Saw Top Cleaning

[Tom Winship]

I would like to hear discussion on cleaning, rust removal and prevention for saw tops. I recently bought some TOPSAVER from Woodcraft, and it does fairly well. Is there anything any better? And what to use after to prevent rust.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

And what to use after to prevent rust.
Diligence, my friend.
Diligence.

That and frequent applications of paste wax and/or any other wonder product on the market.

The real key to pre-vention is a-ttention.

[Frank Trinkle]

Rich,

I agree that diligence is a key, but I am also interested in what specific products (other than paste wax) members have found to be most effective at REMOVING rust from cast iron tables and what products best help PREVENTING rust beneath the paste wax.

I have used a couple of products but I have to believe there are better products out there than the ones I've tried so far...

[Howard Miller]

Bar Keepers Friend is great for removing the rust.

[Joe Scharle]

Bar keepers in a slurry of WD40 applied with a Scotch Brite pad, either by hand or ROS works for me.

[Frank Trinkle]

OK... I see a number of Bar Keepers Friends products on Amazon...

So which specific product is the one you guys are using? The cleaner/polish or the Lime and Rust remover? Or... another product altogether??

[glenn bradley]

I have a 1/4 sheet sander with a gray syntho pad on it. Mineral spirits and a light touch removes the previous coats of wax. Boeshield Rust Free takes care of any shadows or out-n-out rust (haven't seen any of that for quite awhile). Wipe off any residual with paper towels and apply pastewax. Just as it starts to cloud, buff it good. I do this about 4 times a year(?) on all cast iron surfaes; TS, BS, DP, jointer, fences, etc. Not on a schedule or anything; you can tell when some TLC is needed and doing it is a lot easier than "recovering".

[Jacob Mac]

I bought some boeshield rust free to help cleanup my TS and shaper, and it is some potent stuff. Don't let it sit too long, and make sure your shop is well ventilated.

[Frank Trinkle]

Bar keepers in a slurry of WD40 applied with a Scotch Brite pad, either by hand or ROS works for me.

Again.. Would you kindly tell me exactly WHICH Barkeepers product you are referring to? (They have multiple products)

[Bill White]

Again.. Would you kindly tell me exactly WHICH Barkeepers product you are referring to? (They have multiple products)

Cleaner/Polish. You don't have any lime staining on your saw top.
Bill

[Frank Trinkle]

Thanks for that. Ordered!

[Joe Scharle]

Sorry, I was in the shop. But you got the right answer.

[Cary Falk]

They stock barkeepers Friend at Home Depot also. At least they do out here.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Anyone use Reniassance wax?

[Howard Acheson]

>> And what to use after to prevent rust.

According to a couple of magazine tests including FWW, Boshield T9 is the only product that withstood long term rust prevention tests. I've used it for 5 years here in coastal North Carolina and have had no rust on any of my cast iron surfaces.

[Paul Saffold]

I get Bar Keepers Friend at the grocery stores. Same location as Ajax, Comet, etc.

Paul

[Ben Galluzzo]

I have to say, I've had really good results over the years using Boeshield T9 as well.

[Paul Ryan]

As far as protection goes, I have found something that works better than anything period. I used a magnetic cover you can buy them from woodcraft and they work just great. They run about $50 and are 27"x44" and stick right down. I put a coat of wax on about evey other month and put the cover on when not in use. I have yet to see any problems with rust even during the good old MN "pea soup" days.

[Jacob Mac]

I have to say, I've had really good results over the years using Boeshield T9 as well.


Everytime I use T9, I get a sticky film on my saw. Have you experienced this?

[george wilson]

Renissance wax is the wax that the conservation department in Col.Williamsburg uses. I use it too.

[Cary Falk]

Everytime I use T9, I get a sticky film on my saw. Have you experienced this?

I used to. Now I spray it on, rub it in, and wipe it off. It leaves a thin film that is not sticky. I then coat with paste wax. I haven't have any issues with rust

[Lewis Cobb]

Another variation on the Bar Keeper's Friend -
I use 3 in 1 oil with the powdered Bar.K.F. and mix it into a greenish slurry (why it turns green I have no idea- the oil is brownish and the powder is white - go figure). Rubbing gently with a finger wrapped in paper towel for about 10 seconds and the light surface rust seemed to disapppear. Any longer and I started to burnish/polish the surface so I stopped. BTW - I was using this stuff on brand new tablesaw wings that had some light surface rust on the edges - perhaps the cosmoline was not on there thick enough. It did the trick for the most part.

