[mark_anderson_us]

I'm just getting into woodworking (furniture, etc.). Have done quite a bit of carpenty around the house. Got rid of my old BT3000 and got a Steel City 35990C and Incra LS-TS Combo and router lift on the way.

I have a one and a half car garage, so can store the saw in the half and move it into center to use. I'm going to build a folder down bench on one side and I have Rocklaer JawHorse (the one that can hold 4x8 sheets) and a Ryobi Miter Saw stand.

I have a spare window AC unit and decent propane heater. I accept some days will be just too hot or too cold, but I don't want to be confined to spring and fall. On a few really humid days it looks like someone hosed down the inside of the garage.

My biggest concerns are tools and lumber.

I don't want my tools to rust (esp. the top of the saw) and I'm concerned that I'd buy lumber in winter, work in garage over several weekends on a piece and then take it into a warm house (and vice versa in summer). I want to insulate the garage this year, but it's still going to be relatively hot/cold. I don't really have space to store any lumber in house.

Am I been a bit over-concerned about it. Any suggestions?

TIA

Mark

 

[knotscott]

I'm pretty much in the same boat with uninsulated garage space in Rochester. If you keep the cast iron treated, it'll be fine. If I had it to do over....I'd insulate it!

 

[mark_anderson_us]

I'm pretty much in the same boat with uninsulated garage space in Rochester. If you keep the cast iron treated, it'll be fine. If I had it to do over....I'd insulate it!

Thanks Scott

What do you treat with?

 

[woodnthings]

If you keep a car there in the winter

The water and salt from the car will drip down and remain on the floor. It will accelerate the rust on any cast iron tools. :thumbdown: Any solution that will remove the drip water, or cover the cast iron tools with either a sealant or a cloth cover will help.
Insulating will not reduce this effect. A visqueen divider down the center that will cut off the space from the car storage area will help.
This will be a difficult not to crack without a separated work area that is climate controlled. :yes: My trucks have never seen the inside of a garage .... living in lower Michigan here.

 

[mark_anderson_us]

The water and salt from the car will drip down and remain on the floor. It will accelerate the rust on any cast iron tools. :thumbdown: Any solution that will remove the drip water, or cover the cast iron tools with either a sealant or a cloth cover will help.
Insulating will not reduce this effect. A visqueen divider down the center that will cut off the space from the car storage area will help.
This will be a difficult not to crack without a separated work area that is climate controlled. :yes: My trucks have never seen the inside of a garage .... living in lower Michigan here.

Thanks Woodthings.

Sounds like I need to figure out which sealant to use and make sure I cover. my saw is pretty long (8ft). Would a cloth painters tarp under visqueen work?

 

[toolguy1000]

Thanks Woodthings.

Sounds like I need to figure out which sealant to use and make sure I cover. my saw is pretty long (8ft). Would a cloth painters tarp under visqueen work?

covering your CI with almost anything will help ward off rust. i use 1/8" masonite to cover both my saws. no rust in two years and it turns the TS into a nice light assembly table. for conditioning CI, i use topsaver followed by johnson's paste wax (no auto wax....silicone can rub onto work pieces causing finishing problems). really, any paste wax will do.

 

[ryan50hrl]

Getting a granite top saw fixes that rust issue too. In all seriousness though...good top care and covering I should eliminate most of the problem.

 

[guglipm63]

My shop in NW Indiana is insulated but unheated. I do not cover the saw as it can also trap moisture. I use a penetrating oil to rub on the top surface once a year and then after whipping it down I run a silicone based lubricant on the top. The only time I've ever gotten a rust spot is when someone put a beverage cup on it and left a rust ring. Sanded it smooth after a few words with the culprit. As for wood storage it's never been a problem. The time to watch for problems is actually those warm moist spring days when the night temperature cools down the garage then a warm day you open a door. Condensation all over, especially on the concrete floor.

 

[mako1]

Covering the tables with anything will only trap moisture between the covering and the top.I had the same problem when I first started and found that waxing the tops on all of my stationary tools with Johnsons paste wax(the old floor wax) really did a good job.A little floor wax on some 4ought steel wool works wonders

 

[durdyolman]

I cut a piece of heavy cardboard the size of my CI saw top, added two strips to match(?) the slots for convenience and saturated the underside with WD40, keep it on the saw when not in use. (The WD in WD40 means Water Dispersant) Now and then I spray a little on a paper towel and wipe the whole saw. Same for the lathe and BS. Works for me. Wax now and then works also.