Why does nobody talk about salty air ruining tools on coastal repair trips?

I drove out to a seaside rental to fix a dryer last month. The ocean breeze had EVERY metal part in my kit starting to rust by day three. How do you handle tool care when working near the water?

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3 Comments

vera2927mo ago

Ever seen a socket wrench lock up from salt inside the ratchet?

5

lopez.mason7mo ago

Ever think about what the salt does to the parts you can't see? It's not just the outside rust. That fine salt mist gets into pivot points on your pliers and the springs inside your tape measure. I had a screwdriver where the shank looked fine, but the mechanism inside the handle seized up solid from corrosion you couldn't even see until it failed.

3

emerymoore7mo ago

Picture salt creeping into the tiny gears of your power drill. It forms a gritty paste that slowly grinds everything to a halt. The tool looks clean but dies from the inside without any warning.

1