sandiapaul wrote:

OK guys, here is the story. I found a lovely Swedish botanist,
proposed, and now at 43 I'm getting married. We found a great house,
well nearly great. The original part of the house is from 1820 and
it's basement has water seepage into the new (15 year old) walkout 21
x 24 basement. The owner put a trench(french drain) around the
perimeter of the newer slab and a sump pump to get rid of the water.
By close inspection the new part does not seem to have seen any water
on the floor, but the trench certainly has. Don't try to talk my out
of the place that isn't going to happen...What can I do to minimize
the rust effects on my machines and tools down there? De-humidifiers,
heat, ventilation...whatever you have tried and works.

Given your situation, I strongly suggest that
you take up fly-tying or butterfly collecting
and sell all of your machines to us. Cheaply (:

Seriously, you'll never dry out the basement
with dehumidifiers. I fought with a damp concrete
slab in my house and it was a no-win situation.
The dehumidifier pulls gallons and gallons of
water out and it gets replaced just as fast.

You're fighting 2 problems, dampness and mold
and they both need to be addressed. As to the
mold, keep the concrete floor open. No mats,
carpets, cardboard boxes, etc. Don't bother
trying to seal the floor yourself. A pro could
do it, but the price would be outrageous.

As to moisture, try to avoid rapid temperature
changes. Moisture condenses when the air is
warmer than the metal of your machines. So
either work in the cold or keep the room warm
all the time.

Make sure all your bare metal has a good coat
of oil at all times.