keeping tools/devices dry (rice)

I think any desiccant is doomed to failure unless your toolbox is fairly airtight. Yeah, it will reduce the ambient moisture level, but that only slows the rusting, not prevent it.

I haven't tried it, but I'd bet Phil's idea of keeping an oil rag in the toolbox so the tools keep a slight coat of grease works the best. Heck, I bought a Chinese drill press which was covered by cosmoline. Obviously that was to prevent rust and corrosion while being shipped and stored. I left it on as it is parked in a not so dry basement... still no rust after 20 years.

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Rick C 

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rickman
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A small heater might work.

I've got this circuit board in my air conditioner. It had an intermittent problem that occurred whenever it was humid. All winter long it would work fine (heat pump) and die in the summer. Nothing I tried on the board worked except taking it out (~30 wires) and packing it in silica gel that I baked dry in my oven, and leaving that in overnight. Then the AC worked fine for a few days...

I put a small heater under the circuit board. Dissipates 4-5 watts and I can use the AC all summer long... I live on the east coast close to the ocean moisture is a constant problem.

In laboratories they use drying cabinets to keep chemicals that are hygroscopic. They have good seals (unlike a tool box). A small dish of indicating desiccant is put in the bottoms of the cabinets. The desiccant is blue when it is dry and red when it's wet and white when it's in between. When it looses it's color some dry desiccant is put in and the old stuff gets baked to dry it.

I did put rice in my salt shakers and it did seem to work, but not

100%, there were still some days that the salt caked.

At a resort down in St Kitts, they changed the salt shakers every meal. SOP

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I got the idea from the little piece of oiled paper that came in the case of a the vernier micrometer that I used for doing valve shims on my TR7 back in the palmy days.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

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Dr Philip C D Hobbs 
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Phil Hobbs

There's plenty of other dessicants available, rice is just something most people have on-hand.

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Jasen Betts

I haven't gone into the tool box in maybe two to three years (other than to get a hammer to break frozen food). So I guess evaporated oil from an oil rag or paper might help stop any rust. I wonder if I should ad a lit inca ndescent bulb to keep the box warm or not. I guess, forget adding packets o f silica pebbles or rice would help, then.

Reply to
bruce2bowser

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