water damage

[jwd12]

I had 6' 9" of water in my basement shop this past weekend. Most everything was stored below this height. Drills, routers, sharpeners, etc. were submerged. Any hope for them? Fortunately the BT3100 was moved to the garage.

[MikeMcCoy]

Hopefully you have good insurance since the odds are, you are going to wind up junking a good portion of the electrical items. I was flooded during Hurricane Ivan but I did manage to salvage more than I expected. Use lots of lube on anything metal and take apart everything that can be taken apart to give things a chance to dry out. Get some non-greasy spray lube and i does a pretty good job of buying you some time. If you have a compressor (that didn't get submerged) it helps getting rid of some of the concealed moisture.

[cabinetman]

I would let electrical items dry out completely and then try them out soon thereafter. Don't let them have time to rust out. Using a blow gun may help, but also may push moisture where it wasn't. If they were submerged, I guess it wouldn't matter.

Make sure you are well insulated while you're doing this stuff.
.

[herb fellows]

What about a dehumidifier? I bought one of them after a plumbing leak, it literally sucks the moisture out of everything. I'd probably take apart what I could after running the dehumidifier for a couple of days, preferably in an enclosed room with the tools well exposed on all sides, and spray everything down with wd-40 (the wd is for water displacement).

[capncarl]

I have been through several floods where my elec tools were flooded, and none were lost. I purchased a case of WD40 and hosed everything down, inside and out. Resist the temptation to plug it in and see if it will work, because it may flame up. Allow to air dry and give it a good cleaning later when you more time. Drill bits, router bits, saw blades, etc. just hose down with WD 40 also and wrap in paper towels or rags and clean up soon. ***insurance**** A note on insurance claims. Ive found that a claim for replacement starts the deductable debate, and gets your feelings hurt when you see what they want to give you for your stuff, but a claim for repair for the same device usually returns you about the replacement cost. Keep good records. *** also*** Do not throw away your gasoline equip like weed eaters, chain saws, lawn mowers etc. After they are washed out with WD 40, some gasoline and oiled and dried they run better than before! Hydraulic jacks must be drained quickly and flushed with solvent to absorb the water and re-oiled quickly.

Good luck
Capncarl

[jackellis]

You might try drying things out in an oven set to 110 or 1120 degrees. It'll lower the relative humidity inside the oven and help dry things out faster.

[Pappy]

You might try drying things out in an oven set to 110 or 1120 degrees. It'll lower the relative humidity inside the oven and help dry things out faster.

Your over heats to 1120 degrees? Should take about 47 seconds to cook a Thanksgiving turkey!

[radhak]

Your over heats to 1120 degrees? Should take about 47 seconds to cook a Thanksgiving turkey!

This here's a ruthless forum - no quarters given, no mercy shown ! And eagle-eyed, to boot!

[Uncle Cracker]

You can pre-dry most anything that has an open chassis by letting a fan blow on it for a while, and then closing it up suspended in a plastic tub with DampRid crystals in the bottom. Then, after sufficient time, use WD40 to displace any remaining water and lubricate. Only then should you fire anything up. A slight burned odor is normal as the WD40 cooks, but any heavy smoking or noises that don't sound normal are reason enough to add the item to the insurance claim.

[John Hunter]

I had 6' 9" of water in my basement shop this past weekend. Most everything was stored below this height. Drills, routers, sharpeners, etc. were submerged. Any hope for them? Fortunately the BT3100 was moved to the garage.

Sorry to hear you got so much water, I am in Lake Station and got a little about 1/2 inch in the basement but nothing like you did. This is the worse flooding in this area I have seen in 50 years.

[Ed62]

I didn't think Dyer got hit that hard. Munster really got it pretty bad. We're in Calumet Township, and we just got a trickle in the basement. Our garage flooded, but the house was OK.

Ed

[dbhost]

Not sure what a basement is. I think it is another name for an indoor swimming pool right?

Okay so we don't have them here. Being so close to sea level, and the water table, they would fill with water no matter what you did, and if you could seal them from getting water from the sides, the hurricanes would make sure they would fill up...

On the wet tools thing. You might call the tool MFG and ask what they recommend in that situation. I am pretty sure this is not terribly uncommon...

I know lots of guys who have gotten their tools soaked. I submerged an old Craftsman drill about 10 years ago by dropping it in a deep puddle running from my truck to the garage... I dried it out with compressed air, had a fan blow over it for at least a day, and then fired it up. No worse for the wear. I still have and regularly use that drill...

Same thing with my blender. (LONG story).

I wouldn't be so worried about the electrical once it dries out. I would worry WAY more about the bearings...

[shoottx]

CorrosionX is One of the best rust removers and rust inhibitors I have ever found. Over the last many years I have used virtually every type of oil, lubricant or rust inhibitor on my shotguns. The only thing that I have found that both lifts rust and leaves a protective lay on metal is this product. Originally developed for airplanes it works well on steel as it does on aluminum.

http://www.corrosionx.com/

And I wish I got paid for the referrals but I don't.

[jwd12]

Thanks for your suggestions. Yesterday we moved everything from the basement to the driveway. Almost a total loss of "junk" collected though years of saving. Tools are a another matter. Will begin the drying process later today. 3 of 4 routers were in the garage, the Milwaukee dill and my old craftsman router were underwater (now drying). The reciprocating saw was also in the garage and was used to cut in half or thirds water logged furniture. Anything made from MDF was warped beyond repair. Need new benches, cabinets and have a chance to rethink these items. My walnut and maple were stored in overhead racks and may warp from the humidity but seems good for now. All of my clamps were "clamped" to this storage rack. My first thought looking at the mess, that was formerly my shop, was that it is possible to have too many clamps. Back to work. Thanks for listening.

[shoottx]

[QUOTE=jwd12;368564] My first thought looking at the mess, that was formerly my shop, was that it is possible to have too many clamps. QUOTE]

I know you are under a lot of stress, who wouldn't be, but I believe the above statement borders on blasphemy!

At you next break, you can say three jorgensons, two besseys, one quick grip and one assorted clamp and you will be forgiven!