Guide tube rust prevention.

[Gregg Feldstone]

For some reason the horizontal surface of my table saw guide tube rusts faster than ANYTHING else in my shop. I've coated it with everything and the rust still comes back in a few days.
Does anyone know what Powermatic coats their guide tubes with? I would like to apply some type of thin, tough, low friction tape or coating over the bare metal. Any suggestions??

[Frank Drew]

Gregg,

I'm sure I'm just having a senior moment, but what's a table saw guide tube?

[David G Baker]

I would think that wax should protect the metal if all of the rust has been removed or neutralized.

[Greg Hines, MD]

Just a guess, but I would assume that being on the coast is a huge part of your problem. When we lived in Galveston, any metal item, left outside, in the garage, or anywhere that was not constantly air conditioned, rusted in a very short order. The salt in the air is also a big contributor to neutralizing the wax and other coatings, I would think.

I think vigilance on your part is about the only thing to do. Wax would be my choice, after you have scoured it for rust.

Doc

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

what's a table saw guide tube?

It's a tube that guides.

I went on a tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and my guide was Quaalude of the Tubes.

So I'm guessing it's a member of the band.

How one gets them to rust is beyond me but they are getting on in years.

[Gregg Feldstone]

Could I please have a few more approriate, intelligent responses. Thanks!!

[Russ Massery]

Just Johnson's paste wax. Also help the fence slide easier also.

[Curt Harms]

Would one of the products used for cast iron rust protection like Boeshield T9 help? I assume the guide tube you're referring to is the fence rail?

[Bob Genovesi]

Gregg,

I'm sure I'm just having a senior moment, but what's a table saw guide tube?

I'm a bit confused as well. Is the tube you're referring to the the horizontal fence guide bolted to the front of the table?

Boeshield T9 is a great product and it lays down a heavy sticky coating and is mostly used for long term storage so I suspect you're looking for something more usable...

[Gregg Feldstone]

Like I said, I've tried EVERYTHING and nothing keeps the rust away more than a few days. I've found some adhesive backed high molecular weight polyethylene film which I could simply stick over the steel, and hopefully it will not rust underneath.
Anyone tried anything like this??

[Joe Scarfo]

I suspect his fence is an olderstyle that uses the round tubes for the front and rear guides for the fence vs the rectangular tubes today...???

I use 3 layers to protect my saw and the guide tubes.. first I lay down some WD40.. then Boeshield... then I coat it all with a few layers of paste wax.. works great....nice n slick

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Could I please have a few more approriate, intelligent responses. Thanks!!

Ohh touchy

[Daniel Thompson]

If none of the usual coatings are effective in stopping the rust, as a last resort you might consider removing the bar and having it chrome plated.

[harry strasil]

try using Marvel Mystery Oil and scotchbrite to get rid of the rust, then clean the MMO off with alchohol and then spray it with some silicone to coat it with, or just wipe it down daily with MMO.

[Jason White]

My Biesemeyer angled-steel and square-tube rail have some peeling paint and rust, too.

Probably best to get the rust off with a wire brush chucked in a drill or grinder and just re-paint it.

Jason


For some reason the horizontal surface of my table saw guide tube rusts faster than ANYTHING else in my shop. I've coated it with everything and the rust still comes back in a few days.
Does anyone know what Powermatic coats their guide tubes with? I would like to apply some type of thin, tough, low friction tape or coating over the bare metal. Any suggestions??

[Philip Johnson]

Boesheild T9 is the same as LPS 3 save a little money and just bye the LPS3.
I work on aircraft and checked the mil spec and it is the same. According to Boeing LPS3 and Boesheild are interchangable as far as for use on aircraft. I was at a Woodcraft store today and they had several products for removing and preventing rust.

[Myk Rian]

Could I please have a few more approriate, intelligent responses. Thanks!!
I'm still trying to figure out what the horizontal surface of a table saw guide tube is.

[Bill Huber]

You may want to try and clean it up the best you can and then with a heat gun or set it in the hot sun get it really hot and then put the protection on it what ever you want to use.

The heat will drive out any moisture that is in the steal or any small amounts of rust that my be left.

[Jeff Ranck]

It is interesting to me that you say the problem appears after a couple of days. You also don't say what the tube is made of or what metals it is in contact with. I don't know the environment is, but are you sure the rust isn't coming from dissimilar metal contact? It seems weird as I've never seen this in tools - the metals they use tend to be compatible or at least the environment tools tend to be used in doesn't bring this out. I've never heard of it just happening in the air. But if you are on the coast, I suppose it is possible. The drive on my boat has a sacrificial hunk of zinc bolted on to prevent just this type of corrosion. You could try bolting a chunk onto the tube to see if it helps. All that needs to happen is good electrical contact between the two.

[glenn bradley]

Would one of the products used for cast iron rust protection like Boeshield T9 help? I assume the guide tube you're referring to is the fence rail?

My experience with T-9 is that it prevents ease of movement. I would stick with JPW and apply it frequently. It take a couple minutes and takes way less time than getting the rust off.

Boeshield has a product called Rust Free which is my favorite for eliminating the rust prior to waxing. Once you have a good wax regiment going, rust removal should be a seldom thing.

[Gregg Feldstone]

The tube is just made of steel and the part rusting is not touching anything else. The guide tube is the long square tube in the front of the saw that the T-square end of the fence rides on. I'm going to remove the rust today and than order an adhesive backed low friction film to place over the unpainted area which rusts. Has anyone else tried this?

[Loren Hedahl]

Another idea -- take the tube off and have an auto paint shop strip it, treat it for rust, prime with epoxy primer and give it a top coat of 2-part polyurethane.

If you aren't fussy as to the color, this could be done along with one of their other paint jobs, I would think, for less cost.

Just an idea.

[Jeff Ranck]

The tube is just made of steel and the part rusting is not touching anything else. The guide tube is the long square tube in the front of the saw that the T-square end of the fence rides on. I'm going to remove the rust today and than order an adhesive backed low friction film to place over the unpainted area which rusts. Has anyone else tried this?

They don't have to be touching anything - just in electrical contact and the rust may not occurr at the point of contact. When two dissimilar metals are in electrical contact, the one that is the more "active" will corrode leaving the other intact (look up galvanic corrosion in wikipedia). This is the whole principle behind galvanizing - zinc corrodes, protecting the iron. It tends to particularly happen when the metals are immersed in an electrolyte like seawater - but even the Statue of Liberty has suffered from the effects (copper skin against the wrought iron supports). Like I said, it isn't generally common with tools, because everything tends to be iron or the environment isn't right, or we just don't notice (e.g. aluminum gets a hard skin when corroded and most don't notice). It just seemed weird to me that the rust would reappear in such a short period of time - even when you clean and wax it. But it sounds like you have a bead on something to try.

Jeff.