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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Sydney, NSW
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    Default What a warm day in winter will do.

    Hi,

    Last Friday (the 6 July) was 25 degrees when just about every other day was less 20 degrees. I was in my shed on Monday.

    Went in today (Sunday 8 July) and rust was everywhere.

    Bugger!

    Ben
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    near Rockhampton
    Posts
    6,216

    Default

    I get a few days a year like that. Keep everything bright oiled.
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
    Posts
    733

    Default

    Have been pondering this recently. Seems all my thinking was backwards. ie if I place a cover over the Mill and heat the air inside the cover, with a couple of light bulbs, that might prevent rust due to temperature fluctuations discussed in the post above. However the moment I take the cover off then the cold air of the shed will condense water onto the metal surfaces.

    So maybe it is a matter of controlling all of the air in the shed rather than placing covers over things.

    Was away for 7 weeks recently and I think covers and wiping down with oily rags beforehand helped prevent surface rust whilst I was away. Gotta do some learning.

    Bill

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    near Warragul, Victoria
    Posts
    3,718

    Default dew point

    from wiki: "The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor. When further cooled, the airborne water vapor will condense to form liquid water (dew). When air cools to its dew point through contact with a surface that is colder than the air, water will condense on the surface."

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Sydney, NSW
    Posts
    1,249

    Default

    I normally leave the machines lightly covered in oil and covered with a sheet if I know I'm not going to be around for more than a couple of days. That is normally enough to ward off the rust.
    Friday was warm though.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
    Posts
    6,436

    Thumbs up Condensation !

    Hi Guys,

    I've been monitoring the temperature and humidity in the workshop for a few years now. Here in the UK we get few large temperature swings, and the humidity, at least where I am doesn't seem to vary drastically. Most of the time it stays between 40% and 60%, even with the spell of good weather we are having. The workshop is well insulated and has a ventilated roof space. In winter I use a 100 watt anti frost heater, the long thin tubular type, switched on by a simple thermostat set to 45F. Actually I haven't unplugged it for a couple of years.
    In warm weather I leave the door open during the day and when its cold outside keep it shut. The winter temperature inside rarely drops below 45F. Even when there is ice and snow outside. Touch wood ! I've not had any sign of rust anywhere, unlike the unheated, uninsulated garage.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney ( st marys )
    Age
    64
    Posts
    4,887

    Default

    I seem to leave the machines as they were after the last job , seems to work for me.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Tennant Creek, Aust
    Age
    61
    Posts
    596

    Default

    Wet season I just leave the fans on medium till it cools down the 35°C or so.

    Ratty 05/2004 -05/07/2010 COOPER 01/08/1998-31/01/2012

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Gippsland Victoria
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    733

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pipeclay View Post
    I seem to leave the machines as they were after the last job , seems to work for me.
    Hey Pipeclay,

    Is your workshop a draughty (drafty ?) tin shed or something a bit more insulated and more airtight ?

    Bill

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    sydney ( st marys )
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    64
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    Default

    It's just an garage, ply lined walls, metal and timber roof ,front ,rear and side access which is always open , so you would say drafty.
    I should of said that I do brush them down when required, but I do not ( clean ) them ,there is always some form of swarf coolant residue on them.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    near Rockhampton
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    6,216

    Default

    I went to a TAFE auction some years back. It was a seaside town and all the machines (40+) had been kept in an enclosed shed.

    Anything that was not oiled was covered in rust as they had been in storage for a year or more.
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Newcastle
    Posts
    341

    Default

    My experience has been that covering with an old cotton sheet and keeping things oiled is fairly effective.

    I lived about 300m from the beach for a number of years, and anything not covering in the garage would rust within a day or two. Sheets largely prevented this. I also took to wearing gloves (latex or similar) and having everything coated with oil. I found rusty fingerprints etc before this.

    I now live about 2.5k from the beach and the problem is vastly less. I still cover machines with sheets. I don't have to be quite so religious about soaking everything in oil.

    Actually, for non-bearing surfaces I often use Inox or Lanolin (Lanolin works well when leaving for a long time, as it stays in place).

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    574

    Default

    Like some of the others I use and old cotton bed sheet at first mainly to stop wood dust landing on the lathe and mill I found though that this also seemed to stop surface rust forming between use which is at times up to a month or so - did not need to give the surfaces a light oil coat.

  14. #14
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Perth
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    7,182

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pippin88 View Post
    My experience has been that covering with an old cotton sheet and keeping things oiled is fairly effective.
    I lived about 300m from the beach for a number of years, and anything not covering in the garage would rust within a day or two. Sheets largely prevented this. I also took to wearing gloves (latex or similar) and having everything coated with oil. I found rusty fingerprints etc before this.
    I now live about 2.5k from the beach and the problem is vastly less. I still cover machines with sheets. I don't have to be quite so religious about soaking everything in oil.
    Distance from open water is a key factor in the amount of rust generated but one of the most significant cures is a well insulated and sealed a shed is. My shed is about 300m from the salty Swan River and I had some rust problems with gear in my old unsealed shed. As soon as my new shed (attached to the old one) was built and I insulated, sealed and lined both sheds the problem went away. Of course if you are close to salt water with lots of wave generating aerosols then you may need to take extra precautions.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Athelstone, SA 5076
    Posts
    4,255

    Default

    CRC Longlife and old bath towels are my friend.....at this stage...(there is always a caveat..eh?)

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