Cold weekend coming - shop preparation

[LCHIEN]

What shop items in an unheated shop do you protect? When the expected low outside temps are in the 21°F degree range

My wood glues.
Rechargeable batteries

[leehljp]

For me - rechargeable batteries. It is getting down to 9° on Monday and Tuesday mornings here, and 20° or below every night for the next 8 to 9 days.

[mpc]

I would consider adding finishes to those lists and anything in spray cans.

Have any graphite lube? Lubricating locks, especially the entry door lock(s) that might have water trapped in them, never hurts. Back when I lived on the east coast I'd do the car door locks too. Auto parts stores sell small tubes (like Superglue tubes) of graphite lock lube. It's probably available at most home centers too. When squirting it into locks don't stand too close - usually some blasts backwards, out of the lock... the stuff sticks/stains like laser printer toner!

mpc

[mpc]

Something else popped into mind: got any sharpening water stones?

mpc

[Pappy]

I got my glue in the house but didn't think about the batteries. I may go pull them tomorrow at the temp peak. I have an old side by side fridge for a paint locker so that stuff should be good.

[LCHIEN]

Something else popped into mind: got any sharpening water stones?

mpc

Do the water freeze and Crack the stones or are they dried out over time and not saturated? Somehow I don't think they stay wet?

[leehljp]

Do the water freeze and Crack the stones or are they dried out over time and not saturated? Somehow I don't think they stay wet?

When I went to the area about 40 miles out of Nagoya where the original samurai swords were made, most of the shops around the area had water stones. I am not sure of how they did it or if I have just forgotten. I do have a memory of one store in which the stones were on a rack just above the water tubs (Out of the water) close to closing time. I am not totally sure with my memory system from 15-20 years ago, but it sure seems like they had a rack that sat down in the water and held all of the different grit stones at the same precise level in the water. Again IIRC, those racks were fairly strong to hold several stones simultaneously and not rack/twist to one side or the other when they were sharpening knives. What I remember is that I bought 4 or 5 of the water stones and had it in my mind to construct something like that. . . but I haven't so far.

BUT in answer to the question, they do not stay in water overnight in those shops.

This thread has made me think that if I can find my unused water stones, maybe putting them up for sale - IF I can find them.

[LCHIEN]

These are results for how to use waterstones for sharpening


Water stones should be soaked before use and kept wet during use with frequent splashes of water. A spray bottle is handy. Some stones require more soaking than others. Soft, porous stones can require prolonged soaking (about half an hour); hard stones require very little, if any, and may just need a spritz before use. Getting Started with Japanese Water Stones - Lee Valley Tools
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There are some whetstones that may crack when they are left underwater for long periods of time. This usually happens if the water starts to freeze.Perhaps it’s winter or you’ve left the water in a cool place. This will cause water to expand inside the stone which can result in cracking.
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Sometimes, you may wish to store your whetstone somewhere other than in water. In this case, you’ll need to allow it to dry out before you put it away. But it’s important to remember that you can dry your whetstone too quickly as this can result in irregular drying which can cause problems with the quality and effectiveness of the stone.
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Moreover, some stones are not designed to dry out entirely as this can also affect their quality and how well they perform.

If you’re going to dry out your whetstone, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that this process can often take more than 24 hours. Putting the stone away before it is fully dry means that some moisture will remain on the inside and this can lead to problems with mould.

[LCHIEN]

Just out of curiosity, I asked AI ChatGPT the same question as the topic heading



this is what they said, in detail, pretty good answer.
https://chatgpt.com/share/699020f8-a...f-1fe7c8b3b5d5