[Fastest1]

In late November I purchased a new home. It was quite a move up including a 3 car garage with a large closet and a swimming pool. Great so far, especially from a 1 car garage.

Well during the move of all of my projects and machines, plus the wife and 3 kids and all associated gear, I placed my ballscrews, mounts and steppers for my G0704 in this large closet for protection. I have a dehumidifier in my garage also for extra protection. There were also a few pool chemicals stored in this closet, read Chlorine. I had smelled it every time I opened the door which is pretty often almost daily. Today I grabbed the assemblies just to look at them and plan my next line of attack. I couldnt believe my eyes, rust all over. The steppers, couplers and mounts are all fine, not so sure about the ballscrews. I am sure they can be used, we will see eventually (if they clean up). Btw no other tools, machines, motorcycles or cars have been affected. Only the items in the closet with the pool chemicals. It sucks! That is what I get for procrastination.

[Fastest1]

Btw, I will be buying something for the pool chemicals to stay OUTSIDE!

[H500]

I had a similar problem when I was experimenting with HCL for pcb etching. It resulted in a thin film of rust on every machine in the room.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

If you're going to have almost any strong acid or base around, you'll want to make sure they are very securely sealed up. The fumes alone will do tremendous damage very quickly.

Regards,
Ray L.

[LUCKY13]

That sucks, but just a little more info things like old batteries, some types of ferilizers and many other unexpected products will cause this also.



To start with there are products made for storage of machines/metal that when sprayed on the parts will not rust for years no matter what. I cant think of the names right off but if you do a search over at the Manufacturing forum they have a thread on it, and they list several of these products that have proven good results.


Its a good thing to use stuff like this if you dont use your machine everyday. Even such things as finger prints from your hands can kick start rust on some of these bare metal surfaces. I let my table top to my mill pick up a little rust, not much but enough to agravate me. I was using WD40 to fight the rust and it will just not do it unless its reapplied ever so often. The products listed in the thread at the Manufacturing forum the guys have claimed to spay there metal parts down and had years of no rust after setting.


Hope your parts come through the rust without damage. The ballscrews, motors and the dovetails of the machine if it was stored will be the ones to check close. The machine itself, a little rust it can handle ( more than you would expect) without causing any real problems. The ballscrews and motors it doesnt take much to kill them. Any bearings should be taken a part and cleaned, or replaced before even trying to use them. If the machine was there even the bearings in the head/spindle can get damage. Mine all the upper bearings in the head went bad from being stored. It was all the bearings that where not under the oil level, but even the oil drawed enough moisture that it hurt the other bearings aswell, then I needed to replace them all..


Its very easy for this to happen, and as you have seen with the right conditions way quicker than one would amagin.


Jess

[Fastest1]

Thanks everyone. Actually everything was in that closet, fertilizers, chlorine, muratic acid etc. It is all going outside in a well ventilated box away from any of my toys! Lesson learned, the hard way!

[ninefinger]

Thanks everyone. Actually everything was in that closet, fertilizers, chlorine, muratic acid etc. It is all going outside in a well ventilated box away from any of my toys! Lesson learned, the hard way!

The muriatic acid is what probably did it - I had some of that in my garage on a high shelf - one of those flimsy metal ones with particle board shelves. Only the top corner of the shelving unit rusted - right beside / under this unopened (ie factory sealed) gallon jug of muriatic acid - it also affected a sliding miter saw I had up there. Of course there was no rust on the scrap steel at ground level with the road salt from my car. Go figure....

[doorknob]

Wow, I get all teary-eyed just reading about that... Sorry to hear it.

My own recent brush with leakage of stuff was nowhere near as damaging - I found out the hard way that even though most plastic containers will hold kerosene without any problem, plastic milk/water jugs can develop a leak after the kerosene has been sitting in the jug for a year or so. But no machine tools were harmed in that "experiment".

[rocketflier]

Thanks everyone. Actually everything was in that closet, fertilizers, chlorine, muriatic acid etc. It is all going outside in a well ventilated box away from any of my toys! Lesson learned, the hard way!

I have plastic wall units outside to keep the containers out of the sun. Still a good idea to have each jug/bucket in another container in case the plastic fails.





Store that muriatic acid separate from everything else. Also don't put any pool equipment, parts, tools,.. in with the chemicals.

[Fastest1]

Rocket, that is exactly what I was thinking of using. Fast!

[rwskinner]

Same exact thing happend to my buddy. Brand new harley parked in the garage and he had pool supplies in there. That entire bike was rusted so bad at 6 months old it wasn't even funny. Him and HD got into a big argument over warranty and when they sent the district HD guy over to look at his place he pointed out the fact that the pool chemicals were the cause.

Sad....

Richard

[rwskinner]

I tried all the LPS products. We used LPS2 and 3 for years and had good luck but at home, my machines would still develop rust on the ways after a few days. A friend turned me on to a can of Fluid Film and I have never had another problem. I live in S. Texas where there is 90% humidity and wild temperature swings that cause condensation to form so it's not a great environment.

Fluid Film is getting a little easier to find however I order it by the case at my local hardware store and it last well over a year, closer to 2 years using it often.

Works wonders on rusted parts and bolt removal as well.

Richard

That sucks, but just a little more info things like old batteries, some types of ferilizers and many other unexpected products will cause this also.



To start with there are products made for storage of machines/metal that when sprayed on the parts will not rust for years no matter what. I cant think of the names right off but if you do a search over at the Manufacturing forum they have a thread on it, and they list several of these products that have proven good results.

Jess

[Fastest1]

Houston myself, I know all about humidity, well before the drought anyway. I do protect my tools and havent had any problem as the garage itself is well ventilated and has a dehumidifier (thanks to HURRICANE IKE at another house, long story). I generally spray and or wipe down my tools down with Ashburn's Dry Film Rust Preventative and if all else fails, a good gun oil. But that Sh!t is getting out of the house and garage anyway. I wondered if the smell had any negative effects on me as my pc is pretty close to that closet. I can smell it very well if I open that door. I will have to check for mold! LOL

[rwskinner]

Schroeder TX myself, 18 miles north of Victoria. Almost neighbors. What part of Houston?

Richard

[Fastest1]

I thought you were in the Victoria area. I actually just moved to the Conroe area after 48 years inside the loop. Heights, Tanglewood, Southside Place, Mid Town, Montrose. Lived in em all

[Fastest1]

I might have to stop by on my way down to my fathers ranch in the Encinal area.