Jointer tables have bad blotching

[Todd Worstell]

I just got a new jointer and the tables look terrible. It looks like something was stained/etched/splashed all over the infeed/outfeed tables. I cleaned off the shipping goop with kerosene but it does not remove the blotches. This can't be normal for a brand new jointer table. Does anyone have any ideas how it might have came this way or how to remove it? I have attached pictures so you can see what I mean.

[John Coloccia]

That's cleaned off? Try some WD40 to clean it. Degreaser works well too but it can discolor things a bit.

[Frank Drew]

Todd,

I have no idea what might have caused those cosmetic defects, but you might ask the dealer/manufacturer.

I understand the interest in a pristine new tool, but if the jointer does its job well you'll probably forget about how it looks before too long.

[Todd Worstell]

Note: the pictures show the blotching of the table after cleaning half of it. The bottom half is after thorough cleaning. The top half still has the shipping goop on it.

[John Coloccia]

Ohhhhh, I see. I think the splotching is from uneven coating of cosmoline after they applied the plastic to the top. I think you're just seeing areas where there was a lot of cosmoline vs very little cosmoline, and maybe even some areas where the plastic was able to trap some moisture vs keeping it out. When you clean the other half, notice where the concentrations of cosmoline are, and I think you'll find the pattern matches that. I don't think it's a big deal.

For what it's worth, I found that carnauba wax does a great job of getting that last, annoying bit of cosmoline and gunk off the tables.

[glenn bradley]

I too would ask the seller. I am curious as to their answer. On older gear that has come into something it probably shouldn't have over the years I have been able to even out shadowing and such with Boeshield's Rust Free. It is a caustic so read and follow the direction carefully or you will have new issues to deal with. Great product, I always have some on hand.

P.s. I remove goo with dry paper towels first till I just have a film left. Mineral Spirits on more paper towels take s the film off quickly. It's the nooks and crannies that take an old toothbrush and MS that are a pain.

[Will Overton]

I got a little rust overnight on a brand new tablesaw ... before I finished assembly. I used Boeshield's Rust Free and it destroyed the appearance of the top. I used it based on many recommendations online. I should have read the bottle that cautions it may cause staining on cast iron. So use with caution if you are concerned with appearance.

That said, it did get rid of the rust, and my saw is a tool rather than an ornament.

[Jacob Mac]

Boeshield's Rust Free is really noxious. But it works. Have a lot of fans going and wear some type of respirator. I used it when rehabbing a jointer and it was not a lot of fun. But it did work.

One other thing you can try is take some 3:1 oil and some bar keeper's friend. Make a slurry with the two products and wipe down the table. That is another approach that might work.

[Pete Bradley]

Forget about trying to keep the top pristine. It won't make a bit of difference to your work and it will eat a lot of time that could otherwise be spent making chips. Eventually the whole top is going to be a lot darker.

[Todd Worstell]

When I cleaned the rest of the tables, the blotches did not come out. They also did not match the goop applied areas where in some place there was more and some places less. This is something different from the goop application. I cleaned the tables thoroughly with kerosene as directed in the manual. I can take a white cloth/paper towel and run across the table and it is still completely white. Many of the blotches are perfectly round cirles as if something was dripped on it. I know that this appearance makes no difference to the performance but for a brad new $2K machine it would be nice to get goodlooking tables. The other thing is that the thickness planer table underneath the cutter head is all a nice uniform color and sheen and looks nice. I guess whatever got splashed on the jointer tables didn't make it down to the thickness table because it is not as exposed. Thanks for the cleaning suggestions, I will give them a try. I don't expect these blotches to ever come out, but its good maintenance to keep them as clean as possible.

[Mark Ashmeade]

Boeshield's rust free did exactly that to my tablesaw top, blotches of it. I had squirted the product directly on the table top. To get rid of it, I liberally applied the Rust Free with a sponge so it was evenly coated, then wiped clean after 10 minutes. This diminished the marks. I then did the WD40/Scotchbrite process, and it came out like new. T-9 and JPW, and it looks a million dollars.

I wouldn't be too happy about having to do that on a new tool though.

[Frank Drew]

I bought a new Ford pickup truck in 1973 (cost new $2650!); when I got back from the dealership a friend told me I ought to take a piece of firewood and give one of the sidewalls a good whack so I'd get over worrying about keeping the thing pristine.

[Mike Goetzke]

On a new expensive tool I would not consider this acceptable. But, that being said, I have used a method similar to one known as "Dave's Dirty Dozen." Basically I flood the top with WD40 and take a gray Scotch Brite pad to it with a 1/4 sheet sander. Amazing how much more junk this removes. I wipe it down and go at it a second time, wipe it clean, degrease, Boeshield T-9, & paste wax. (This may remove the blotches.)


Mike

[Frank Drew]

On a new expensive tool I would not consider this acceptable.

Todd will have to decide whether the blotches are sufficiently annoying (and will remain so) for him to go through the hassle and delay of getting the dealer to replace the machine.

If you strip the paint off otherwise fabulous older wood working machines, you often can see actual voids in the castings that had been filled with the bondo of the day, then smoothed out and painted over.

Just sayin' is all....

[John Coloccia]

We've PM'd back and forth a couple of times, picking my brain about my experiences with the JJP-12. His bigger problem is that his outfeed has a .025" dip. That's excessive and warrants a replacement of the outfeed table at a minimum IMHO.

I personally wouldn't worry one bit about the funny splotching. If mine came like that, I wouldn't even give it a second thought. And yes, whack it with a piece of firewood if you feel you must :D. Do get straight tables, though.

[Mike Goetzke]

Todd will have to decide whether the blotches are sufficiently annoying (and will remain so) for him to go through the hassle and delay of getting the dealer to replace the machine.



Must be or we wouldn't be seeing this post;).