I'm looking for tips on how to effectively deal with pitting and rust on my woodworking tools, especially planes and squares, given that I live in a high humidity area like Florida. What methods or products have you found to work best?
3 Answers
I stick to furniture wax for everything except fasteners, which get a dose of 3-in-1 oil. Another tip is to clean your tools after you’re done for the day—either wipe them down or use compressed air. Keeping them in a wooden box can also help manage humidity and temperature changes.
Covering your tools in wax is a great way to fight rust. I usually go for regular paste wax, but if it's something important, like the sole of my plane, I splurge on Renaissance wax. For screws and smaller parts, I dip them in 3-in-1 oil, let them dry, and then wipe them off before reassembly. It works wonders!
I’d say oil or wax everything liberally. You can also add camphor blocks to your toolbox; they help keep moisture at bay. If you can, a climate-controlled environment really does help as well!