Small tool storage

What do you all use for small tool storage ? My shed/workshop is a bit damp, as a lot of them are. Recently i was going through a lot of my tools, specifically measuring tools like micrometers, and some of them were rusty, i was able to clean the rust off, even though it leaves marks and light pitting. A tool cannot take much of that before it is scrap.

I dislike coating everything in oil as it draws dust and grit and that doesn't do them much good either. I have recently being buying small food storage containers from the pound shops, these seal and keep the air out. Its depressing how shoddy the storage boxes are with some quite expensive tools, such as the otherwise excellent mitutoyo brand.

Has anyone any clever ideas for keeping the red-stuff off expensive tools ?

Place a pouch of sylica gel (freely obtainable) with your instruments into the sealed container.

sylica gel can be dried out by placing in the oven @ 70 deg C for a few minutes, works well

If you cannot find a way to de-humidify your shed (which also requires that you seal the doors etc first) then you can get sensible storage containers from the high street kitchen shop. Look for plastic which is thick enough not to be floppy, and lids which have a sealing ring and clips at the edges. Such boxes are made for keeping biscuits, etc fresh.

You might also look for 'silica gel' - the stuff you find in the pocket of a new leather jacket, etc, in a packet which says 'Do not eat' in 94 different languages. This stuff will dry out the air in your box, and can be re-vitalised by putting it in a warm oven for an hour or so.

Hope this helps

Cheers, Tim

For measuring equipment and anything that will be touched beeswax (not modern silicone polish) is preferable to oil.
Offcuts of plastic plumbing, gutter downspouts, and sewer pipes (new!) can be found in skips. A wood plug well varnished or dipped in candle wax for the ends.
My favourite food is the small squareish sandwich filling or coleslaw which come in several sizes.
The bottom 4 inches of a 2 pint plastic milk bottle will fit over another of the same with a little gentle heat to make a variable length container.

Of course the real solution is to make the shed airtight and run a dehumidifier.

We used 'rust pads' in the tool drawers, impregnated pads that keep rust at bay, I believe ArcEuro sell a range of similar products?

Ronan,

I build my storage cupboards from 3/4 plywood (easy to fix shelves and drawers)....my small tool cupoard is 2'x2'8'high.....a cupboard 8'w x 2'd x 6"high would need two bulbs........

top shelf used only for tools I can't just throw away......anyway, protected against knocks in the bottom of the cupboard is a bulb holder with a 100w equiv curly wurly saver bulb that is on 24x7 from late Sept - late March......

the shelves are made an inch shorter than the depth of the cupboard and fitted so the 1 inch gap is staggered front to back....so, first shelf the gap is at the back then the second is at the front, etc etc.....with the door shut except when working my cupboard stays at +5 to +10degrees depending on the outside temp......(My workshop is a draughty un-heated barn in a converted water mill) and we reg get minus 8's, all the heavy stuff is in the bottom 4jaw's etc, above that the drawers contain files, assorted hand tools (spanners etc) 3rd drawer has all taps and dies and then the turning tools bit...then the measuring stuff.....the next shelf is where it gets interesting...it contains antique irriplaceable American workshop manuals for cars....dread to think of the value but as I use them very often or they'd be in the house.....they are kept in perfect condition, nice and dry no colored spots on the pages etc etc.........

the elec usage is minimal, especialy when the rust is kept at bay.....

it works for me, (now in my 13th year), easy and quick to build, spose u could paint them or even use MDF but I like my oil ingrained effect on the exterior.........

good luck..... Clogs

I was in the same predicament as I had just retired from toolmaking and had to move my mountain of precious tools to the garage at home and within a few months found traces of rust on some tools and my toolmakers cabinet 45 years old was becoming stiff to open the draws and door. I painted the floor and walls with a industrial floor paint and I now run a dehumidifier two or three days a week and the problem seems to be solved for me as the Drummond lathe in the garage now shows no sign of rust etc.

David

What had happened to me was i replaced the extremely poorly fitted roof on the shed, but never put up any guttering. the water was coming off the roof and sitting in a puddle between the wall of my shed and next doors wall. The water was seeping through the shed wall as it had no where else to go and making the shed damp. Its a lot dryer now i put the gutter up, but still a bit damp, reducing every year.

I am not a fan of wooden tool cases (as starrett used to use) and wooden toolboxes as i think they have a tendancy to absorb moisture from the air, holding it against the tools.

Looks like the tupperware food boxes are the way to go.

Thanks all.