Stopping Rust in an Unheated Workshop

I remember sitting in my workshop back in the late nineties, staring at a set of Lie Nibbs chisels I’d spent a fortune on, only to find them pitted and orange after one particularly damp winter. It wasn't some fancy chemical failure; it was just neglect. People will try to sell you expensive, high-tech sprays and complex coatings, claiming they’ve found the ultimate secret for how to prevent rust on tools, but most of that is just marketing nonsense designed to empty your pockets. If you think a bit of fancy spray is going to save a tool you haven't even bothered to wipe down, you're kidding yourself.

I’m not here to sell you a miracle in a can or give you some academic lecture on oxidation. I’m going to tell you how I’ve kept my kit in working order for forty years using nothing more than a bit of common sense and a clean rag. I'll show you the proper way to store your steel and the simple, steady habits that actually work when the humidity climbs. We’re going to focus on practical maintenance that ensures your edges stay sharp and your metal stays smooth, so you can spend your time working, not scrubbing.

The Ritual of Cleaning Tools After Use

I don't care how tired you are after a long day at the bench; you don't just throw your chisels and planes back into the drawer and call it a night. If you leave sawdust and sweat on the steel, you're just inviting trouble. I make it a point to wipe everything down with a clean, dry rag before it even touches the rack. Cleaning tools after use isn't a chore; it’s the final step of the job itself. If there’s any grit or moisture left on the surface, you're essentially setting a timer for corrosion to start.

Once the surface is clean, I take a moment to look over the metal. If I’ve been working in a particularly damp shop, I’ll go a step further by applying protective coatings to steel—usually just a thin, even layer of paste wax or a bit of light machine oil. It creates a barrier that the air can't get through. It takes an extra two minutes, but it saves you two hours of grinding away orange pits next week. A bit of discipline now means your tools stay ready when you actually need them.

Applying Protective Coatings to Steel for Longevity

Once you’ve finished cleaning, you can’t just leave the bare steel exposed to the air. Even in a dry shop, the moisture in the atmosphere is looking for a way in. I’ve always found that applying protective coatings to steel is the only way to truly sleep soundly at night. For my daily drivers—the chisels and planes I use every single day—a light wipe with a rag soaked in boiled linseed oil does the trick. It’s a simple habit, but it creates a barrier that keeps the dampness from biting into the metal.

If you’ve got more specialized tools or fine measuring gear that you don't use every day, you might want to step it up a notch. I keep a few small tins of paste wax in the workshop; it’s a bit more labor-intensive to apply, but it lasts much longer than oil. For the tools tucked away in a chest, I find that preventing corrosion on hand tools requires a bit of extra care. I'll toss a handful of silica gel desiccant for toolboxes into the bottom of my kit to soak up any trapped humidity. It's about setting up a system so the tools are ready to work when you are.

Five Ways to Keep the Red Rot Away

• Control your environment. If you’re storing your chisels in a damp shed or a garage with no heating, you’re fighting a losing battle. Keep your workshop as dry as you can manage; moisture is what invites the rust to settle in.
• Wipe them down every single time. I don't care if you only used a plane for five minutes to take a shaving. If you put a tool back in the rack with even a hint of sweat or sawdust on it, you're just leaving the door open for oxidation.
• Use a proper light oil. Don't go grabbing whatever cheap spray you find in the automotive aisle. A bit of high-quality tool oil or even a thin coat of camellia oil on the steel goes a long way in creating a barrier that moisture can't get through.
• Watch your hands. The salt and acid from your skin are surprisingly corrosive. If you've been working all day, give your tools a quick wipe with a clean rag before you oil them. It's a small habit, but it saves a lot of grinding later on.
• Inspect before you store. Make it a habit to look closely at your steel before you put it away. If you see even a tiny speck of orange starting to bloom, deal with it immediately. It's much easier to polish out a spot than it is to fix a pitted blade.

A Bit of Final Advice

At the end of the day, preventing rust isn't about some complicated chemical process; it’s just about being disciplined. Whether you’re wiping down your chisels after a long afternoon or applying a thin layer of oil before you tuck them back into the chest, you’re making an investment in your future self. If you take five minutes to clean your steel today, you won't spend two hours fighting a pitted, orange mess next month. It’s a simple cycle: clean them, oil them, and store them dry. If you treat your tools with a bit of respect, they’ll stay ready for work whenever you are.

I’ve seen too many young lads buy a brand-new set of planes only to let them rot in a damp shed because they thought the tools would look after themselves. They won't. A tool is a partner, not a consumable, and it only performs as well as the man holding it. When you keep your steel bright and your edges keen, you aren't just preserving metal; you're preserving the quality of your craft. Don't let rust dictate how you work. Keep your tools sharp, keep them clean, and you'll find that the work speaks for itself.

About Callum Reith-Sowande

A sharp hand tool is faster than a blunt power tool. I keep trying to prove it.