# Table Saw cast iron rust removal and prevention advise needed



## steliart (Jan 15, 2011)

Since I moved to my new shop, temperatures here are very very high and humid, I have a TS cast iron problem. It builds very easily rust on it and needs constant cleaning.
I'm tired of cleaning it every week or so and i need some advise on how to remove the rust and keep it from rusting.
I have tried many ways but not with success. Mainly use WD40 then some wax but it doesn't look like is working, maybe the way I'm applying it is wrong?, don't know!
Have in mind that I'm from Cyprus (European Island) and I cannot import any can sprays like the T-9 (not available here).

Any advise especially form ppl who live in similar weather conditions will be appreciated.

Thanks for the response.
Stelios


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## dshort824 (Jan 12, 2011)

Now I'm not saying that this is the right way, but it is my way. Whenever I remove the rust I wipe mine with a furniture polish called Johnson's paste wax. I wipe that on times three every other week or so and it usually keeps the surface rust down to a minimum if not completely gone. I live in Oklahoma which has a humid summer And keeps me on my toes at making sure my tools are clean and free of rest.


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## taoist (Jul 31, 2011)

I used to apply the Johnson's wax to prevent rust but that had to be done so often that I tired of doing it. I then mixed up some pure turpentine and bees wax and that is what I keep on it now. Only have to apply it about twice a year.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I also live in a very humid climate. I use pure Carnuba wax from Brazil. It has no silicon or other additives that can cause finish problems. I apply it; let it dry; then buff it to a shine. A treatment lasts about three months. Keep the top clean and that will help prevent rust from forming. Leaving a scrap of wood on the top traps moisture.


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

I have not tried it myself but have read somewhere shellac can be used to seal cast iron surfaces from rust and corrosion. Also works to protect wrought iron, brass, and copper. I would like to see others respond about their experience using shellac for this application


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

< Johnsons Paste Wax is a favorite of mine. Once you get it cleaned, you could also use some BoeShield. http://www.theruststore.com/Boeshield-C20.aspx?gclid=CMetyP2YtbgCFWNgMgodcwUA9Q ..
It's pretty good stuff also.


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## UpstateNYdude (Dec 20, 2012)

Taoist what parts do you mix for that turpentine mix? I'd be curious to try that as I use T-9 and have to apply about every month or two how often do you use your machines?


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

SHELLAC is the best thing I ever used iit will penetrate down deep and seal, a little rough at first but after you wear it off no more rust


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I tried ething on my jointer one day I said what tha hell I sprayed shellac on it ,hell no more rust I mean its been around a billon years and by JOE no more rust, I waxed, polished, oiled, ten times and the tables kept rusting till I put on shellac NO MORE RUST PEROID end of story but the real truth will be this winter but I plan on adding a second coat just to be safe YOU ARE VERY RIGHT >>KDC68<< IT IS THE CATS MEOW


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

*Straightbowed*....I appreciate you sharing your experience with shellac as a rust preventative. I have been curious but apprehensive of using it myself…but now I will have to give it a try


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

SHELLAC for me right now is a once a year treatment but I will find out this winter how it holds up for now as much as it has rained in KY and the humidity no rust for now and after you wear it down the table is so slick and smooth miracle I tell you its a miracle


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## taoist (Jul 31, 2011)

UpstateNYdude…The mixture was 50-50 but I believe some of the turpentine has evaporated out but it is still soft. I put it on and then rubbed it in and the wiped off the excess. That was last summer and I have a few places starting to rust again so it needs more attention. If I make it again I will use less turpentine and will add carnuba wax to the bees wax
To be honest, I haven't used my table saw in quite a while and all the responses about using shellac have me curious.
I have a can of Boeshield T-9 and I hate that stuff. If you put it on thick, it's really sticky and attracts dust and dirt, if you put it on thin it doesn't last long enough. It was made for the aerospace industry and in my opinion should have stayed there.


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## UpstateNYdude (Dec 20, 2012)

Stevo any particular brand spray on shellac your using I'm curious to see how well this works myself? Also what do you mean it's a bit rough? Do I need to run over it with some fine steel wool for smoothness?


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

*Upstate*...great questions…I brought up the question a couple of posts ago and am curious as you are about this…I can assume the answer will be dewaxed shellac. I think Zinsser Bullseye has the dewaxed seal coat version in a rattle can


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I used Zinser spray on shellac from Lowes, the yellow can, just got really tired of waxing one day and sprayed it but its just like finishing, spray on let dry smooth down with steelwool or 320 420 and there you go, its worked so far but my shop is not heated or cooled so it gets all the worst that mother nature has to offer, I think what it does is penetrates the cast iron and seals it very well


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## kdc68 (Mar 2, 2012)

*Straightbowed*..thanks again


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I think you want the waxed shellac for bein a lubricant like to make the metal smooth a silky, my jointer after I applied this was rough but with a few passes of jointing a few boards its slick as glass and no rust did I say shellac works great or am I just dreaming


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## Bovine (Apr 15, 2009)

I've never heard of the shellac. When I can't use Boeshield, I coat my tablesaw with paste wax, rub it off, then give it a second coat. I find that it works real well and I only have to do it every 3-4 weeks.


