arichard21

Okay, I am at the point where I have quite a collection of tools now, but no where to store them. Right now I have them in the basement on a makeshift table/shelf/workbench, but the problem is we get so much water in the basemsent which makes it so humid down there I noticed a little bit of oxidation on my table saw and chop saw, and rust on the blades. I am considering storing them in an old tool shed, but am worried what kind of effect the cold will have on them.

Bondo

Ayuh,......

Tools can handle Bitter Cold, Better than any sort of elevated Humidity......

KUIPORNG

the only problem I can see means, it will be inconvenient to work in the winter time .... as you need to either work under the cold weather... or go to a cold place to fetch the tools... I got the same problems.....

the best are you fix your basement water problem.. then build a nice warm workshop room in the basement and work there all year round.....

arichard21

Well, to be honest my tools dont get used all that often. I am not a trade person, just your average DIYer with a 1890's fixer upper. I dont really have a shop to work in, I just use most of my stuff while doing remodeling here.


And the basement... well it's on the list to get fixed, but making a 110 year old flat rock foundation water proof is no easy task!

As long as the cold wont harm the tools, I'm good.

heavyduty

tools should be ok I would leave any batteries in the house to stay at room temp and charged, don't need to leave the tools just the battiers if space is concern.

NateHanson

Give all those tools a good coat of wax before putting them out there. Cold nights and warmer mornings will cause condensation on the cast-iron (which stays cool much longer than the air), and that will quickly rust them. Unheated storage won't hurt tools, but rust will occur much faster than in a heated space.

PSHome

I was a carpenter that worked in cold enviorments and there where tools that we didnt use in the winter time and then ended up using in the winter time and seemed to work fine. just make sure when it come the time to use them to do a nice visual inspection on the tool to make sure that nothing happened them just like you would any tool that you havent used in a while.

arichard21

Thanks for all the advice guys!

AtlanticWBConst.

Oil Fed Air compressors: If they are cold, get them warmed up before attempting to use them. Cold weather will thicken the oil. Turn it on, and you can burn out the motor.
We prefer to use our oil-less smaller compressors or paslodes in the winter.
Paslodes all require warm gas cylinders. We keep them (a few cylinders) in the front of the truck, so that they are warm by the time we get to the job site.

If you have tools that get wet, do not put them in storage, or they will get rusty. Same thing, if you bring them from cold to warm areas, they will condensate moisture. If put away, they will get surface rust.

Don't be afraid to use WD-40 and silicone spray on some of your tools, as they disperse H20.

I'm sure that there are other pointers. Other than that, there are no worries about leaving tools in cold storage. We have tools that sit in the back of various trucks, vans, enclosed storage trailers, unheated storage garages...all winter long... = zero issues (aside from what I posted)

__________________
- Build Well -

NateHanson

Just don't use silicone spray on tools that will be used for finish work (or at least furniture work). Silicone is a real *************** to finishes. It'll cause fisheyes when finish is applied, so I keep all silicones and silicone polishes out of my furniture shop.

I'm not sure whether this is a significant problem with paints. It's terrible with varnishes and shellacs.

ratherbefishin'

Boeshield T-9 is the best rust protectant I've found. Works well for me and I'm just a few blocks from salt water.
As far as cold, just don't lick your tools when it's below zero.....