| Storage of Lathe (Jan 16,
2005) |
|
| |
| Storage of Lathe |
| Need to
store the lathe for maybe a year and the only room I have without
tripping over it is outside. It is partially disassembled,
headstock, tailstock, apron all off of it. Can I pretty safely just
soak it with WD- 40 or LPS or something like that and keep it
covered with a tarp? I could build a lean-to type thing on the side
of a shed if that would help. Bruce (24029) |
| A thin coat of
grease on the bare surfaces is recommended for long term storage. JP
(24030) |
| WD40 will rust.
Never use it for lubrication or rust prevention. I think the idea of
a lean to is a plus. This needs to breath so don't wrap it up so
tight that it sweats. Sweating is a greater danger than rain. Might
not hurt to put some desiccant (not sure of the spelling) with it
too. (24034) |
| Bruce, How about
coating it with Cosmoline? Here's a web page that tells how to
remove it but I found the statement, "You can purchase cosmoline
from, Midway USA as well as, Brownells".
http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/cosmoline/index.asp
I'm a newbie to this list but I've been around the block a few
times. Buzz cabinet, we need to move. Just to the next town, but a
smaller house yet plenty of room to build a bigger shop!!! outside.
with a tarp? I could build a lean-to type thing on the side of a
shed if that would help. (24035) |
| I would not use
WD40 for long term storage but I do spray down every time I use my
lathe. Every item that is polished metal gets a coating. WD40 was a
life saver a few days ago when the outside temp (68) rose so fast
everything in my shop had water on it. I quickly sprayed everything
with WD40. It left a creamy water mixture on the metal then the
water evaporated and I had zero rust on the coated parts. The
uncoated parts rusted the next day. So that $2 can was worth every
penny. I think the idea of a lean to is a plus. This needs to
breath so don't wrap it up so tight that it sweats. Sweating is a
greater danger than rain. Might not hurt to put some desiccant with it too.
Bob (24036) |
| I think you can
also get cosmoline in large quantities from some surplus dealers.
Rick (24037) |
| Yes, it does have
value for that. It is designed to displace moisture. (24038) |
| Water
proof grease, I use it on my boat wheel bearings (trailer) and the
stuff holds up to under water use with no rust. Good stuff, plus its
a nice clean blue. noe (24039) |
| I had that same
problem with the weather last week. And it was the last time! I
went and built a wall dividing my garage in half. Insulated the
ceiling, walls. I am going to keep it at a steady 45 degrees from
now one. Tim (24040) |
| It has to be sealed
all around, otherwise the condensation every night will rust it where
you cannot see. Every little crack and crevice. AnD LOTS OF
OIL EVERYWHERE! Light stuff where you can't get to and heavy sticky
stuff where you can. Keep checking it and spraying it. Bernie (24042) |
| You might consider
putting a low wattage lamp or other heat source under the tarp to
keep it warmer under the tarp than outside. Glen (24043) |
| Bruce, Use a
good Chassis grease (quite similar to cosmoline used by the gov't to
rust proof items for storage) on ALL the unpainted parts. The grease
I am speaking of is the thick, stringy stuff that is terribly messy.
This stuff won't melt off during the summer heat. What you are
trying to do is to block the air from staying in contact with the
metal. Rust is an oxide, as such, cut off its supply of oxygen and
you kill the growth of rust. Also don't sit directly on the ground
or just on top of some boards. Moisture can come up from underneath
and corrode your lathe. Make sure to put a good vapor barrier, I.e..
some heavy plastic sheeting under it to keep ground moisture from
damaging it. Also make sure that the covering does not seal of your
lathe from the outside air completely. You should have some airflow
through there to dry out any condensation that might occur. Last but
not least, keep an eye on it. When the weather is good, uncover it
and check to see if there is anything happening. BK (24044) |
| I'd think that a
bucket full of motor oil and some plastic bags would work here. Dunk
(literally) the parts in the bucket of oil and toss into heavy
plastic bag. Get rid of the air (shop vac) and tie the bag closed
and insert in another plastic bag for extra protection. The oil will
coat every surface and crevice and the plastic will keep out
moisture. For short term storage, this should work fine. 2 qrts of
oil should do just about everything. Cleanup will be easy. Just some
mineral spirits and a small brush. Rob P. (24045) |
| Thanks all for the
storage tips. Good idea about the bulb, never thought of that
although I used to do that for my welding rods and it's actually how
I dry my beef jerky now! Bruce (24046) |
| If it were me, I
would use the cosmoline. Be liberal with coating it, and you will
sleep easy for the next year without having to check up on it.
(24053) |
| McMaster's sells it
also, heat it up to make it flow easier. JP (24055) |
| WD-40 is a possible
candidate. WD-40 will coat, and protect the metal surfaces for
awhile. 12 months on the outside. 6 months is about where the life
is beginning to be in question. BUT.... WD-40 is like your tonsils.
