Storing tools in a non-heated shed

[Packard]

I am reminded of a situation where our company shipped 40,000 pounds of steel products with a commercial galvanized finish. 

For some reason, the trucking company sent a refrigerated truck ("reefer") and they turned on the refrigeration. 

When the shipment arrived in Georgia and was off-loaded the entire load got covered with condensation.  The following day it was all garbage.

A similar thing would happen if I left my camera in the car on a cold day and then used it indoors.  Condensation would appear on the lens, shutter and film surface.  I would have to leave it at room temperature for several hours if I wanted satisfactory results.

Storing tools in an unheated building and then bringing them into a heated one will get similar results.  I don't think it is ideal.

 

[Brian Livingstone]

I am building a new workshop.  I am waiting for custom garage doors that won’t be installed until March 31st.  I will have to figure out a temporary solution, as the workshop has all my tools in it.  Obviously the cold is not doing them any good.

Brian

 

[FestitaMakool]

…..
A similar thing would happen if I left my camera in the car on a cold day and then used it indoors.  Condensation would appear on the lens, shutter and film surface.  I would have to leave it at room temperature for several hours if I wanted satisfactory results.

Storing tools in an unheated building and then bringing them into a heated one will get similar results.  I don't think it is ideal.

For things, electronics, tools and so on that are used/stored outside in the cold that you want to bring in to a much warmer environment - put it in some sort of container, that be a case, bag, simple plastic bag, anything that are fairly air tight BEFORE leaving the cold environment (outside) and entering a warm environment. Leave the thing inside it’s bag/box/container until it has reached the room temperature before opening. This will leave a small barrier of air, that slowly equals the temperature between the cold “thing” and the warm air outside the “things” container and this will eliminate the condensation because of the slow adaption and the very small amount of air inside the container.

 

[ChuckM]

I don’t store my tools in my shed but it might as well be one.  I store them in my ram promaster.  All my systainers get a 40 gram pack of silica gel and then i store a couple massive buckets filled with silica gel on the shelves in my van.  So far so good. I buy the silica gel that can be put in a oven to recharge them.

For tool cabinets, boxes & contained spaces, these are proven solutions for me (after some 4 to 7 years experience of them with excellent results):

Silica gel (rechargeable) -https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/tool-maintenance/53828-silica-gel-dehumidifiers
Liner (5 years) -https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/workshop/storage/tool-storage/68931-anti-corrosion-liner
Zerust (2 years -- Just started using it)

For all hand tools after sharpening or use -https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...aintenance/53922-moovit-penetrating-lubricant

 

[Packard]

There are low wattage enclosure heaters that will bring the contents of a toolbox to 60 degrees or so.  Tempco is the major player in that field.  Energy consumption is minimal.

Alternatively you can put a trouble light with a 15 watt bulb in a toolbox and that will warm the contents.

Tempco makes one that screws into a light bulb socket.  They also make some that are nearly flat and enclosed in silicone or some other sort of rubber.

Look here on Amazon for a tiny enclosure fan warmer.

110V Mini Air Heating Constant Temperature Insulation PTC Thermistor Heater Element With Fan(12V/250W)

 

[mino]

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member]
I don't know why this happens, seems akin to people asking for advice comparing items they wish to purchase. Intelligent people with good intent spend time providing feedback and rendering advice only to have the OP proudly inform them that they disregarded it all and purchased the item they thought was best.

As to this thread, I have been following along and feel I have picked up a few useful bits of information, so all is not lost!

I think you are misunderstanding the point of asking such questions by many non-greenhorn people.

Many times the OP already has a pretty good idea what he/she wants but is not sure what aspects he/she might *not* be aware of so asks around. If the feedback - however extensive - aligns with his pre-existing understanding he/she has no reason to change the original approach.

I do it at work all the time - I believe English call it "bouncing ideas" (off someone). Seems kinda natural for an internet forum.
One of the devils of it is that the OP does not want his pre-existing bias/view to skew the feedback, so uses rather general questions which may create the false impression he is lost more than he actually is. This is part of the art of asking the right questions as they say.
8)

But that DOES NOT mean feedback was in waste. It just means that he OP interpreted the answer as "ah, so nothing new here and I am not as lost as I suspected!" Great, thanks guys for confirming my idea.
In such a case very rarely will the OP go on a tirade to justify his choice - why should he, if is HIS choice after all and he has no obligation to justify his life choices.

Any time I recommend anyone anything, I actually always try to NOT convey it as "this is what I believe tyou should buy" but instead as "these are the reasons why I would buy this, being you". Besides, the first approach is calling for unneeded trouble should HE (specifically) have bad luck with the thing, not get along with it etc.

 

[semenza]

So much energy.
So much time.
So much advice.
Zero feedback.

The OP’s never bothered to come back and read any replies …..

It is possible to read the forum without logging in or posting.

The advice is still useful to others even if the OP hasn't come back.

Seth

 

[Coen]

There are low wattage enclosure heaters that will bring the contents of a toolbox to 60 degrees or so.  Tempco is the major player in that field.  Energy consumption is minimal.

60 degrees!? In funny units? Because that's probably exceeding the storage temperature of almost everything.

 

[squall_line]

There are low wattage enclosure heaters that will bring the contents of a toolbox to 60 degrees or so.  Tempco is the major player in that field.  Energy consumption is minimal.

60 degrees!? In funny units? Because that's probably exceeding the storage temperature of almost everything.

Hah!

In US Fahrenheit, which is a nice temperate 15.5 C.

Which is ironically also the temperature at which I used to keep my house at night in winter... before I got married.

 

[ChuckM]

15.5C.

Here in this part of Canada, many condo/apartment management or boards have winter thermostat guidelines for their units: min. 19 C or 19.5C are the most common. Some will have a higher recommendation in the light of the age, insulation standards and location of the building.

 

[Coen]

For me it has to be below -5 outside for it to go below 16° inside.
Insulation is cheap.  [tongue]

 

[ChuckM]

For two weeks in a row when we were in a deep freeze this month (-20C and -30C back to back), I set my thermo to 20.5 or 21C (old house leaking!). If ours weren't an empty nest, 22C or 23C would be more like it for the thermostat because young people love to be in their T-shirts no matter how cold it's outside.

(Some teenagers in the neighborhood wear hoodies and drive even it's bone-chilling. I hope they have a winter jacket or blanket in the car...cars can break down when you're least prepared.)

 

[Coen]

Old houses with lousy insulation require a higher thermostat setting for it to feel just as warm.

When I have it 19 degrees inside, the walls are very close to that. When I visit my parents 70 years older home, the wall insulation and glazing are not as good and 19 degrees inside feels like 17,5 at my place.

Especially if the floor is cold. New builds in the Netherlands have floorheating. No radiators anymore.