Rust removal from cast iron

I reconditioned an old Hitachi table saw with a cast iron top. As I recall I sanded it with a random orbit sander using 220 then 320 grit. Then I polished it with wax and #0000 steel wool.
As I recall it worked pretty good. It never looked perfect, but it looked a lot better than the rust.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

Try some Evaporust. About $20 / gallons at Harbor Freight, Tractor Supply. Works great.

-- Rick Gustafson - Lost Creek Ranch - Colorado County, Texas

A pneumatic angled die grinder with a roloc disc attachment and either different levels of pads or you could use the diamond roloc finger discs like this:

If you use a conservative, steady hand you can a chieve a nice brushed metal finish, then cover with Johnson’s Paste Wax.

-- Improvise.... Adapt...... Overcome!

Tried WD-40 and a scotch brite pad yet?

-- - Paul, Flower Mound,TX

keep going up in grit. after 320, use 440 then 600 and higher. gets tedious but worth the effort. After that, wax it good, or use boeshield.

-- Crashn - the only thing I make more of than sawdust is mistakes

If you already sanded off the rust, don’t bother with evaporust.

Go back and sand again…. Starting with 120 … But this time make sure your careful to only go with the grain of the sat iron…

It may not look like new again… But will certainly function every bit as well.

-- Pine is fine, but Oak's no joke!

I inadvertenly left a rather damp 1×6 on my new table saw over night, and left its imprint on the cast iron to remov that mark I sanded w/ AO 320 grit then finished sanding with what I call crocus cloth. It’s made by Norton and is fabric impregnanted with 400 grit abrasive. You get it at auto body shop suppliers. Itr took all the marks out and improved the new finish on the entire. surface. Rusell

-- Russell Pitner Hixson, TN 37343 bassboy40@msn.com

I use a random orbital sander and some automotive rubbing compound with a scotch bright pad and then I use the ROS with a soft rag to take all of the rubbing compound off and after that I apply car wax with a soft clean rag and the ROS. This takes off even stubborn rust spots.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Just my experience…. From cleaning up a lot of old planes, I find that random orbit sanding doesn’t bring out a good shine. Sand through the grits as you would on any project, but only in a linear motion.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Get yourself a can of Never Dull. It works great on motorcycles and other things you don’t want damaged.

-- Darrell, making more sawdust than I know what to do with

You had rain?

-- I would drink a river of the kool aid before I took the smallest sip of the tea...