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I cleaned my trowel after each job, but seeing a mate's rusted one shifted my thinking.
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jesse_jenkins7mo ago
My grandad's old margin trowel sat in his damp shed for twenty years, just wiped clean with a rag. No rust. Sometimes the steel is just good, or the air isn't that mean where you live. I've seen guys hose a tool off, shake it, and toss it in the truck with no issues for a season. Drying is extra work for what might be a tiny gain if your stuff isn't cheap metal to begin with.
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jessica1307mo ago
Location really plays a huge role in tool rust, you know. I've seen tools left outside in coastal areas get eaten up in months, while inland they might last years without a speck. It's not just about drying, but what's in the air, like salt or industrial stuff that sticks to the metal. My uncle's garage in the city has more rust issues than my dad's shed in the country, even with similar care, which always surprised me. So sometimes you get lucky with good metal and mild weather, but other times you need to baby your tools a bit. That extra drying step might seem like overkill until you move to a harsher climate and see the difference.
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eric6177mo ago
Jesse_jenkins has a point about good steel or mild air letting you get away with less care. But that luck runs out fast if your climate turns or you get a tool with less great metal. I've seen "just wipe it" work in a dry garage, but that same habit ruined a plane blade in my damp basement. @the_patricia is right about the thorough dry. It's the combo that works: clean off the gunk, then get it bone dry, especially in any humid or salty spot. Otherwise you're just leaving the problem on the metal, even if it takes a year to show.
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