when it goes bad, it doesn't just stop working, it goes over to the
other side. it cleans the other oils off so when the WD-40 expires,
there is no other protectant. There are a LOT of people who have
horror stories of having Uncle Fred's micrometer found in his
basement from 5 years ago, still perfect, cleaned with WD-40, then
rusted badly in 6 months.... Boeshield or some similar has a wax in
it and is designed for much longer storage. It leaves a waxy film
for long term protection. I use grease in my basement on all metal
surfaces. I use WD-40 for hinges and lubrication, but have some old
grease the at liquefied and am now using that with Q-tips when I
can. Dave (24056) |
| Or, the next 5-10-15-50 ? years ? Generations down the line will
love your efforts. I think there are still WW-II things popping up
that were stored in the stuff. Dave
(24057) |
| A scrap
refrigerator would have insulation and be a decent seal for such a
storage unit. I've seem them used as mini-storage sheds and even
pick-up tool boxes. Only problem is checking if the bulb goes out
when you close the door. (24059) |
| A couple of
years ago I ran across a WWII surplus Ammco line boring machine,
still in the crate and still covered with cosmoline. It was in great
shape. Only somewhat older and in better shape than me. Greg
(24060) |
| Every time I clean
the cosmoline off one of those left over WWII things I get covered
in the crap, but I feel very protected for the next year. Dave
(24061) |
| Remember that one
of the many uses for WD40 is cleaning off cosmoline (and duct tape
adhesive). Dave (24062) |
| Keep it off the
concrete floor. Steel is a huge head sink and conducts well. If in
direct contact with a cold floor, it will suck the heat out of the
lathe and poof- instant condensation. I don't think a light bulb can
keep up. A tarp is a bad idea- Unless you can seal it, a cover won't
help condensation. I light sheet will keep the crap off the
cosmoline. Desiccant- again only helps if you can keep it sealed or
for short periods. You can "renew" desiccant in an oven but be
careful- you need to know the material's max temp. Bulk Silica is
relatively cheap. Moving air- wind evaporates moisture and will
bring the temp of the lathe in line with the room faster. Another
option would be Waxoyl- it's a car body cavity wax that can be
cleaned off with mineral spirits or oil. Can be made. Google "make
your own waxoyl". Good stuff for the money Most effective? Plastic
bag sealed with lots of indicating desiccant and some light oil
tossed in for vapor. Renew desiccant when it starts turning color.
Second best? A good wax/heavy grease surface treatment with the
machine on wood blocks or rubber casters, covered with a bed sheet.
Light bulb and/or small fan optional. Bill (24063) |
| Bruce, out door
storage of a machine tool is a very iffy situation at best. In
winter temps can stay very cold and then suddenly get very warm and
damp, thus causing condensation where the warm damp air and cold
iron meet. Possibly you could coat surfaces with cosmoline or a
heavy grease and then box it in an insulated box it would help. Just
a few thoughts, I have seen machine tools in unheated areas where
there is a lot of air exchange with the out side, just swimming with
water from condensation. Lee (24064) |
| Oops- didn't notice
the outside. Tarp is needed but keep it from contacting the machine.
If ground is cement, still get it off the ground. If dirt, any way
to keep air under the machine is good. Air flow and surface coverage
(cosmoline, waxoyl) are your friends. Sealing is risky outside- too
many chances to tear a hole. Bill (24065) |
| The only thing I
have found that works good for cleaning off Cosmoline on 40 year old
military surplus parts is either paint thinner or gasoline. Usual
warnings apply do it outside, avoid flame, wear proper protective
gear, etc. Rick (24066) |
| When on holiday in
Ohio, around Freemont and Sandusky, about 5 years ago, I saw lots of
boats laid up for winter in some sort of "shrink wrap". I recall
thinking of trying to set up a business doing that over here, as I'd
never seen it before (and I'm in the area of the highest
concentration of sailing and boating in the UK). I wonder if there
is some mileage in that for storing machinery outside? Len (24070) |
| Good liberal
coating of grease is the best. Remember the old cosmoline with brown
wax paper top layers? You could submerse the stuff in salt water
with no damage. Desiccant won't do any good unless you are in a
sealed container. Desiccant is like a sponge and will soak up water
until it is full. In an open outside environment there is unlimited
moisture.
(24071) |
| Wow! What an Idea!
I've seen that here in New Jersey! Bernie (24073) |
| Kept my 9" and a
vertical mill in storage for over a year in Central Florida in a
greenhouse. Oiled everything up liberally, did not cover it. Came
out fine. Greenhouses are warm so that helps to keep the metal
temperature up even in cold weather. The lathe was sitting on
concrete blocks that were sitting on dirt, so there wasn't any
effective heat transfer. Also, there was plenty of air movement in
the greenhouse. Some items I wrapped in oil-soaked newsprint and
that seemed to work also. Ed
(24078) |
| Actually, outdoor
storage with this method would need plenty of venting. Those wrapped
boats have vent panels installed to prevent condensation, and I
think heat would hinder more than help. Okey (24080) |
| The plastic "shrink
wrap is great for keeping the rain and dirt off, but is not a seal.
Temperature and humidity changes will allow condensation to form on
the plastic as well as the metal. Cosmoline (at least) all the
unpainted surfaces and put a dust cover (even canvas drop cloth or
perhaps the lined gas grill covers) over it and stick it in the
garden shed well off the ground or concrete. The lined gas grill
cover should prevent condensation forming on the inside of the cover
and dripping. Dave
(24081) |
| Here's
some spray we use at work for metal protection. 99% of our equipment is
outside I am talking pumps and piping not tooling. The spray is CRC
#02031 LECTRA SHELD. I have tried a can out in the last few days I am
satisfied with it. I sort of looks like the spray can auto rust
proofing from the 1970's. It will need to be washed off with Kerosene
or paint thinner. If the ways, handles etc were coated it would last.
You can probably get it at an auto parts store or online. Bob (24085) |
