Cleaning rusty machines

[Tom Sweeney]

I have a few machines that need some rust cleaned up.

Unfortunately my tablesaw recently got a couple of big rust spots. :( It sits under the garage door when opened & apparantly some water dripped off the door, while it was open, onto the table top. I want to clean up the rust spots & wax the top to help avoid it in the future. I also picked up an old 4" jointer recently and an old drill press that both need some surface rust cleaned up.

What's the best way to clean up the rust without further damaging the surfaces & what's the best treatment for keeping them clean & in good shape. I have some liquid carnuaba(sp?) wax but I don't know what other ingredients are in it. would this be suitable? Any other ideas or suggestions would be welcomed. :)

Thanks

[Sam Chambers]

I like "Rust Free", made by the makers of Boeshield T-9. Spray it on, let it do it's thing, then wipe it off. For really stubborn rust, you might have to scrub it with a nylon scruber or a nylon brush. Does a great job, though it smells like rotten eggs while it's working.

Here's a link to
Boeshield's Web Site (http://www.boeshield.com/)

For protecting surfaces once they're free of rust, lots of folks like Boeshield's T-9 (see above link). I like Top-Cote by Bostik - Follow this link for more info. (http://www.lubielube.com/01_Pages/Bostik.htm#Topcote) Just spray it on, let it dry, wipe it off, and there's no wax or silicone to mess with your finish.

Good luck!

[George@Colonel's Workshop]

Good Afternoon Tom,

I have had that happen to me also. Rust is unfriendly in the shop and no more welcome than roaches at a wedding banquet. I used scotchbrite and my ROS and light oil to rid my table saw top of rust from a beer bottle. In lieu of scotchbrite, I have also used 220/320 grit paper and oil. This seems a bit more aggressive, and the paper loaded up pretty quickly. It worked well. Clean up with paper towel and naptha. I have used many different kinds of wax and now am using J Wax/Turtle Wax.

[Steve Clardy]

with 350 grit paper. Scrub by hand, no sander. When clean, I use lacquer thinner to remove the oily WD-40, then use pure Beeswax to coat the table top. Makes er real slick kinda like an ice skate sliding down hill on solid ice outa control.
Works for me. Steve

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

SANDFLEX BLOCKS

On Klingspors Website they have this product. It comes in 3 different grits. They say this:

"No tool box or household should be without the Sandflex Abraser Block.
cleaning table saw tops to a smooth, silky finish.
bandsaw tables and jointer tables will be smoother than when you bought them.
clean rust and scale from chisels, carving tools and saw blades.
put an unbelievable shine on stainless steel kitchen sinks."

A pack of all 3 grits is $9.95 . I bought 2 sets of these but haven't used them yet. I have used WD 40 and wet dry sandpaper in the past on my Table Saw and been pleased. Then Johnson's wax. I hope these pads will do a little better job.

[Steve Clardy]

they work Jack. Sounds like a little cleaner operation. Steve

[Keith Outten]

I use my ROS and very fine sandpaper if the rust is bad, otherwise Scotch Brite (White) and my ROS for light rust and general cleaning every few months. Any iron surface can be protected with paste wax, I use Johnson's paste wax but any brand will do, paste wax is available almost everywhere, its easy, quick, cheap and very effective.

I also us my ROS and the White Scotch Brite pads with paste wax to rub out laquer on plaques. Hand rubbing isn't an option if you have to make lots of plaques per week.

[Tom Sweeney]

appreciate the ideas - I might have to order some of those SANDFLEX BLOCKS & try that if the sandpaper / scotch pads don't work. I want to try & get it done this weekend.

Thanks Again :D

[Jerry P. Doan]

Sandflex blocks work OK, but they are labor intensive compared to ROS with Scotchbrite pad. I use them only for cleaning off small spots.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

Update: SANDFLEX Blocks

They are labor intensive. They are like a big rubber erasser. I went out to the shop and cleaned up my ax blade last night. It will, for sure. clean up rust, but... it will not work out any pitting or scrathes. At least not easily.

ROS with successively finer grits makes more sense. I have used WD40 with wet/dry sandpaper and would do that again.

[Bob Wilkerson]

FWIW, I go thru quite a bit of this process in restoring old woodworking iron. First step for me is to use a single edge razor held at a low angle to scrape the surface. If you're careful, a tremendous amount of the rust will scrape right off without any nicks in the surface.

If heavily rusted I'll apply a solution of vinegar and salt to the surface. Make a mixture of salt and vinegar by pouring salt into a $2 gallon of vinegar until no more will dissolve. Pour some of that saturated solution on the rusty surface, cover with paper towels, then keep them wet with the solution, forming a slurry. Let it sit overnight. Scrape with razor and follow up with 400 and 600 grit paper.

Rinse well, and neutralize with baking soda. Let it dry thoroughly. If you're in a hurry, blow it off with an air hose or use a blow drier. While it's drying, it will likely form a thin layer of surface rust. Don't let that worry you -- it will come right off with a gray Scotchbright pad and WD40. Then wipe it clean.

After that, paste wax should keep it looking good.

For heavily rusted parts I'll use electrolysis if I can get it into a tank. I use 5 gal buckets for small parts and a 55 gal. plastic drum for large parts. I know of a couple of people who have used cattle watering tanks to handle extremely large parts. Then there is the vintage auto restoration folks who have tanks large enough to dip a whole car in! If you need info on this process, let me know.

Bob - old arn nut

[PeterTorresani]

I read this thread last week and knew at the time that I would be putting people's ideas to the test over the weekend.

I am happy to report that a little WD-40, green Scotch Brite, and some elbow grease did a wonderful job on my table saw. It was pretty light rust, but the top looks nearly as good as when it was new.

I've still got to get the jointer tuned up and then its sawdust time. I can't wait to start woodworking again.

80 deg today, but they're predicting snow on Wed.

[Malcolm Timbers]

Actually, you don't need to do a thing! I like old rusty tools especially pitted ones. I never have to worry that someone will steal them because thieves have better tastes than to steal some rusty old clunker. My Delta Home craft is rusted and pitted and even the motor is pitted, yet it works just fine. Besides it fits in with the rustic style of furniture that I make.

[Bob Nazro]

Tom,

I use WD40 and 600 & 1200 Grit paper with an old push block. Rub straight across the table top do not swirl the sanding. It takes a bit of elbow grease but in about 45 minutes and a few beers I brought out the shine in the pic. http://www.woodworking.org/imagepost/200302/imfidx10dsc00017-1.jpg

You can go up to 2000 grit if you want, but I could see myself at 1200 Scarry but not sharp.

Finish it off with some paste wax and put some ice on your arm.