I have been derusting a few things and have to wash the molasses off under the tap afterwards. I do have a can of wd40 about but for blasting the water away it gets used up quickly so I tried this. The parts have been outside for a couple of weeks now and no rust. It seems to evaporate a bit and leave a thicker oil behind. They do point out that it not only prevents rust but also lubricates. These did have wd40 use first. Next item is a tool makers vice that was tarnished when I bought it. On that one I am going to try spraying the this oil with a small butterfly styled spray for pound stretcher. I expect it to work out ok and displace the water.

John

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[Curtis RutterParticipant @curtisrutter61973]

So I've finally bought a lathe, used ML7, won't be using it for a little while and only storage I have is a unheated garage. In regards to rust prevention other than the obvious external surfaces is there anywhere else I should consider lubricating/oiling

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Once the obvious surfaces have been oiled, I'd concentrate on keeping air away from the lathe rather than going down the 'plaster in grease' route.

Sealing the lathe in a plastic bag (possibly one of those vacuum types used for storing clothes) with a water absorbent gel, then putting it in a box with plenty of insulation should do the job. The box should be wood, or double thickness cardboard, not metal.

Dave

[JAParticipant @ja]

The MEW of November 2003 had an article on a simple electric heater for a Myford lathe. It monitored the air temperature and when it fell below the dew point power was supplied to three 50 Watt resistors bolted to the back of the lathe. The total power delivered to heat the lathe was about 70 Watts.

I have always thought that this is a neat idea and would use such a device if my workshop suffered from condensation.

As a matter on course the lathe should be well oiled and covered even if condensation is not a problem.

JA

[Curtis RutterParticipant @curtisrutter61973]

Posted by JA on 15/11/2016 10:56:26:

The MEW of November 2003 had an article on a simple electric heater for a Myford lathe. It monitored the air temperature and when it fell below the dew point power was supplied to three 50 Watt resistors bolted to the back of the lathe. The total power delivered to heat the lathe was about 70 Watts.

I have always thought that this is a neat idea and would use such a device if my workshop suffered from condensation.

As a matter on course the lathe should be well oiled and covered even if condensation is not a problem.

JA

Alas, my garage has no power either, hence why it's going in storage, the lathe was such a good deal I had to snap it up. Needs some work on the wiring but other than that it seems in really good condition. Looking at buying a new house in June next year and will be building a workshop!!!!

[Deleted AccountParticipant @deletedaccount69088]

Posted by Curtis Rutter on 15/11/2016 09:27:07:

So I've finally bought a lathe, used ML7, won't be using it for a little while and only storage I have is a unheated garage. In regards to rust prevention other than the obvious external surfaces is there anywhere else I should consider lubricating/oiling

looking around on the internet others have suggested lps-3 used in the aircraft industry for longer term protection:

https://www.cromwell.co.uk/shop/lubricants-and-chemicals/corrosion-preventatives-and-welders-anti-spatter/lps-3-heavy-duty-rust-inhibitor-380ml/p/LPS7271170P

I used to use an old gallon tin of Centigard which was excellent for short term protection but I cannot find it anymore so must have dissapeared long ago.

Edited By one pound on 15/11/2016 12:37:15

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

When I kept my ML7 for a long time in an unheated wooded shed, I smeared all bare metal surfaces with grease. I also smeared the chromed hand wheel and slide leadscrew handles.

That was all of 60 years ago and it is still a good as new, although now not in a wooden shed! Sits in the corner of a workshop, unused but loved.

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