WD40 is no good at all for that job - it is here today gone tomorrow. A lanolin based spray is much better on my big machines.

As mentioned, covering the machines with an old bedsheet will stop the condensation forming, and a lanolin cased spray such as inox on bare steel will also help. A ceiling fan also helps by keeping the air moving.

Best product I've found to prevent corrosion, after many years using comercial, cosmoline, ACF50 mould and tool protector and home made melted candles mixed with engine or chainsaw bar oil, is Wire rope and chain spray lubricant, its tenacious stuff and will collect dust if not covered with rags or sheet. Used to use wd40 as temporary measure on my SB heavy 10 but during humid weather you would see rust developing within 24 hours. All these old machine tools need preserving, and sometimes the filthy plastered in dirt ,oil and old grease ones are in superb condition underneath the muck, sort self preservation like oil leaks on old cars .

Stop using WD40. Use motor oil.

You might want to clean and protect your machines with Kroil penetrating oil. I’ve used it for years to clean up older machines I’ve purchased. Google Kroil because they make several different products. I’ve only used the penetrating oil product I believe you need to be careful with some of the rust removal products as they could damage some other materials when just wiping down machinery. It’s expensive but it’s been a good product for me. And it has a unique smell. It doesn’t bother me and it’s kind of like deodorant for rust. Won’t solve the moisture problem but surely helps clean up machines and tooling. Best of luck.

A common mistake is using WD40 as a protection, WD 40 is a water dispersion agent I use grease or heavy oil on all machined surfaces. All small parts go into air seal plastic food bags after oiling. Hope this helps Regards MikeN

Same motor that was on my J&S Cylindrical Grinder, same deal two phases out. Cheaper to replace it. I use WEG TEFC Motors, nice replacements.

I am lucky no rust, But if i open the garage door on a damp winters day rust on the cast iron!!! 🇬🇧.

Morning, rust us a constant issue for me too. I run two dehumidifiers which remove gallons of water. I have thought about low power heating on the castings but have not come up with a good solution. WD 40 is good but doesn't seem to stay around, i have seen some other applications that leave a residue but that is also a trade off. Keeping the castings warm somehow must be the best way but how? Good video

I have the same issue in my shop in the south east US, I'd be interested in what you think in a month or so if you see any benefits. Thanks for sharing

I’m in a humid area on the beach east coast of Australia When I go away I spray rust preventative on table and cover with a sheet of kitchen cling wrap Standard cover and dehumidifier working the rest of the time

I had the same issue a few weeks back - started covering mill tables / lathe chucks / ways with oiled rags and covering the whole machine with an old bed sheet and a tarp. also got a small dehumidifier in the garage - this has helped but next on the list is to insulate the door like you did - I’ve also seen other guys install small low wattage (30 - 60w) heaters onto their machines to keep the machine above ambient temperature

Try ACF50

The super fine rust is basically the same a firearm bluing once it is removed. Once everything developes that "patina" it will actually help keep itself from rusting in a more detrimental manner. An added bonus, the microscopic pits left after the rust is removed, trap and retain oil. Aiding in future preservation and lubricity of moving parts.

Oooh - I feel bad for you. Fundamentally it’s as you say - the problem is ideally solved by insulation and moisture barriers. That addition was the best thing I ever did to my shop and since then no rust. Not easy or cheap to do, alas. Living where I do I have to have heat in the shop and so that, insulation and moisture barrier really takes care of it. When I didn’t have that, I WD-40’d everything, but also covered the machines in old oily cotton sheets when not being used. That really helped. Must be fabric - not plastic. Has to breathe.

Clean everything off and wipe with AC50 spray Get a dehumidifier and your problem will vanish

I have the same problem. A couple of years ago, after a sudden change in temperature during the winter, all of my machine tools started developing condensation, despite my liberal application of WD-40 everywhere. The only way I can manage this issue is by running a dehumidifier continuously. Although I'm not happy about the extra electricity consumption, it's the only way to prevent rust. The ideal solution would be to insulate and renew the roof, but that is well beyond my current budget.

If you can't control the climate in the shop,. spray surfaces with Boeshield T-9

You will need to make the door draught proof, as cold air leaking through the gap between the door and frame may be just as much of an issue as conduction through the panel door, possibly more so. Sealing kits are available from the usual online and DIY channels. If you combine that with a decent dehumidifier (£100 or so), you might break the back of it.

I feel your pain I live on the west coast ( Ayrshire ) Iv got similar problems and it can really get you down. Fully insulating the garage and running heating would solve this problem completely. ( Yes I know this isn’t atall realistic ) Iv found covering the machines with a blanket makes a big difference, I run electric dehumidifier s but these don’t work in cold conditions as obviously the cold air doesn’t carry much moisture. I think you’re door would do much better with some 2” king span on it , your walls would need preferably 3x2” stud frames built and 2” king span+ plaster board and the ceiling the same only with thicker insulation. I accept the cost of this may be prohibitive and the loss of space too. Heating really isn’t out of reach now in the form of those little Chinese “night heaters” like lorry’s have had for years these are cheap fairly efficient and most importantly as there’s an external exhaust they don’t produce any moisture in use. Calor super ser heaters and the like do more harm than good as the moisture from combustion is the room and to be avoided. There’s a lot of u tubers running these heaters on black oil / diesel mix further reducing costs Hope something there helps someone and obviously oil everything ! Dehumidifier = awesome but only in warm air

I enjoyed the video as always.. so thanks for taking the time to make it. Same position here in Beverley, East Yorkshire. Will try first your garage door retrofit. 👍👍

Hi, thats a nice size milling machine what model spec is it.?

