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Table top rust

2K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  greasemonkeyredneck 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
How do you remove the rust from a table top? (band saw) I usually just use steel wool and wd 40. Is there a better way? and should I coat it with something when done?

thanks

George
 
#2 ·
there was, but they stopped selling topsaver. it was better than wd40. after the rust is gone, paste wax is the best and most reasonable preserver against rust. and one more thing that is vital. when the tool is not in use, keep the top covered. almost anything will do…...sheets, blankets, comforters, plywood, hardboard, fancy, expensive htc brand tool covers. i can go 2-3 years w/o rewaxing or developing rust in my unheated shop in NY when i remember to cover my tools.
 
#3 ·
Wax is the preventative item for sure. You could cover the table with corrugated cardboard after waxing. Anything will work as mentioned. There are some other discussions on LJ about this and the common thing I got from reading it was WD40 is good for many things but it is not good on the cast iron table tops. I read a long thread and found that the one common thing in it was the people that used WD40 had a common rust and discoloration problem. I have read that you can use white vinegar but I have never tried it. Wet a towel with white vinegar and lay it on the table over night. Like I said I have not used this myself but I have read it in a magazine. There are other products for this out there but they all cost. then again a band saw with a cast iron table is not an inexpensive item either.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
don't use a sander on your machined surfaces. If your table is near flat (within a couple thousandths), it would not be when your done. Random orbital sanders are not made to keep machined surfaces flat. If you took your table to a machine shop, they wouldn't hit it with a R.O.S.

I just used vinegar to clean up a machine i'm restoring. Works well. I start with vinegar and 0000 steel wool. then I use the boeshield products. Using the rust remover, and finish it off with the T-9…...
some people say T-9 or wax gets on there finishes. I've personally never had that problem. but, I also only do natural finishes, so it could possible affect stain.
 
#14 ·
I don't think a light going over with the ROS is going to take away much material… but if you're concerned about it, try this instead….

Laydown a pasty layer of Ajax and water, and then put your ROS on top of a greenie (non-matalic scrubbing pad) and go to town.

another option would be to put the ROS on top of a copper chore boy…. since FE is harder than CU, only the crud should be affected.

I've used all three methods at one time or another and while they will clean up the oxidation, they will not remove stains. I'll have to try the viniger trick and see how that works.
 
#16 ·
I clean my tops with whatever it takes to get them smooth when I first get them, whether it be an S.O.S. pad, sand paper, and yes, I have even used the sander before. Then I keep it waxed with Johnsons Paste Wax and never have any more problems.

By the way, pretty much everything in my shop gets Johnsons Past wax. I was tools, table saw blades, everything. We even waxed an antique vice that was mounted the other day.
 
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