Misting oil to protect machine surfaces in a damp environment?

[Rhino169]

This is my first post and I did a search but didn’t see this question, but I’m sure it has been asked and answered in the past.

I have a small hobby machine shop growing in my non-heated 1890’s carriage house with a brick floor that has excess humidity and condensation at various times during the year.

I’d like to know if there is an oil that can be sprayed on exposed metal surfaces to protect from rust?
Also is there a simple method to remove humidity from a space without adding a full hvac system?

I did just acquire a 6” Atlas TH42 Lathe that was previously in a heated garage and it still has a light rust sheen on the chuck and some other parts. Also, could someone point me to the recommended oil to use for lubrication of this style lathe?

Thanks, for any help!
Jeff

 

[benmychree]

I just go around with a rag saturated with oil and wipe everything down (frequently) in wet weather. Lathe chucks seem to get the worst of it, I drape an oily rag over them. WD 40 is about worthless for the purpose.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

I built my shop in an unheated barn. The shop itself is an enclosed and insulated space, about 12x24 ft.

To address humidity, I bought one of those wheeled dehumidifiers with a tank and a hose hookup. It's plugged into a timer which runs for an hour twice a day at peak humidity times (2-3pm, 3-4am around here). Costs very little by way of electricity.

Winter turns every hunk of metal into a condenser. I put a cheap oil-filled electric radiant heater from the hardware store, keep it on the lowest setting. Keeps the shop at 40F, and again doesn't eat up much power. I no longer walk in to machines dripping with water. Some people put electric coffee cup warmers under or in their machines, but I haven't found those to be terribly effective.

On top of those systems, I filled a sureshot mister with Bob Korves' version of Ed's Red (basically ATF, odorless mineral spirits, and lanolin), and use that periodically (maybe once a month). Search around for forums thread on lanolin and you'll find a lot of discussion on different rust prevention approaches.

 

[ACHiPo]

This is my first post and I did a search but didn’t see this question, but I’m sure it has been asked and answered in the past.

Welcome Jeff! There are some posts here on using lanolin mixed with mineral spirits et al and ATF as a pretty effective rust preventative. I haven't tried it myself as I don't seem to have much condensation problem, or at least not enough to overcome Johnson's paste wax and way oil.

Fine Woodworking published a study they did some years ago. As I recall they found Johnson's paste wax and CRC as pretty good in their tests. They did not test the homebrew lanolin mixture.

The Best Rust Preventers - FineWoodworking

We put 20 commonly available rust preventers to the test to see which ones work best at protecting your expensive woodworking tools from rust. Are waxes and natural oils better? What about petroleum-based products? We tried the rust preventers on a cast-iron tablesaw top and some samples of A2...

www.finewoodworking.com

Evan

 

[Packard V8]

Boeshield T-9® gives superior corrosion protection and waterproof lubrication in an easy-to-apply, long-lasting formula.
Unlike other products, Boeshield T-9® cleans, lubricates and protects. One high-performance formula does it all. Whatever the application, whatever the conditions, you can count on T-9 to work harder, last longer and perform better.
True aerospace technology. T-9 was developed and licensed by global aerospace leader, The Boeing Company, to fill a need for high-performance, long-term metal protection and lubrication. T-9’s unique formulation of solvent carrier and paraffin wax coating was engineered to penetrate crevices deeply, displace moisture, dissolve minor corrosion, and leave a clean, waxy coating with lasting durability—without using Teflon, silicone, fluorocarbons, MEK, or acetone.

jack vines

 

[Bob Korves]

On top of those systems, I filled a sureshot mister with Bob Korves' version of Ed's Red (basically ATF, odorless mineral spirits, and lanolin), and use that periodically (maybe once a month). Search around for forums thread on lanolin and you'll find a lot of discussion on different rust prevention approaches.

How is the lanolin/ATF/mineral spirits recipe working for you? It sure sounds like your shop is a much moister place than mine in California. If it does not do well enough, I would go with more lanolin and less mineral spirits. Here, I put it that basic recipe on and forget about it long term, with zero rust issues so far...

 

[ThinWoodsman]

Works great! If stored, the mineral spirits needs to be added before use - I keep mine in an old whiskey bottle, and after half a year it started to leave a residue like lanonlin typically does.

Not sure I would rely on it without the humidity control, though. Then again, without the dehumidifier the shop gets mold. Quite a bit different from that half-desert climate you guys got in the central valley,

 

[cbellanca]

My shop ( woodworking and metal, mill and lathe) is in the basement under my garage. I have a HVAC system that is only used when I am in the shop. However, I use Johnsons paste wax on all my exposed steel and cast iron surfaces. I do remove any wood dust when finished using the equipment. I have no problems with rust.

 

[tjb]

I've been using Fluid Film spray for a good while now. Learned about it here on another thread.

I spray it pretty liberally on tools that aren't used very often, and less heavily on tools used more regularly. It is a lanolin product and works very well. It costs about ten bucks a can at Home Depot, so it's not nearly as inexpensive as many of the other options, but it tops the list for convenience. If I had a lot more tooling and equipment, I'd probably use something more along the lines of a homemade product like Bob's, but for my purposes it's pretty simple to spray it and forget about it. We get pretty humid down here in Georgia, too.

Regards,
Terry

 

[C-Bag]

I've tried just about everything because I have no heater in my garage. Being so close to the ocean everything gets eaten up very quickly in total contrast where is used to live 2hrs further east. I had to keep my 40's stove and my zero turn mover in a tarp style shed and luckily I had a neighbor who turned me on to the knowledge and material. Plastic tarps are death, but breathable material like certain carpet padding that looks like old wool and sunbrella fabric they use for outside lawn furniture protect but also breathe unlike plastic tarps. So all my machines get Fluid Film until the can runs out then I'll switch to Ed's Red and custom covers. Since doing that no rust at all.