I've lurked for a long time, but now there are some points I want to add
to ongoing discussions; time to unlurk (de-lurk? uncloak?) and see if I
can help obfuscate things.

I'm a Canadian software geek, now transplanted to beautiful Marin
County, California (north of the golden gate bridge). SWMBO adores it
here (me too), so I think we're stuck for good.

So anyway, turns out I've been a galoot since I was five, but only in
the past few months have I found out that there were others out there.
Growing up, I always had access to my grandfather's wood (and
occasionally metal) shop. From that, I assembled a small set of
well-used hand tools and took up woodcarving. All of which ended with a
flurry of moves back and forth across the Atlantic.

We've now settled. In a home. With a garage. Inexorably, I found myself
drawn back to woodworking for some measure of sanity and relaxation.
I've been acquiring tools - old, and new-old - and had a few of the
requisite galoot epiphanies while making shavings ("oh, THATS why...").

My GIT is 2 years old, covered in yellow fur, and lacking opposable
thumbs. He does spend quality time with me in the shop - converting big
sticks into smaller sticks using only his teeth. How's that for _old_
tools!

Now, for the obligatory newbie question. I noticed a few of my
less-loved (read: cheap) tools have developed a slight skin condition
(read: surface rust). I share my workspace with a clothes dryer that
vents a little warm humidity inside, but this is NoCal in January; it's
damp no matter what.

Obviously my waxing job on the surfaces in question was insufficient, so
tonight I'll order some camelia oil to see if that will help. My
question is twofold:

 - any thoughts or experience on sharing space with a clothes dryer?
Specifically, is this tool suicide?

 - would storing tools in a sealed wooden box with some of those "FOR
PETES SAKE, DO NOT EAT" silica gel packets do anything to slow down or
prevent this?

-jP

(Jon Pile, at work in beautiful Marin County)