Dave M Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I have spent the last 3 years building a new shop. Why so long? beacause I built almost all of it by myself. So it is now weather tight and I have been moving my equipment out there from the basment of my house. So here is the problem I live in maine and the weather here has big changes. last night 20 deg. today 48 deg. every thing in the shop is covered with dew = rust later. I know easy fix install heater =$$$$$$$. So I am looking for any tricks that wont break the bank. This shop is 16'by 28' with 10' ceilings with full 2nd floor. the construction is 2"by 6" rough cut hemlock with white pine shiplap siding. there is no insulation installed yet. any suggestion would be great. I dont smith full time yet so I can,t count on the forges to dry it out inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skunkriv Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Have a friend in Green Bay who swore by this. He would leave the fan blowing on his overhead heater 24/7 through the winter even when the heat was off. Keeping the air stirred up evened things out enough he said he had no condensation problems. I haven't tried this, I don't mind a little rust here n there :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 The fan works and a light wipe of ATF is good too. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 You can also run a few floor heaters around the stuff that you don't want to rust, cheaper than a full heating system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 WD40 - that's what it is made for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 as a home inspector in real life, I world have to agree with skunk.continuous airflow works. insulation next. WD40 always helps. in central NC we have the same funky weather. just not so low all the time. it was 70-plus today. , in the teens a week ago:o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave M Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Thanks for all of the help:), that is why I love this site. I have a big shop fan that I use to vent the shop so this morning I will turn it on and leave it on. I will try to get my wood stove installed sooner then later. I dont mind a little rust on my hand tools. Its the power tools I worry about but for those some one told me to wrap them with packing blankets,so tonight before bed I will tuck in the plasma cutter and welders:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintjohnbarleycorn Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I keep an old oil rag shirt on the anvil. The electronic equipment is a bit tougher though. the big fan might use a lot of electricity. I wonder if you could just build a box that fits over each piece of equipment and put a light bulb in there with them, a 25 watt should do it? Its the change in temp that is the killer. warm air and cold steel it condenses. The wood stove would be the best bet, I would guess you have a lot of wood to work with there! good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flop Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 A couple of bags of regular charcoal will also suck up any mosture in the air, I put a bag in my storage shed full of old furniture and that keeps the hummidity off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 We often get 40 degF + swings in temperature out here, even greater if you consider the swings in my uninsulated sheet steel shop; but with often single digit humidities I haven't seen the "internal rain" so common when I was living in OH. I guess moving to New Mexico is not an option? Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmercier Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Dave, I live not that far from you, and grew up in southern maine. so I have to deal with the same issues, new england weather is like that... I've got a big spray bottle and a gallon can of WD40 and i keep saturated clothes ontop of anything with a large mass (anvils, treadle hammer, etc) For the most part the things that will generate large amounts of condensation are those which will remain quite cold when the air around them warms up, power tools i just keep sprayed down with wd40 and never have a problem, the heavy things I keep covered with a cloth or rag shirt which is covered with WD40. WD40 is great, this is the sort of stuff it was designed for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I use the ceiling fan method. Fromm April to October, it runs 24/7. Really helps alleviate the problem. Not 100% but a big help. bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbillysmith Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 If you have any outlets of power in your shop, get a dehumidifier. ALOT cheaper than a heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Funk Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Humidity in an unheated shop can be very problematic. The problem comes from the outside air being occasionaly warmer than the contents of the shop. Warm air can contain a lot more moisture than cold air and when air contacts items colder than the air, condensation can occur. This is the problem, warmer outside air containing more humidity, contacts the colder items in the shop and condensation occurs. Items that reduce the condensation problems are. 1) Seal the shop to the maximum extent possible, particularly on days when the weather is warming. This will reduce amont of higher humidity warmer air in the shop and resultant condensation. 2) Do not sucumb to the tempation to open the doors wide on the warm days of spring unless you have heated the shop so the items in the shop are warm. The items in the shop may be cold enough to cause condensation. The warm air containing higher humdity coming into the shop will condense on the colder items in the shop. 3) Circulate air. Run fans to circulate the air in the shop. This will tend to keep the items in the shop at a temperature closer to the air temperature, reducing condensation due to cold items. 4) Keeping the shop heated. However my budget does not permit this. I had a problem in one of my previous shops. The mositure was coming from the gravel floor. Do you have a concrete floor in your shop? If you do, did you put a poly vapor barrier underneath the floor? This can be a significant source of humdity. But you can can place a poly vapor barrier under the gravel or dirt to reduce this source of humidity. I am not confident that a standard dehumidier will work in a shop in the fall, winter or spring. Most standard dehumidifiers require a 60-65 deg F operating temperature to avoid freezing up. I had a dehumidifier freeze up in my basement in the spring when the basement air temperature was approximately 65 deg F. Dessicants such a charcoal, calcium chloride generally will not work in open enviroment such as a shop as the ambient moisture quickly overwhelms the capacity of dessicants. They will work in relatively tight cabinets and drawers. Light bulbs or other low powered heaters reduce condensation as they heat the items reduces the potential for condensation. Be careful as they can cause fires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave M Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 Well I have been running 2 fans in the shop in combination with a small electric heater for 2 days now and it seems to be working fine. When I poured the slab I put down a vapor barier but I did not put down under slab insullation:confused: I wish I had because the floor is sweating because the slab is so cold and the air is so warm. Oh well build and learn. On real damp days or days with big temp change I will use a portable kerosne heater that I have, until I can get the wood stove installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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