Rustproofing your handtools.

[ironhat]

I keep my hand tools in drawers instead of an enclosed tool cabinet and while I haven't had much problem with rust I don't want to press my luck. Have any of you used Camellia Oil to wipe down your hand tools before putting them away or do you have an alternative? I've just been hitting mine with Johnson's paste wax when I think of it which means, 'not too often', but especially after a large project where a lot of tools get used often. Ater doing the swing and taking about four months I have begun the process of re-waxing all of the machine tables and sharpening the chisels (I love sharp chisels).
TIA

[Ken Massingale]

Actually I haven't done anything to the hand tools, they stay inside and so far, so good. I do wax the sole of the planes, same as the other big cast iron stuff.

Chiz, my chisels need sharpening, can I send them up for you to sharpen, then send back? ;-)

[jwaterdawg]

The other thing you might try is desiccant. You know those little bags that say *do not eat* that come in a lot of different things, especially foods. I save all of them and toss them in the drawer with hand tools. They are designed to absorb moisture. Every few months I toss them out and start tossing in new ones.

Even though my cabinets are not air tight, I think they help cut down on the moisture in the cabinets, especially on humid days hear in the south. You can also buy big bags of the stuff if you want to go all out with it.

[ironhat]

<snip>

Chiz, my chisels need sharpening, can I send them up for you to sharpen, thend send back? ;-)

You know not what you ask (yea, I noted the ;-) so I now you're not serious). I did buy an inexpensive sharpening guide and have started using a modified (read: far fewer steps and not as good) Scary medthod. It's far better than I was getting with my poor freehand technique. BTW, if you do decide to send your chisels you had better have them insured - they might get 'lost' - LOL!!

[LCHIEN]

The other thing you might try is desiccant. You know those little bags that say *do not eat* that come in a lot of different things, especially foods. I save all of them and toss them in the drawer with hand tools. They are designed to absorb moisture. Every few months I toss them out and start tossing in new ones.
....

Instead of tossing them out,
try tossing them in the microwave oven for a minute or conventional oven and cooking them for half an hour to an hour at 250F to drive out the moisture, they are reusable and said to be good as new after such treatment.

[ironhat]

Good point, Loring. My wife used to dry flowers, buying the silica at a hobby/ craft shop (cheaper than thru a firearms, et al supplier). When the indicator crystals turn to their 'damp' color you just dry them out until the original color returns. Now, if I had a cobinet I'd use one of the heating rods available for safes and gun cabinets. They cost about $20 and run on very little current. Mine has been cooking 24/7 for about 8 years now. I may have just talked myself into doing a tool panel - then again, know me I'd forget to close it. But then, I could build a bank of drawers... *stop it now, Chiz*. Stop listening to the voices.

All better! LOL!

[LinuxRandal]

Anyone ever tried the old machinists trick of keeping camphor blocks in with them?