If anyone has used the Bar Keepers Friend and then found something that was more aggressive I'd like to hear from them - I have a slight outline on one the rust stains above that I'd like to remove completely.

Good Luck
Lewis

[Bob Genovesi]

This is what I use with a 3M ScotchBrite pad.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/BobbyG53/slipit.jpg

[glenn bradley]

I bought some boeshield rust free to help cleanup my TS and shaper, and it is some potent stuff. Don't let it sit too long, and make sure your shop is well ventilated.

Jacob is dead-on. Read and respect the label; this stuff is caustic. I spray it on and begin wiping immediately. An old machine had dark shadows (not the soap opera) and I sprayed, counted to 5 and they nearly disappeared.

[Brad Ridgway]

#1 Recommendation to keep the saw rust free going foreward.:

don't use the saw when it's 95 degrees out and humid as hell as it has been last few weekends in Florida. I'm drenched within an hour of opening the overhead door and no matter how careful i try to be i always drip on the tops. Arg!

thx
-brad

[Jim Rimmer]

Sounds like a lot of good advice that I will try next time on my saw. I used some sanding pads in various grits to remove the rust and polish. The saw had been sitting for quite a while unused. Then I sprayed it with Topcote. I think I got the pads and the topcote from Rockler but not sure. That was about 3 + years ago and it still looks good except where I have left a can sitting on it. :confused:

[Kyle Iwamoto]

This forum is just awesome!

I went to the BORG, and yes they do carry Barkeepers Friend. 2 bucks! I tried it on the outfeed table of my sander, and WOW! does it work. Field test for me, to see if I actually want to use it on my table saw. And my jointer.....

I can't believe only 1 other person uses Renissance (sp?) wax........ That just does not remove rust. It's good though, self removing, no buildup.

[John Jendro]

This gentleman came up with a good solution to getting stains off.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1094629#poststop


John

[Ben Galluzzo]

Everytime I use T9, I get a sticky film on my saw. Have you experienced this?

Yes, I get that everytime. When it dries it gets kind of sticky, then I do a quick buff of the top with a clean soft rag. Applying it seemed really weird in that it did get sticky, but it does a good job of staying nice and smooth.

I originally got the T9 as a gift a few years ago because I was constantly fighting rust issues. I had seen it before, but the price originally kept me from it. Funny, you don't need much anyways.

[Frank Trinkle]

OK.. to the folks that use Barkeepers Friend.

I have some now and it works very nicely! But... the question I have is if you use it in a slurry of 3:1 oil or WD40, what do you clean off the residual with before waxing? Damp water towel? Just wipe?

Don't want to leave the residue so I'm curious as to what is best to remove it before using T-9 or Wax. Thanks

[Joe Scharle]

Can't believe none of us thought of that!
Since I topcoat with T9, I wipe the slurry up with paper towels and then remove all of the oil with acetone. Get the slurry out of the miter undercut too.

[Frank Trinkle]

Great! That makes a lot of sense.

Thanks to all who recommended BarKeepers Friend. That stuff works great!

[glenn bradley]

I can find no BKF product named cleaner/polish. Many variations but as usual in BKF discussions, its still a secret(?). Anyone got a link to the SPCIFIC product being discussed?

[Myk Rian]

OK.. to the folks that use Barkeepers Friend.

I have some now and it works very nicely! But... the question I have is if you use it in a slurry of 3:1 oil or WD40, what do you clean off the residual with before waxing? Damp water towel? Just wipe?
I use alcohol.

[Myk Rian]

I can find no BKF product named cleaner/polish. Many variations but as usual in BKF discussions, its still a secret(?). Anyone got a link to the SPCIFIC product being discussed?
GOOGLE
http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/
The one I use is the first on the left. A powder in a can. http://barkeepersfriend.com/BarKeepersFriend_powder.htm

[Stephen Musial]

I use alcohol.


Me too. But I don't waste it on the saw.

[Lewis Cobb]

I use alcohol.


Mineral Spirits worked well for me - followed by Boeshield - then that followed by Johnsons paste wax

[glenn bradley]

GOOGLE
http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/
The one I use is the first on the left. A powder in a can. http://barkeepersfriend.com/BarKeepersFriend_powder.htm

Thanks Myk. You are a prince and a scholar ;-)

[Mike Cornelsen]

Previous discussion I found interesting: http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=76282

[Chip Lindley]

Check out this thread. The stuff is mineral spirits and mineral oil, according to info provided. Maybe it's the propellant thats so nasty?? http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1156560#post1156560