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I just tried it by accident got tired of the other not working and to my amazement it done the job


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## Bampei (Mar 31, 2009)

I'm gone for as much as 2-months at a time from my woodshop. It's located in humid Florida, and I have a LOT of cast iron in the shop.

I use SIX coats of Johnson's paste wax, all buffed down, which keeps the rust out, and also makes wood glide like a hot knife through butter on the tables. On the first coat, I lightly use a heat gun to melt the wax into the microscopic table orifices to insure 100% embalming.

I go to the extra lengths because some time ago, I came home after a six month absence, and had to spend almost three full days getting rid of the surface rust that had built up on my Table Saw, Drill Press Table, Bandsaw Table, Mortising table, and 8" Jointer. I don't EVER want to go through THAT again!


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

one coat of shellac works great and it's easier to apply, hit the draw not the fade


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## spcbike (Dec 30, 2012)

IME if the top is rusting that often, then there is rust on many of the other parts under the machine. Is this a concern for anyone other than me?


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I put shellac on my jointer in Dec it has not shown any signs of rust for 7 months, when I purchased the jointer I treated it with polish 2 grits then waxed it with car wax, still rusted so the only way that it would not rust is by spraying teflon spray or wiping a full coat of oil every time I used it, so I got really tired of wasting money on oil and wax so I put on shellac end of story really wish I would have taken pics but anyway Im screaming shellac is the sh&& INMHO, who is with me on this speak up or hold your tongue


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## steliart (Jan 15, 2011)

Thanks everyone for their comments

*Straightbowed*
You sold me. But as you red in the post I'm not from US so things are not available to me as to you, so if you please give me some specifics on what type of shellac should I look for and how you apply it, what's the procedure you use.

thanks
Stelios


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

just use Aerosol shellac regular in the yellow white can or you can buy some and spray it on I guess you could brush it on and then sand it down


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Stelios, Doesn't sound to me like it makes much difference how you apply it. I apply shellac by rubbing it on with a tightly folded cloth.


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

I can't scream it quite as loud as Straightbowed is plugging it, but I have been using essentially a French Polish on many of my hand tools and bandsaw top since I unpacked my shop after moving to the humid and salty coast of Florida. I put roughtly 4 parts zinser sealcoat (dewaxed shellac) and one part BLO in a squeeze bottle. After I use my bandsaw, framing square, hammer, wrench, chisel… I squeeze a bit of the shellac and BLO on a cloth and rub the iron down with it. So far (~10 months) I have been happy with the results.

The alcohol in the shellac seems to displace any sweat or moisture left on the tool from my hands, and gets rid of any salts left behind. The mixture penetrates well and dries rapidly. It is NOT necessary to apply it thickly. I rub it on and wipe it off immediately. By looking at it, you would think nothing is left on the surface, but its there. If your tool surface has a sticky feel after 2 minutes, you have left too much behind.

The only thing I avoid using it on are metal parts that need to slide but can't be separated to dry. Examples: The pivot point on a pair of pliers. The adjustment wheel on a handplane.

I have had much better results with this, than I did with wax. If you are unhappy with the results on any given tool, you can always wipe it down with a papertowel or rag dipped into some rubbing alcohol.


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

thanks Swirt Im glad your on the wagon I was thinking I was crazy for a minute but Im done yakkin, wish we could have put it on the market as RUSTBEGONE COULD HAVE RETIRED maybe


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## RobertsPlace (Aug 19, 2012)

Straightbowed - I'm going to give shellac a try on my cast iron jointer bed. Thanks for the strong post in this direction.


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## LepelstatCrafts (Jan 16, 2011)

I kid you not, but I use Turtle wax. I use WD-40 and wet sandpaper wrapped around a woodblock to remove the rust. After that I wipe away the remaining oil. I use 0000 steel wool to apply the Turtle Wax using a small circular motion (Wax on Wax Off). I let it dry / harden, then buff it off with either a shop towel or paper towel. My shop used to be in a basement with an unfinished section of floor. It have a very high humidity all year long and by using this method, the metal stayed really clean.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Johnson's paste wax for me. I Took the rust off a table saw and jointer. Waxed it everyday when I used it a lot and every other when I didn't use it much for 2 weeks. 6 months later and I haven't had to put another coat on yet and it's humid as hell in Louisiana


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

Don't have a humidity issue here is Arizona except for a few weeks a year in monsoon season, but I used to live in a place with 50-90% average humidity. Had all kinds of rust issues with bare cast iron. Like others commented, a good automotive paste wax works, but is short lived.

