I need to pick up a small drill press for some tasks on my to-do list.

I don't have any space in my "workshop" to actually store the thing (all taken up by reloading stuff), so it would need to be stored in my shed.

Shed is weather tight, but not temperature controlled. Would winter freeze and summer heat hurt the drill press?

I think you will be fine as long as it's out of the weather. It's not like it's going to get hot and cold frequently enough to be worried about condensation. Maybe just prep the metal with something to hold off the corrosion.

It should be fine, but coating any bare metal with some wax would be good insurance against rust.

Spray it lightly with WD40 and wipe it down when you need to use it.

When there are wide temperature swings there will be condensation. Period. You can mitigate against it, though.

Lightly coat bare iron and steel surfaces with something like Boeshield T9. Loosely drape a light, breathable fabric over the thing--all the way to the floor, if possible. Ideally with the fabric touching as little of the machine as possible.

I've had cast iron surfaces stay mostly rust-free for months at a time that way.

Conversely: I've a tenoning jig I failed to properly store after using it and I'll spend hours getting all the rust off it

If no belts or rubber parts to deteriorate, it should be fine.

If concerned, oil it , lubricate it and store it.

If not sure, open a gallon of Damp Rid to put next to it. That may help other items too.

PA can get some humid, black flag days?

My drill press lives in the garage...never hurt it...it’s been out there for years...

The temperatures won't bother it a bit. If there's a lot of humidity in your shed, I would be worried about that. But here in FL, everyone I know has them in their non-climate controlled garages or warehouses.

I have a drill press along with a bunch of other power tools in the garage. I don't heat it or cool it and everything is fine.

temps no issue. humidity and rust will be a regular battle. But if its really a small one there may not be much to rust as many of them do not have cast iron tables.

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humidity and rust will be a regular battle

seek an effective preventative lube/coating of some type....don't make me tell you how I know of this hazard....

Won’t hurt it. There’s no telling how many non climate controlled shops (mine included) there are around here.
Hell, if a $100k CNC mill can stand the heat and humidity, surely your drill press will be alright. I know mine has been dealing with it for a couple of decades.

Nah nothing to worry about as long as critters and water aren't in the equation.
Maybe a lite coat of oil or similar to ward off surface rust.

I have had a drill press, a band saw, and a lathe in an un-air-conditioned garage in hot and humid Houston for more than 10 years and they are perfectly fine.

Wax, not oil, is typically recommended for protecting cast iron floor tools from rust.

Wax any uncoated metal with a paste wax that doesn't have any silicone in it and don't let sawdust sit on any uncoated metal surfaces (the sawdust will absorb moisture and encourage rust). If you want something fancy you can use Renaissance Wax, but SC Johnson Paste Wax works great and is $6-7 for a 1 pound tub.

The reason to avoid silicone is that it can absorb into unfinished wood and then prevent stain or finish from applying evenly.

Boeshield T-9, recommended by another poster above, also works well, but it's pretty expensive and it's basically just paraffin wax in a spray can.

If you screw up and get a little surface rust it's easy to take care of with some steel wool and naval jelly.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
My drill press lives in the garage...never hurt it...it’s been out there for years...

Same here. After twenty years it still works fine.