How to: recover from a bunch of my tools being submerged in saltwater

[billchurch]

Got hit by Helene and then by Milton. Several stacks fell over and got submerged in salt water for several hours. Then it was a week before I could get to them to flush them out.

So far I’ve been just hitting them with fresh water. I just got some “salt away” and I’ve been dunking them in that. Not expecting miracles but hoping to salvage a couple.

Losses so far that I can remember:
- Domino 500
- Vecturo Cordless
- Vecturo Corded
- TS75
- HL850
- CT36 AC
- Rotex 150
- Rotex 90
- ETS-EC
- RAS 115
- BHC-18

I have a larger ultrasonic cleaner coming that I thought might help. Obviously I’m going to need to replace bearings and any boards that have corrosion.

I know boards in the CT36 AC are epoxy potted so I’m hopeful it might have a chance, not sure how much water it got.

Any thoughts on any of this stuff? I was told Russ Bell was knowledgeable but not sure what his FOG username is. So, hopefully he’ll see this and provide some wisdom.

We have insurance, hopefully it’ll come through but I don’t expect it will be quick. 

 

[Muttley000]

Man, so sorry to hear, best of luck moving forward

 

[Vtshopdog]

That’s awful, sorry for your loss. 

No advice for saltwater damage but I have helped people with hundreds of insurance claims for stolen gear when I ran my business.

You should contact your insurance before you begin attempting repairs, they might well buy you all new kit and your efforts to repair will be moot.  (Also some likelihood they won’t ask you to return the old damaged tools which could be a bonus)

Maybe get a preliminary inventory of damaged property, make a ballpark estimate of cost, compare to your coverage limits and confirm you have “replacement cost” coverage. Dont neglect counting all the little $10-20-30 stuff like abrasives or blades.  30 minutes reviewing your policy will be time well spent

They might have an online tool for you to start building your list of damaged goods.

 

[billchurch]

Thanks for this. The adjuster has already been out and I’ve logged all the lost equipment in their form. Just waiting to hear back but I figured it’s worth a shot.

 

[Cheese]

The normal prevention for cameras and watches...and I know this hurts...is to put the item in a sealable plastic bag with the water that did the damage.
So if the camera, lens, watch gets knocked overboard, retrieve the item, place it in a sealable plastic bag, FULLY cover the item with the water that it fell into and then seal the bag and remove any oxygen from the bag. The oxygen is the problem...that causes the mayhem.

You mentioned that you've rinsed the items...that may be good short term but don't let them dry. Oxidation is the problem which means exposure to oxygen is bad until the items have been properly cleaned.

There are thousands of items in the sea including wooden ships that are hundreds of years old but they are still perfectly preserved because they've never been exposed to oxygen.

 

[billchurch]

Yeah. I was afraid of that. I’ve had so much time past that I’m probably screwed but… I guess for next time I’ll just fill up the sustainers until I can get to them.

 

[Packard]

I can only comment based on my experience with cameras.

I worked part time in a camera store while I was in college.

Each summer a few people took their Nikon, or Leica or other fine camera to the beach.  And of that few, a few dropped their fine camera in the sand.

They would bring their fine camera in when it jammed. A few questions and I would learn that it was dropped in the sand at the beach.  A few grains of sand made it into the mechanisms and jammed the works.

Invariably, the cost to repair was higher than the cost to replace.

Don’t try working any of the mechanisms until you’ve done your best to clean out all the grains of sand.

Happily, most tools are made of hard steel and not the very vulnerable machined brass.  But still try your best to remove all sand from gears, ratchets and bearings.
https://360.lubrizol.com/2020/A-Study-in-Sand#:~:text=Steel%2C%20from%20which%20many%20engine,through%20wood%E2%80%94causing%20excessive%20wear.

