whit3rd wrote:
I've recently acquired an old lathe, with lots of tooling, and
am considering my options for racking the collets, chucks,
and other accessories.

Is there any guidance on what woods, if any, can be safely
kept in contact with precision steel bits, that won't cause
or enhance corrosion? I was considering plywood with
lots of holes, and an oil finish (boiled linseed oil). That
means the glue in the plywood is also a possible issue.

There will be lubricants in contact with these parts, so
oil-resistance of glue in the plywood is another possible
issue.

All sorts of hardwoods and softwoods have been used over the years with no
problems. Don't know if I'd use plywood, but that's just a preference
thing. Hate the looks of those edges. I have racks like this that I've had
for over 20 years. They're all made out of whatever scrap was handy. Some
are pine, some are maple, and a couple are cherry. Other than the obvious
differences between those woods, all have performed just fine with no
issues. No corrosion issues, no hardwood/softwood issues, etc.

--

-Mike-