Shopsmith Forums

So it seems, that with all of the rain that I have had to deal with in the past few weeks, that I must plug in the ole dehumidifier.

Who here, uses one in their shop?

Why? Other than personal discomfort, what problems are caused, in the woodshop, by high humidity?

dusty wrote:Why? Other than personal discomfort, what problems are caused, in the woodshop, by high humidity?

Asks the man from the desert!

High humidity causes wood to absorb it. It gets bigger. It may get crooked. It will change again as it dries. Finishes 'dry' slower.

Then there is ol man rust.

My paint, almost never dries!

Sure 'dusty', you have a hot temps, but try 80, with high humidity's. It is simply brutal!

Yes, I know all about that. I have lived in , Biloxi, Mississippi, Corpus Cristi, Tx and Mobile, Alabama. I spent nearly four years on the Gulf Coast.

Besides, I was poking at you. Furthermore, July, August and September in Tucson, during the monsoon season, are not without humidity and high temperatures.

Since my shop is in my basement I run my dehumidifier spring to fall, set at 50% humidity. Prevents mold, and keeps my comfortable. Of course when I'm in the shop I turn on the A/C! My hot water comes from my furnace which happens to be in my shop and keeps things warmer than need be... Gonna have to change that someday...

Same here. My workshop is in my basement, so in summer when it is hot outside, the humidity gets high down there. I don't do woodwork in the summer, but I run my dehumidifier down there whenever it is humid just to protect the Shopsmith and other tools from rust.
In the winter when I do woodwork, the basement is nice and dry because of the cold weather so humidity isn't an issue.

Two days ago our Relative Humidity was in single digits. Probably up to the teens today. Not much rust around here and no mosquitoes.

There is an interesting chart in the "Wood Handbook" by U.S.D.A Forest Products Laboratory. I'll see if I can find a link to it. I have one hanging in my shop.

Here it is - scroll down to chart 4-2 http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgt ... ter_04.pdf

P.S. The discussion on this chapter RE; Moisture equilibrium is a good read for all woodworkers.

I run mine in my basement shop all the time, set at 60%. Makes a big improvement (comfort, odor) here in humid North Carolina.