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rust prevention

3K views 24 replies 14 participants last post by  Tmtoolman 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have a unique problem living down in the tropics as my planer and tablesaw are in an outdoor shop, of course there is a roof..
I am looking to preserve the cast iron from rust the best I can and have used waxes etc. With limited success. I have contemplated spray painting with a clearcoat but wanted other ideas first…I have custom vinyl covers I put on them while not in use..
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Putting gas permeable machine covers under the vinyl may help.
HTC makes them. I have a couple. Water doesn't easily go through
the top but condensation can offgas the other way, sort of like
a Goretex jacket. Thus it doesn't bead and drip like under plastic.

I had a table saw outside for a couple of years and most of the
time I would use an HTC cover over a plastic panel with a slot
for the blade in it, but when it rained I would put a couple
of layers of plastic tarp on it and some 2×4 blocks and spring
clamps to manage tarp sagging and water pooling. It was
adequate. I kept a cup brush on an angle grinder and would
whisk off the rust when I needed a smooth surface for finish
cuts after a rain.

I have a couple of industrial machines from the 30s and and
while they are lightly pitted from years of whatever, wire
brushing and wax is enough to get them looking and working
well. Cast iron is a material that ages well.
 
#7 ·
Fine woodworking also inconspicuously "recommended" WD-40. It ranked very high on rust prevention in their tests, but they never really mentioned it in their article… I guess WD-40 isn't one of their sponsors and isn't expensive, so they can't bring themselves to mention it. I think there are a few concerns about the oils transferring onto the wood, but it is definitely worth a shot. If it doesn't work on the parts of your tools that touch finished surfaces because it gets on the finished surfaces, you can at least use it everywhere else. WD-40 is cheap, very accessible, and you probably have 3 cans buried somewhere. Don't discount this old recipe too fast. It ranked higher than a bunch of the new fancy ones in the test FWW did.

Just a little history- WD-40 actually stands for "Water Displacement: 40th attempt". It was originally formulated to keep missiles from rusting. Good enough for me
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
I live in Florida near the coast so salt air is pretty brutal to iron. I have had good luck with roughly 8 parts shellac to 1 part mineral oil. Wipe it on with a cloth (no need to glob it on thick). The alcohol in the shellac displaces the water and helps get rid of it. The shellac coats it and provides a smooth and moisture resistant barrier.

I was originally using BLO for the oil component but have switched to mineral oil. Seems to work the same but I don't have to be cautious about what I do with the rag when I am done. Mineral oil does not have the risk of spontaneous combustion the way BLO does.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
It took me a while to find the woodgears entry that TheFridge referenced. Here it is
https://woodgears.ca/shop-tricks/slippery.html Kind of interesting.

panamawayne, your experience with WD-40 sounds similar to mine. It protects great for a short term but then disappears. In many cases it is a better de-greaser than it is a protector. It does displace water very well but I have not found it to keep it displaced indefinitely. ;) So I use it to "de-wet " my tools if they get rained on. Then I wipe it off and apply my shellac mixture. I use it on everything from my handplanes to my shovels.
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
In the old days iron and steel tools were intentionally treated to cause black oxide to form. Black iron oxide is stable and does not expand or contract, so is tightly bound to the surface like anodized coatings are on aluminum. I wonder if there is a metal treating / plating shop that could get a good black oxide coating on large iron castings.

I have a pair of pliers that were owned by my Dad - probably 70 years old, with no rust. They are dark grey steel - obviously a black oxide coating.

Here's a place in Houston I found with a quick search.

http://www.delsplating.com/black-oxide.html

They say you still need to oil it.

Here's another one, apparently in Chattanooga, TN http://industrialplating.com/pg/black-oxide-service

-Paul
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
shellac will stop rust dead in it's tracks spray on 4 coats sand between 320 to 600 then wax,rust will be gone for years just got my new Griz513×2 that the 1st thing I done no rust whatsoever jointer 2 years no rust Tablesaw 5 years no rust live in Ky high humidity in summer no rust I do not have to use oil or anything this is at least a one time deal every 5 years I see SWIRT already has the answer but lot's of peeps just don't listen, shellac it or fight it you make the choice
 
#16 ·
I don't spray, I wipe it on. No need to sand or do anything else with the method I describe. It makes it plenty slick. About the only thing I have found the shellac to ruin is anything put on with an alcohol based die (think sharpie markers, labels …) Other than that it sticks to anything without ruining it. If for some reason you don't like it, wipe it down with alcohol and it is gone like it was never there.
 
