I envy you folks with climate-controlled shops. Mine's a garage stuffed with tools and the temperature ranges from the low 20s to 105+. Humidity is ...high. I'm concerned about keeping stuff like the electronic compass, calipers, & stud finder in those conditions and ferry them back and forth from house to shop. Same for battery-powered tools. Can anyone share experience with this? Tool longevity, battery life, etc.
-Joe
On 03/09/2013 07:04 AM, Joe ranges from the low 20s to 105+.
I live in the AZ desert, so humidity isn't the problem as some other places. I do keep all the battery powered tools in the house in the summer except the Lion powered drill. For some reason, Lion batteries don't seem to be affected by the heat like other batteries - at least not yet.
On 3/9/2013 8:04 AM, Joe ranges from the low 20s to 105+.
I presume these are outside temp's and inside the garage it's generally moderated quite a bit from those extremes.
I've never worried about it much on the farm w/ roughly same temp's except it gets quite a bit colder than that here and never noticed anything failing untowardly.
Humidity is not generally much of an issue here, however, ...
My experience is the same ... My shop is routinely around 100 to 105F in the summer and my Lion powered stuff has not suffered in the least, or noticeably in the cold (30+F) for that matter.
On 3/9/2013 8:04 AM, Joe ranges from the low 20s to 105+.
I live in the Houston area. So humidity can often be 100%
My shop/garage is attached to the house so I really don't have an issue with freezing cold although it can get uncomfortably cold in the garage, just not below freezing.
Over 100 degrees is a normal summer thing and add to that the relative high humidity from the prevailing Summer wind from the south, gulf waters.
I have absolutely no issue with my electronic measuring devices.
I don't have a rust problem and do not take any more precautions other than using TopCote on the TS surface. If you are carrying tools from an cool air conditioned place out side to a warm/hot and humid condition this can cause a rust problem.
Bring a cool tool to the warm humid outside will attract condensation like a glass of ice water brought out side to the same conditions.
Basically I don't take special precautions controlling temperature. My tools acclimate to the ambient temperature as the temperature changes, so no condensation to cause rust.
On 3/9/2013 9:04 AM, Joe ranges from the low 20s to 105+.
How about building a cabinet and using either an incandescent bulb or a heat bar from lee valley (only 18w) to keep the humidity from messing with these items.
--------------------------------------------------- That's called an old refrigerator with the door switch jumpered out.
It's a classic way of storing welding rod.
Lew
dpb wrote the following on 3/9/2013 10:36 AM (ET):
Depends upon whether the garage is attached or not, and whether it is insulated. Mine is attached and insulated and only two sides face the outside. There are also bedrooms above the garage. The temps in there in the winter are warmer than if it wasn't attached, like my shed. The temps in my shed are about the same as the outside, and in there, things also rust.
Depends upon whether the garage is attached or not, and whether it is insulated. Mine is attached and insulated and only two sides face the outside. There are also bedrooms above the garage. The temps in there in the winter are warmer than if it wasn't attached, like my shed. The temps in my shed are about the same as the outside, and in there, things also rust.
--------- Those temps are outside, but likely inside, too. It was a detached 24x24 unfinished garage that I connected one corner of to the house with a mud room. With the garage doors still there, doors to the back yard in the garage and mud room, whirlybird vent on garage and soffit vents pending, it stays dry from falling rain only. Houston is the closest city that shows up on a Texas map, with the associated high humidity. I suppose the mud room may be ever so slightly more moderate in temp, but likely not much. Next project may be a cabinet for the little stuff and charging station for the battery stuff to be mounted in the mud room. I wonder what the effect of a Thermos chest would be..., clean, dry, would moderate temp swings without condensing. A couple of pounds of silica gel to absorb moisture....
-J
Joe >> ranges from the low 20s to 105+.
If you have an enclosed cabinet for the drills and batteries, you could try mounting a porcelain fixture with a small light bulb in it that burns constantly in the winter months. It would require experimentation to find the right size bulb to generate the minimum amount of heat, but hurry--LED bulbs probably wouldn't work.
On 3/11/2013 7:10 AM, Joe >> ranges from the low 20s to 105+.
Kitty litter works well to absorb moisture too. I use it.
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