Sawdust on the Floor

Having spent several years in the military, and now on my current job, I have had a chance to visit most of the great states in the US.  Some I really loved, some…well let’s just say I was there and leave it at that.

One of the biggest differences I found during my travels is humidity, or the lack of.  Some places like the Southwest, don’t know the joy of the three H’s, Hazy, Hot and Humid.    Humidity is a pain, not just for bad hair days, but for finishing a woodworking project.  I have found that when the relative humidity is over 70%, it is nearly impossible to get a finish to dry.

A stained finish tends to remain sticky even after several days of drying. If polyurethane was used,  it will appear to be dry, however, as soon as you try to sand it, it comes off in little balls.  What a mess.

My woodworking shop has an air conditioner installed. The original thought was that it would handle the humidity.  It helped, but it is not enough. So I have added a Dehumidifier to the shop.  I purchased a stand alone unit with enough capacity to handle the entire shop.

The dehumidifier removes the water from the air in the shop.  The water is collected in a tank in the bottom of the unit. For the first two days I had it in place, I had to empty the tank about every 4 hours.

I now leave the unit running in my shop any time I have a project in the finish stages.  In fact, I start the unit two to three days before I start finishing something.

If you decide to add a Dehumidifier, it’s a good idea o clean out the reservoir with bleach every once in a while.  Mold and algae tend to grow in the tank if left unattended.  Also take your air gun or shop vacuum to the intake vents.  These get clogged with the normal shop dirt.

Related posts:

1. Wood Finishes – Oil and Polyurethane