Many times its not the moisture levels that are causing rust growth, but when the moisture condenses on the surfaces due daily temperature drop through the dew point. I find that a simple plastic/phenolic sheet or cover laid down flat on the saw top helped a lot. When the moisture condenses, it doesn't reach the metal and instead condenses on the cover. When I do this, the simple wax coating lasted 2-3X longer. There is a vendor [Tool Clad] who sells magnetic saw top covers that will do the same thing.

My preferred solution is a Loctite product called "Extend" Rust Neutralizer that works extremely well. Stops rust immediately without cleaning, and keeps new rust from forming for very long time (years). It is also good to stopping pitted rust spots from getting worse when you refurbish old cast iron, and you can't sand/grind them completely away.

FWIW - When I asked a friend who worked @ Loctite why how this stuff worked so well was told it used 2 protection methods. 
1st element was a weak acid to convert red iron oxide to black iron oxide. Since black oxide isn't hydroscopic and constantly absorbing more moisture like red, it stops current rust even at the microscopic level you can't see.
2nd element was a polymer (acrylic blend) that oxygen cures to put a light protective coating on the metal.

"Extend" is actually intended to be rusty metal pretreatment prior painting. If you really spray it on heavy, it looks like a thick clear coat. After coating, I was able to polish cast iron with steel wool, and wax it like normal and experienced no woodworking issues. Although without waxing the treated surface, wood doesn't slide very well if it gets thick.

Since you inquire from Cypress, here's what I know about availability. 
The stuff is available in aerosol and liquid form. It is sold in many US in automotive parts supply houses(Autozone, Car Quest, NAPA, etc - as Permatex Extend Rust Treatment spray), DIY home centers (Lowes/Home Depot - Loctite Extend Spray), and industrial supply (Loctite - liquid). Loctite has a huge international presence, would be surprised if you couldn't find it somewhere in the EU, although it may sold under a different local company name that is part of the Loctite empire (Maybe Teroson brand?).

Additionally since I started using the stuff 20+ years ago, there are a couple of other companies selling the same type product. Dupicolor sells a clear rust conversion coating that I've tried from the auto parts stores that behaves just like Extend spray cans labeled with Loctite or Permatex brands.

Hope this helps.


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## thetinman (Mar 10, 2014)

Comments on shellac for sealing cast iron and other metals.

Back in my machine shop days we used shellac on all metal shop tables. It worked well. It kept the rust away and we only applied it once a year - in the spring just before the summer heat and humidity. This shop was right on Lake Erie and was heated but no AC. Very hot and humid. Rust was a constant concern. Here was our process on new and existing equipment.

Like Straightbowed we used spray because it could be put on in a light controlled coat. I don't remember if it was waxed or wax-free but I don't think it matters. We would let the shellac setup for a while until it was just tacky to the touch, then scrape it off with a broad blade. The shellac was still there but in a thin sealer coat and quite smooth. Then let it dry and lightly steelwool it. This left a very smooth table surface with the shellac down into all the pores of the metal. Depending on the machine (like tablesaws), we'd then hit it with 2 coats of Johnson's wax. The result was a glass top table that held off the rust. Because it was a working machine shop we tried to wax again every week but if volume directed no shutting down the shellac kept doing it's job. The only caution was to let the shellac completely dry before waxing so you don't find yourself with a gumming of wax and shellac when you apply it. Also, machine shops use a lot of oil and the cured shellac down into the pores of the metal seemed totally unaffected. This would not be an issue with woodworking, of course.

We also used the spray - without scraping, etc., on all the metal in the shop, such as airlines.


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## bowedcurly (Aug 31, 2013)

Yes I'm Straightbowed gone Bowedcurly, had computernaminitious


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## Fuzzy (Jun 25, 2007)

I get my surfaces clean, then give them a light spray of "LPS-1". It dries, leaving a very thin film of protection behind, which I simply buff off before using the tool … then, just give it another spritz when I've finished. LPS is great stuff, and I can't believe it isn't more well-known than it is.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

"I have tried many ways but not with success. Mainly use WD40 then some wax but it doesn't look like is working, maybe the way I'm applying it is wrong?, don't know"

Last night I watched a TV program called "Mysteries at the Museum" and they showed how WD40 was created. It was developed in response to the Atlas ICBM program to prevent rust from eating through the Atlas's fuel tanks. If this is the same WD40 , we all know, then why is it not being used to prevent rust on our cast iron tops? It would seem that anything that can stand such a harsh environment should work well on earth.


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