Fundamentally, the problem is that sand itself is quite hard. The hardness of a material is measured using the Mohs’ Hardness Scale, as devised by German mineralogist, Friedrich Mohs, in 1812. Using this method, the relative hardness of different minerals can be quantified in values ranging from 1 to 10, with talc being 1 and diamond being 10, and hardness doubles for every whole number increase. Steel, from which many engine components are made, has a value of 4.5 – 5.0, whereas sand, in its most common form of silicon dioxide, has a value of 7. Therefore, sand can easily scratch and remove material from steel surfaces—much like a chisel through wood—causing excessive wear.


So salt water will do damage over time; sand will cause damage the first time you try to use it.

 

[jimbo51]

What is the reason to place in salt water vs fresh water?

 

[luvmytoolz]

What is the reason to place in salt water vs fresh water?

Just to add to the mix, if you were going to submerge the tools to reduce oxidation, demineralised water would be the thing to use instead of fresh or salt water I would have thought?

 

[Cheese]

My take on this...and it's only my interpretation, is that in an emergency situation, it's better to do what you need to do immediately and when that's taken care of, then move to other options. If you have the time, if you have the resources, if you have the needed tools...anything can be a better option than letting that valuable object swim in a pool of whatever it fell into.  [smile]

I flooded a Nikonos in the Virgin Islands and not being familiar with the repair facilities available locally, I just proceeded to do what was the general consensus at the time and a day later I took it to a repair shop on the mainland. The camera was repaired and performed flawlessly for the rest of the trip. I still own it today and it still takes great photos. The Gods were with me.  [big grin]

 

[Packard]

My take on this...and it's only my interpretation, is that in an emergency situation, it's better to do what you need to do immediately and when that's taken care of, then move to other options. If you have the time, if you have the resources, if you have the needed tools...anything can be a better option than letting that valuable object swim in a pool of whatever it fell into.  [smile]

I flooded a Nikonos in the Virgin Islands and not being familiar with the repair facilities available locally, I just proceeded to do what was the general consensus at the time and a day later I took it to a repair shop on the mainland. The camera was repaired and performed flawlessly for the rest of the trip. I still own it today and it still takes great photos. The Gods were with me.  [big grin]

But the Nikonos was designed from the get-go to be a submersible camera.  Did it get the dunking with the camera back open?  The lens off?

For those not familiar with this highly specialized camera:

 

[Cheese]

But the Nikonos was designed from the get-go to be a submersible camera.  Did it get the dunking with the camera back open?  The lens off?

A couple of damaged/pinched o'rings for sure and possibly a compromised rear body/cover seal...they weren't positive on the latter.

That all made sense, because I used the Nikonos to take a lot of "regular" photos in inclement weather so it got a ton of use and swapping lenses was the norm.

 

[Packard]

A customer trashed a nearly new Leica by bringing it to the beach.

When the repair estimate was more that the replacement cost, you would think he’d be upset.

But, no.  “My house is going to broken into next week and the camera is going to be stolen.” He said.

I did not inquire as to how he would have this advance knowledge, but he did come back a couple of weeks later to buy a new Leica.

 

[Holzhacker]

Wait, what, Can't take a Leica to the beach?
I've been thinking of buying a Leica reporter. If I can't take it to the Beach or anywhere else the Sony, Olympus or other cameras go then that would be a problem.
And yes, I know there are other cameras to buy for the same or less. Think Fuli XT-1 as a nice cool option.
Packard, any insight appreciated.

 

[Packard]

The lens is less likely to be damaged.  So buy a second, more disposable body when you go to the beach.

Also, poly bags and rubber bands can render a camera more beach-resistant.

The photographers shooting the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, very likely figure in a generous allowance for potential camera damage.

If you get hired to shoot the next SI Swimsuit edition, then feel free to take your camera to the beach for that.  Otherwise, skip the beach.

When I worked as a photographer, I did not use a fancy hard case for my gear.  Instead, I used an Igloo cooler.

Thieves are less likely to break into your car for a cold sandwich and a Coke, than I you had your gear in a case that screamed “Expensive camera onboard!”

I suppose you could make the same case for your Festool gear.