Best Finish for Tool Chest Interior


cellardoor

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I finished (or thought I finished) a dutch tool chest recently and, after using it for a week, found that rust stains were forming on the soles of my planes. I'd rub them off with some 1000 grit automotive sandpaper, but they'd be back after a day or so. I found some old threads that seemed to indicate that leaving tools flat on unfinished wood would cause just this type of rust. The interior is unfinished pine and, while I run a dehumidifier in the basement, it also doubles as a laundry room so there's probably a good amount of moisture in the air.

 

So does anyone have any recommendations? Poly the best? 

 

Also thinking of keeping desiccant packets in it when I won't be in the shop for a few days or more. 

 

Any other thoughts on keeping everything safe? I use jojoba oil religiously whenever I leave the shop for the day, but it doesn't seem to guard against these rust stains. 

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Many masters recommend waxing or lightly oiling the plane at the end of use. Friction wears it down. I think this will take care of all but long term issues. For long term, save up some desiccant packs. You might even be able to buy them somewhere. I have never looked.

Edit: Sure enough http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_box_?k=dessicant

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What's interesting is that despite higher humidity than the rest of my house, the planes will not rust if I just leave them out on the bench. I've actually taken them out of the chest to stop the rust spots from forming. 

 

I think I've zeroed in on the real source, though - the titebond 3 I used to adhere the thin poplar strips that hold everything in their places. I think that, despite sitting for several days before loading, the glue must be retaining some type of moisture. I've done my best to remove what I can, but the rust is only at the very corners of the plan sole for a few millimeters into the sole and up the sides and corresponds roughly to the area that's in contact with those little poplar strips. 

 

I'll still probably seal the thing, though. It's now been over a week and a half. Unless someone thinks that this is not enough time for the glue to stop affecting the planes with moisture. 

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Dessicant packs for long-term storage can become costly, as they will saturate and need to be replaced. It may be possible to dry them out for re-use, but I think they would have a limited lifespan even then.

 

Silica Gel can be  dried in the oven and reused many many times.  It is essentially a form of glass that pulls water into it.  So baking the gel once a month and mitigating moisture transfer through the box should work.

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Silica Gel can be  dried in the oven and reused many many times.  It is essentially a form of glass that pulls water into it.  So baking the gel once a month and mitigating moisture transfer through the box should work.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with silica gel.  This has kept my walk out basement shop here in Connecticut rust free for many years.   Larger quantities can be found on Amazon, as it gets used in the firearms and telecomm industries.   Here's an example at Amazon.

 

Lee Valley sells little tins that are a bit pricier for the space they protect, but very convenient to place and bake.

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Interesting that yoi have had such success with silica gel. There have been many discussions over the use of silica gel in another hobby I dabble in, Geocaching. The problem there is that the cache containers are generally water tight, often air tight. However they are stashed away in an outdoor environment, and opened at varying intervals. A cache will include some sort of paper log book or sheet, which eventually turns into a soggy mess. Using silica gel has proven ineffective in most cases, because the cache owners find it impractical to refresh the gel as frequently as it become saturated. This led me to believe that maintaining the gel for the tool chest application would be somewhat impractical as well. I am glad to see evidence that it does work.

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Drying the gel periodically is key. to success.

 

When I see one of my containers that has a color change indicator is changing, I round 'em all up, stick 'em in the oven, and put them back.   In my location, it's seasonal.   I need to dry them a few times in the late spring and early summer, and not at all the rest of the year.    

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