I'm very lucky in that my workshop is an integral part of my house, fully lined, insulated and plasterboarded. It did have an up and over door like yours but I replaced it with a fully insulated roller door. Much more secure than the old door and thermally efficient. It is effectively a fourth wall. I would recommend fitting one of these if you can. My floor is concrete but fully damp proofed. I also gave it two coats of two pack epoxy floor paint. The temperature in there does not fluctuate more than 2 -3 degrees, summer or winter. I would definitely go with putting battens up on the brick walls and some form of board with insulation interposed. With sufficient ventilation/air bricks too. Then some form of heating. I think it is worth spending the time to create a benign workshop environment. For the owner as much as the machines.

I use Supertrol. It’s a little messy but if you’re not using the machines for a while it stops corrosion dead.

Get some Aero 360 condensation collectors installed. I use 4 in my garage and I'm surprised at how much water they take out of the air.

Three suggestions. First - buy a small space heater that can heat your shop up. The warmer the air, the more humidity it can absorb. Second - Buy a room dehumidifier and plumb the outlet to outside the shop (likely under the garage door). This removes the humidity in the air. Third - Stop using WD40 as your rust preventative for long term. Use a specific rust prevention spray such as Boeshield T-9 spray or similar. WD40 is great for short term rust prevention but is too thin to form a long-term rust prevention barrier. If push comes to shove, a wipe down with a rag soaked in light machine oil will do a very good job.

That will not work u need a dehumidifier I had this problem and the dehumidifier solved it

That will not work u need a dehumidifier I had this problem and the dehumidifier solved it

Sadly, WD-40 will not help very much. Something waxy is needed. Fluid Film works well for me. Some people like LPS3 but I don't like how it smells.

Yep, Im up in Inverness, and been having the same issue with the pressure changes happening so fast.

Hi There, I insulated my garage workshop many years ago. Stays warm in winter and cool in summer - no rust problems. Did all walls, ceiling, door and floor. In Yorkshire, so can get pretty cold/wet/miserable out there sometimes.....

also cover machines with old curtains or dust sheets help

Im also in the uk and have found that wd40 doesn't really cut it the best thing I ever did was swop from water based cutting oil to oil based cutting fluid

A dehumidifier would be a big help. I have 2 in my shop that stay on 24/7. Also there are way better products out there to use to prevent rust than WD40. Not sure if you can get them in the UK. There is SP350 made by CRC and Boeshield T-9 developed by Boeing.

I'm in Texas, 100 miles from the coast. that light rust makes me nuts. Only a couple times a year does it happen. I've got blankets to put over my machines, and we will see how this works.

yeah same problem here. these are the things i have found over the years: 1) ventalation is your ENEMY. block up all vents, holes,, gaps around doors, anwhere air can get in from outside. you want NO airflow, becasue warm damp air moving about will just give it more opertunity to dump more wet on the machines. 2) WD40 everything liberaly after every use. i have never found anything that works better, even grease doesn't seem to be as effective. it's a shame they don't make a slightly thicker formulation. 3) pay attension to the wood you have in the shop as well as if you have damp it will start to go mouldy and some of those fungi can attack metal as well. MDF and manufactured woods can be bad for this, as can pine. inspect everything wooden you have in there, shelves, cupboards, boxes etc and paint them with oil based paint or varnish if they are showing any signs of mould. tropical hardwoods stand up best to damp. 4) if there are any cracks or spesific areas on the walls where damp is getting in a good quick fix is to paint over them on the inside with that gorilla liquid rubber stuff.

Hmmmm..... My tiny workshop is in my 18' x 6' 6" garage. No insulation on any walls, no ceiling just open to the rafters and roof felt/tiles. No rust. Freezing cold, but no rust on my lathes or mill or saws. Where is all that damp air coming from in your case to condense on your machines?

Fortunately my garage is quite dry, but it gets very cold. If I try heating it the biggest source of heat loss is the metal "up and over" so I insulated it with 1" polystyrene sheet bought from Wickes. I cut panels to fit between the various stiffeners and frame members, just like you did on yours. I used cheap silicone mastic to stick the polystyrene panels to the metal door. Not only did it make it easier to heat the garage, it also provided a good degree of sound deadening as well.

A worthy effort and satisfying story. As all things change in time and memories sadly lost, I suggest you machine an aluminum cylinder of an appropriate size, impervious to the elements, and attach it to the lathe in an out of the way location. Insert into the cylinder a transcript of what you shared with us. Include, if you don't need them for other purposes, the original of the shipping documents. You could also include maps of Pakistan and the UK denoting the locations where the lathe served. You have a machine that is a world traveler, touched by many hands. A history and provenance well worth preserving. Machining and mounting the cylinder would be an interesting video as well. Best wishes.

