Moisture in the Workshop

[Philly]

HI Folks
Wondered if I could get some information on your workshops?
I have a digital thermometer that tells the inside and outside temperatures as well as displaying the internal relative humidity.
So my question is this - what is the average relative humidity level of your 'shop?
Thanks in advance,
Philly

 

[Paul Chapman]

Dunno, but it's bl**dy freezing in there at the moment

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[9fingers]

I have loggers installed to record exactly this together with the total heating power consumed over the period Philly.

The current experiment will run until next weekend and cover the last 4 weeks.

I'll try and remember to let you know the results.

Bob

 

[WellsWood]

I have thermometer and humidity meters as well, give me till the end of tomorrow and I'll jot down the readings at intervals during the day and let you know.

 

[Waka]

Don't know Philly, but its very cosy and thats without heating.

 

[Rich]

Philly, would it benifit me if I knew the RH of my workshop?
Rich.

 

[Philly]

Reason for asking is this - I try and keep the workshop as dry and warm as I reasonably can. This is to ensure whatever things I make will stay in a similar shape when I bring them into the house.
As I've been making a few planes lately I wondered what conditions other peoples workshops were in - wetter or dryer than mine. And if so, by how much.
Hope that answers your question,
Philly

 

[Rich]

Well Phil, at this present moment in time (IV'e just popped out to check) my workshop is freezing cold but bone dry, no condensation, I wouldn't want to sleep in there tonight, hth.Regards, Rich.

 

[Digit]

Easy answer in my case Philly, cold and damp! Must get those windows and door in--.

Roy.

 

[DaveL]

Well I have been in the shop today, by myself this morning but assisting my grand children finishing off some toys this evening. 8)

I have had the wood burning going most of the day, it was 15° inside and 7° outside the RH was 53%. I do use a dehumidifier, I leave it running over night on the cheap rate electric. I try and keep the RH between 50% & 60%. If the shop is left to it own devices at this time of year the RH will climb to 85% or higher very quickly. :x
I know this is still high compared to in the house, the RH in my study as I type this is 34%,
The insulation in the shop is not very good and I have bought some more, just not had the time to install it yet, this should help as keeping the temperature up will reduce the RH.

 

[Digit]

At this time of the year dampness is my main problem as I live on the coast, and when the sea mists roll in I can't even see my workshop.

Roy.

 

[Rich]

It's so damp down here at the moment, when I opened the wardrobe a trout jumped out!
Rich.

 

[Waka]

Reason for asking is this - I try and keep the workshop as dry and warm as I reasonably can. This is to ensure whatever things I make will stay in a similar shape when I bring them into the house.
As I've been making a few planes lately I wondered what conditions other peoples workshops were in - wetter or dryer than mine. And if so, by how much.
Hope that answers your question,
Philly

Whatever comes out of your WS is perfect, I know I've been there.

 

[Ian]

Hi

not to sure what my RH is but I make boxes and when I not working on them they come into the house, this goes for wood that I use it stays in the shop then rough cut and then into the house for a few weeks. Does not cause to much hassle as boxes are small and therefore don't use lots of wood unlike a chest of drawers. But planes are probely going to be used in the shop so I would think thats where they should stay. My shop is cold when not in use but dry, double glazed window and door but still working on the roof insul.

Ian

 

[Chris Knight]

Phil,
I keep a dehumidifier running all the time and the RH is maintained at around 45-50% in most weather. If it gets very cold and dry and I need to heat the shop, it can drop to 30% with a 1KW electric convector switched on. (My workshop is a small converted single car garage that is built into the house so it does not normally need heating).

Nothing ever gets rusty at this level and as it is much the same as the rest of the house, I don't worry about wood movement for pieces I make for us.

IIRC, Sgian Dubh did a lot of work on RH for a book or magazine article a few years ago.

 

[devonwoody]

Phil.
My double garage with corrugated asbestos roof and drafty double doors is 5C & 79 humidity at the moment 08.18hrs. monday the 7th Jan08.

Humidity in the summer months goes down only slightly, memory says around 65/70.

Most of my timber has been stored there the past 4 years and I do not seem to suffer any problems with my boxes made over the past two years and then brought indoors.

Must bring the humidity gauge indoors to see what is happening.
Couple of dehumidifies indoors that have settings set to around 50%.

Havent done any woodwork for over 6 weeks, and I reckon its another 8 weeks to go for me.

 

[David C]

Phil,

My workshop is 2 miles from the sea with prevailing onshore SW winds.

We keep the interior at about 60-64 F with a large dehumidifier running at night.

Seem to be keeping RH between 50 and 60% which is a lot better than it was before the dehumidifier. My walls are stone & cob so I think a certain amount of moisture permeates straight through...

David

 

[Philly]

Many thanks, Gents!
Keep 'em coming,
Philly

 

[woodbloke]

Phill - you know the situation in my 'shop. I have a dehumidifier running off a timer during the winter when the air is colder and drier, 'shop is moderately heated with an 1.5KW oil radiator, again running off a timer. During the warmer weather the dehumidifier runs all the time and needs to be emptied every few days, have no idea what the RH reading is. That said, I have never suffered with any sort of rust problem on any tools...still give everything a wipe with some Camellia Oil at the end of the day though, just to make sure - Rob

 

[MIGNAL]

Generally speaking you will find that RH levels in the winter are lower than at other times of the year. For the last 3 months the levels in my workshop have been fairly constant at around 45% with a low of 30% and a high of 65%. Those two extremes have been rare. As I build Musical instruments it is very important to construct them at close to 45%-50% as possible, Summer months can be a real problem and I would need an industrial de-humidifier to have any real significant effect even in a small workshop such as mine.
Don't take the readings of any of the commonly available Hygrometers as being accurate, either digital or analogue types. I've had digital Hygrometers that were out by 12% and more depending at what RH level it was tested at. Check it with the common salt test, at least it will give you an idea of how accurate it is at that particular level. A Sling psychrometer is another method to check the accuracy of Hygrometers.