#19 ·
ColonelTravis said "How come the wood magazines never talk about doing this?"

Good question… likely just not promoted enough by advertisers. It is not like it is some secret method. Even the label of Zinsser Shellac says :

Protective Sealer - Bulls Eye Shellac will help prevent
tools from rusting and metals from tarnishing. It's a great
all-purpose sealer for golf clubs, wood toys, bric-a-brac,
etc. and will even stick to glass and ceramic tile. Spray
Shellac is also a great sealer and protective finish for
paintings, pastel drawings and statuary.

This OldHouse Magazine recommends it http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20297124_20656442,00.html

Article from 1926 Paper http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19260804&id=q7VWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LukDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2825,1741507
 
#21 ·
I think the reason why mags don't talk about shellac is, they are getting paid to advertise Boesheild and such, I will stand by shellac all day, it's by far the best rust buster Period. I will be working while lot's of peeps are scratching the old head. I happened upon it by accident, I waxed my first jointer, oiled it, done ething it would not stop rusting, so one day I just sprayed the hell outta it with shellac went back next day no rust, next week no rust for 6 months then year, and I found my rust buster
 
#22 ·
Interesting comment about Black Oxide coating. I wonder if any of the gun bluing products would do the trick.

I use Ren Wax on all my stationary tools (i'm in Seattle), but the Humidity isn't nearly as bad as Florida and my tools are all indoors. If i live on the coast of washington (not next to the Puget sound, but actual open ocean) it'd definitely be worse.

I'm not seeing many downsides to shellac except for maybe an uneven coat. Even so, a google search says #2 shellac is only 1.9 mils thick (0.0019") so i can't imagine the variance would be more than a 0.001" for a 4-6 sqft surface. Cutting it down to a #1 or #1/2 cut would probably work even better. Plus being an evaporative finish it can easily be removed with some alcohol.

I'd also be worried about the trunnion gears on the table well as well since those have to be dry lubed, i'd probably use a teflon spray. Probably going to wreck any poorly sealed motors.
 
#24 ·
MrRon, Interesting note about Steel CIty Owner's manual recommending WD40 and steel wool. Is that for protection or is that what they suggest for removing the packing grease/lacquer they coat everything with for storage and shipping?

My concern with Thompson's water seal as a surface treatment for a saw is a) what does that do for slickness of the surface (smooth good, sticky bad) and b) what is the solvent you have to use to remove it? You don't really want layers to keep on building, and you don't want it too difficult to remove. If your curiosity gets the best of you, please share your observations.
 
#25 ·
I have watched this post for a while and just wanted to ask a question. Why use WD-40 ? It drys up in no time and has very little penetrating powers. I have worked with steel for over 30 years. At first we used WD-40 because it was all we had in the shops I worked in. Then about 15 years ago I found PB Blaster ! This stuff will work circles around WD-40.
We found that we spent less per year on penetrating fluid when we switched to the PB. I have a old Dayton 18" band saw and the table looks like new. The only thing ever put on it was wash it down with PB when finished and wipe it off. I have a old Suzuki Samurai and they were prone to rust. When working on this thing that was put together with Philips head screws that were always rusted. A shot of PB and within a short time the PB had worked all the way through to the other side and the screw would back right out. WD would not work ! Get the grinder and drill out and stick a bolt in it with washers and nut.
I know it is like comparing apples to oranges because I was working with steel then. The only reason I can see is that the PB may be wicked into the wood and have a adverse affect on the wood and finishing. So for that reason I have followed suit and have waxed and polished like I have been reading that others are doing. I have a spray can of shellac that I will try on the table saw at some time.
So who has tried the PB and should I stay away from it with the wood working tools.
 
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