"Speaking of rusty nails, anyone found a reliable way to store nails so they don't rust out after like two weeks?"
Yeah, moisture's the real culprit here. I've had good results storing nails in airtight plastic containers with silica gel packets tossed in. Those little packets absorb moisture and keep things dry—works surprisingly well. Also, if you're dealing with galvanized nails, make sure they're completely dry before sealing them up; residual moisture can still cause rust spots. Saved me from tossing out perfectly good hardware more than once...
I've tried the silica gel packets too, and they're decent, but honestly, I've never found them to be a total fix. Maybe it's just the humidity where I'm at, but even airtight containers eventually seem to let moisture creep in.
What I've started doing—and it's a bit old-school—is giving nails a quick spray of WD-40 before storing them. Just a light coating goes a long way. Yeah, it sounds messy, but if you're careful and don't soak them, it's not too bad. I learned this trick from an older guy I worked with years ago; he swore by it and his nails always seemed rust-free, even after months sitting in his damp garage.
"make sure they're completely dry before sealing them up; residual moisture can still cause rust spots."
This part is crucial though—wet nails sealed up tight are gonna rust no matter what you do. Learned that one the hard way after losing half a box of galvanized roofing nails...
WD-40's okay, but honestly, it can leave a residue that's not great if you're doing finish work or anything sensitive. A trick I've found pretty reliable is storing nails with a handful of uncooked rice—sounds weird, but rice absorbs moisture surprisingly well.
"airtight containers eventually seem to let moisture creep in."
True, nothing's 100% airtight forever, but rice is cheap, easy, and doesn't leave any oily film behind. Might be worth a shot if you're tired of slippery nails...
Rice actually works better than you'd think. I was skeptical at first too—seemed like one of those weird internet hacks—but it does the job decently enough. Definitely beats dealing with oily residue from WD-40, especially if you're planning on staining or painting afterward.
That said, rice isn't foolproof either. If you're in a really humid area or storing nails long-term, you'll probably still get some rust eventually. I've had decent luck tossing in those little silica gel packets that come in shoe boxes or electronics packaging. They're literally designed to absorb moisture and can be dried out and reused over and over again. Plus, they're small enough that they don't take up much space in your nail container.
Another thing I've noticed: sometimes the container itself matters more than you think. Plastic bins aren't always as airtight as they look, especially cheaper ones. Metal tins with rubber gaskets or even mason jars with tight lids seem to hold up better over time. Sure, nothing stays perfectly airtight forever, but picking a good container makes a noticeable difference.
Also, if you're doing finish work or sensitive projects regularly, it's worth just buying smaller quantities of nails more frequently rather than bulk-buying and trying to store them for months (or years). Saves you the headache of dealing with rusted hardware when you're ready to start a project.
Anyway, rice is definitely worth trying if you haven't yet—cheap enough experiment at least—but don't expect miracles if humidity is a constant battle where you live...
Interesting points about rice and silica gel packets, but have you ever tried cat litter? I was pretty skeptical at first—seemed like another random internet tip—but I had a tenant who swore by it for keeping moisture out of toolboxes and storage bins. Apparently, the clay-based litter absorbs humidity surprisingly well.
I gave it a shot myself last summer when we had a particularly humid stretch, and honestly, it worked better than I expected. Not perfect, but definitely noticeable. Still, makes me wonder: is the container itself more important than whatever moisture absorber you're using? I've seen nails rust even in supposedly airtight plastic containers, so maybe metal tins or glass jars really are the way to go.
Also curious if anyone's noticed a difference between galvanized nails and regular ones in terms of rust resistance during storage? I've had mixed results myself—sometimes galvanized seems bulletproof, other times they rust almost as fast as regular nails. Could be quality differences or just bad luck...