What about covering the machines with old blankets? Allows breathing but may avoid excessive condensation. The cloth will wick out excessive humidity. Easy and worth a try while going for insulation and heating in the longer term.

Easy fix that requires no heating, leave machines covered in wd40 every time you finish using the machines and theirs is the big one, all your machines when not in use with an old bed sheet, this will stop rust on all surfaces. When you are in the workshop also run a 1.5 kw fan heater while you are in there, the fan heater pushes damp air over the element and burns off moisture. I also put 2inches of cellotex insulation on the back of the large garage doors, makes a huge difference differences to the temps and requires less energy to heat the workshop. I see you have put your own insulation up, it will make a huge difference

Another vote for Duck Oil here! Dehumidifier helps but won’t deal with the swings we’ve had in Scotland this year from below freezing to 11 Deg C in a night.. nightmare!

You could put solar panels on the workshop roof and feed their output, via an inverter, into an old-style thick brick storage heater. That way you machinary would always have some level of residual warmth to minimise to amount of dew collecting on their exposed surfaces. However, such an off-grid installation would not be cheap, but it is simple to install and at least you would have a warm workshop.

I have had similar problems with woodworking machinery in an uninsulated workshop this year. A few weeks back we had snow and a cold snap - the relative humidity rose to 99% in the workshop and condensation was present on all the large machines, leading to rust. I removed this from the visible surfaces and purchased some Corrosion X, a product which gets very good reports. Time will tell whether a thin film of this wiped over the surfaces (it's supposed to be quite durable) will prevent further rust. Maybe consider External Wall insulation if your garage is standalone and there is sufficient eaves overhang - this would also serve as a rainscreen ensuring moisture from rain does not penetrate the walls as well as maintaining the original interior dimensions of the workshop

Hi Clive. I have in the past suffered with flash rusting in the various workshops I have used. In one the problem was particularly bad. I needed to do much remedial work to prevent damp getting into the space as well as finding a substance which actually did prevent rust. WD40 never seemed to work for me. A friend suggested a silicone wax polish, and this worked wonders. However I cannot find any one who still sells it. 😢 In my current workshop I use a liberal coating of “slideway” oil, which being nice and sticky holds firm and does not quickly dry out. Another game changer was replacing my steel up and over garage door with a UPVC roller garage door. This eliminated drafts and is so much more thermally effective both winter and summer. That aside, seeing the rust that has befallen upon you makes me want to rush out into the workshop to see what might have occurred during the mild, yet damp Christmas period. 🥴

I will keep it brief. Use oil not WD-40 and cover tools with an old sheet when not in use.

Heart breaking isn't it. Insulation, Duck oil and a dehumidifier 24/7 seems to be working well in my small workshop. Make sure the dehumidifier has an external drain on it though as a good one will pull an alarming amount of water in 24 hrs

I had this problem before I insulated my workshop, I used 2" jablite on the walls after fitting 1"x2" tile lath to the walls @600mm centres (to match the sheet dimensions) and covered the whole with 3mm plywood with a wipe clean finish (caravan sheets) I used 3" jablite between the joists and sheeted the ceiling using the same materials. It now requires very litle heat to keep the workshop toasty warm, and Ifind my East facing (uninsulated) roller shutter doors pick up enough heat to keep the workshop fairly dry. WD40 will help to remove the rust, but also washes off the oil film which prevents it. When I went back to the workshop after my enforced holiday (2 months) there was little rust anywhere, but I do oil all the surfaces and wipe them down, and then cover the machines with a variety of old duvet covers! With your place being free standing you could put insulation on the outside, but this would entail a more durable finish sheet to cover the laths. What about a tubular heater to prevent condensation, 200 watt should suffice once the building is insulated and draughtproofed. does your up and over door have the draught strips on it? inside on the upper half and outside on the lower half to fill the gap betwixt door and frame? I have seen thin foam draughtproofing strips fitted to these to seal them. This is always a problem, and you have to ventilate as well, although trickle ventilation is sufficient. Parrafin and gas heaters release water into the atmosphere unless some form of heat exchanger is used. Warm air is the way to go, although my place is not sealed to the outside as there are gaps around the tops of the roller shutterswhich I class as "ventilation" In the meantime coat everything with light oil, and give it a wipe when you want to use it! If the walls are not cavity walls using internal insulation and a dpm is almost essential! if you look at my workshop refurb video you will see what I did in the slideshow of pics (shameless plug) Hope you get some ideas from this rambling diatribe! Phil, My week this week.

Reflextix type insulation needs an air gap (1/2 inch min) to perform anywhere near its claimed specification. Cheers

I have a workshop over in Cumbria, inside an agricultural building. My biggest issue has been rust. We've insulated the tin roof with Kingspan sheets and I've done my best to weather proof the building, but it's starting to feel like it's not enough. I believe a dehumidifier and some kind of temperature control are needed. I also use a thicker oil than WD to protect my machines and it definitely helps. Especially on moving parts like lathe chucks where WD comes off with handling and motion. Looking forward to seeing what else you try :) all the best