Shopsmith Forums

tomsalwasser wrote:Hi Brooks. I have official Shopsmith covers and there is a roof overhead, but 3 sides are open. Do you think the dew will still be an issue?

Thanks Terry for the advice to clean up right away after turning green wood. Done much of that?

I'm thinking spring and winter has just begun!

Every time I have attempted to keep any sort of equipment outside, even if completely covered on all sides, the weather or creatures have aged my tools faster than taking proper care and keeping them in a totally enclosed shed. In example we kept a fine (now 50 year old rototiller) in an unheated shed for years. It aged very little and ran like a top with a single pull of the rope. Then we loaned it out for a one winter period of time. when returned the tiller looked line a rusty piece of junk. The fellow who had it wrapped it under a tarp with a rope around it. He shook his head and was very puzzled at my concern about rust. It took my son several days to bring it back to life. I suppose each of us values tools differently, for me keeping them as close to pristine as possible is the appropriate choice. Jim

tomsalwasser wrote: Thanks Terry for the advice to clean up right away after turning green wood. Done much of that?

I've done quite a bit of practice turnings and several bowls. Turning green wood is much less stress on the edges of the chisels, but it does have its own issues.

Green wood is unstable and you have to either be patient while the rough turned bowl reaches EMC or invest a small fortune in driers or DNA.

I'm cheap so I take it as an opportunity to work on my patience. When I first started working with green wood, I did not remove chips and cuttings from my tools at the end of the session. I did not visit my shop for a week or so and when I got back to it, the shavings left on my tool rest were stuck fast and the rust had already started. Band saw table had rust starting on it from the sawdust left from the resaw operations, chisel edges were beginning to show signs of rust. So instead of turning, I spent time cleaning.

Lesson learned. When working with green wood, if you are finished with a tool (or even suspect that you are finished) take the time to clear away any chips or sawdust and wipe them down so they are dry to the touch. It's much easier to clean the tools off when fresh than it is once the cuttings dry on the metal.

I would suspect similar issues with dry wood in a damp environment. Take time to remove the sawdust so moisture does not accumulate.

fjimp wrote:Every time I have attempted to keep any sort of equipment outside, even if completely covered on all sides, the weather or creatures have aged my tools faster than taking proper care and keeping them in a totally enclosed shed. In example we kept a fine (now 50 year old rototiller) in an unheated shed for years. It aged very little and ran like a top with a single pull of the rope. Then we loaned it out for a one winter period of time. when returned the tiller looked line a rusty piece of junk. The fellow who had it wrapped it under a tarp with a rope around it. He shook his head and was very puzzled at my concern about rust. It took my son several days to bring it back to life. I suppose each of us values tools differently, for me keeping them as close to pristine as possible is the appropriate choice. Jim

Few years ago I loaned my SIL a wood chipper. He used it for several months on different projects then decided he was done with it. He had stored it under a large Redwood Tree with a tarp over it. We get a lot of rain here and when he mentioned bringing it home I said I would come by and check it. After checking it, I decided I didn't want it returrned in that condition. Not even sure if it was useable. Everything was pretty well covered with rust at that point, so I suggested he take it into town to a friend who has a small engine repair shop and have him check it out. Long story short, it was not good. Don't know for sure what it cost him to have it all cleaned back up, but when he finally brought it back home it was looking pretty much like it did when I loaned it out. I never offered to reimburse him for work done, I thought that was his responsibility. I don't mind loaning tools but they have to be taken care of.

fjimp wrote:Every time I have attempted to keep any sort of equipment outside, even if completely covered on all sides, the weather or creatures have aged my tools faster than taking proper care and keeping them in a totally enclosed shed. In example we kept a fine (now 50 year old rototiller) in an unheated shed for years. It aged very little and ran like a top with a single pull of the rope. Then we loaned it out for a one winter period of time. when returned the tiller looked line a rusty piece of junk. The fellow who had it wrapped it under a tarp with a rope around it. He shook his head and was very puzzled at my concern about rust. It took my son several days to bring it back to life. I suppose each of us values tools differently, for me keeping them as close to pristine as possible is the appropriate choice. Jim

There is a lesson here. Loan NOTHING to NOBODY unless the real purpose is to get rid of it. Gramps taught me that when I was about six. I loaned a friend my Daisy Red Rider Lever Action BB Gun. I got it back but his dad had run over it with a tractor.