Humidity and environment concerns - by JohnTM @ LumberJocks.com ~ woodworking community

New guy here – first post.
Brand new woodworker starting to kit out the workspace via Harbor Freight and Craigslist on a retired guy’s fairly restricted budget.

My current concern has to do with limiting humidity and environmental effects as my “shop” will be outside under an 2-car carport with 2 open sides in the SE Louisiana – where God regularly “blesses us” with rain showers that provide us with “natural saunas/steam baths” in late Summer/early Fall.

My carport storage room is only about 5’ x 7’ and is already half-full so I’ll have to make do with an “always outside” workbench. I can store a toolbox, some small power tools and probably 1 mobile cart in the storage room, but have been pondering whether or not it’s reasonable to construct/use an under-the-carport workbench with cabinet doors/drawers to store a table saw, mitre saw, drill press, etc. I know – sounds like an idiotic question to even ask about.

I’m wondering if there are ways to weather/humidity proof the cabinet to minimize the effect of humidity on the metal parts – obviously, I can throw a tarp over it, but is that “enough”?

Random thoughts that have occurred to me so far.
Paint rather than stain? (function over looks? [I prefer natural wood to painted wood])
Edge molding?
Weatherstripping the cabinet doors? How would that work with drawers?

Also, wet wood is a concern when woodworking, right? So, what should I do with my “wood waiting for a project” stuff? Should it be covered with a tarp all the time or only when it’s going to rain for sure – as opposed to the daily 1-2 hour showers we get in late Summer/early Fall? (If a hurricane hits, all bets are off of course.)

All thoughts and suggestions welcome.