Rusty table

[Patrick Licata]

Have a very old craftsman table saw that is in good shape except for the table top which has rusted from sitting. Is there anything that can be done to remove the and clean and keep it from rusting?
Thanks, Patrick

[Chris Parks]

Providing it is surface rust only and has not created pits in the table a flat plate sander will get it off enough to make the saw usable. If you want to make it pretty and shiny you need to wait for another answer as my tools aren't pretty and shiny they are just tools. A wax coating will prevent the rust coming back and assist in cutting operations.

[Todd Burch]

You can sand the rust out (quick & messy) or remove it chemically (quick and more messy).

Grab your favorite sander and have it. Fine grit, move fast.

If you choose to chemically remove it, go to an auto-body store (or auto parts store) and get some phosphoric acid based rust remover. Bare metal treated with phosphoric acid will last a few years with doing nothing else to it (my frame of reference is South East Texas, about 90 minutes from the Gulf coast)

[Sid Matheny]

If the rust is real bad with pitting you might want to check with local machine shops to find someone with a surface grinder to regrind the top and wings for around $75 to $100 or less.

Sid

[Joseph Tarantino]

a little elbow grease and topsaver will do the job. here's the before and after of my 18" BS:

[Joseph Tarantino]

better pic of "after" removing rust.

[Stan Krupowies]

a little elbow grease and topsaver will do the job.

Does Lee Valley carry "elbow grease"? I looked in the BORG and they didn't have any.

[Gary Radice]

I recommend starting with a razor blade (in a suitable holder) to scrape off as much as you can. It is surprising how well this works. That will let you know how much sanding you have to do. Follow with coarse then fine Scotchbrite pads and WD-40. Sanding after that if you want shiny. If it is pitted, that usually doesn't affect the use although the looks might bother you.

[Keith Westfall]

Does Lee Valley carry "elbow grease"? I looked in the BORG and they didn't have any.

My Mom used to think we had lots of it - not sure it came from ... :D

[Jeff Duncan]

What Gary said.....the Maroon Scotch Brite pads work great.

good luck,
JeffD

[Erik Loza]

...coarse then fine Scotchbrite pads and WD-40...


What Gary said.....the Maroon Scotch Brite pads work great...

This ^^^. I have restored/touched-up many, many bandsaw table tops using this technique. Cut out small squares of the grey or red Scotchbrites (or just the green pad, if light cleanup...), flood the table with WD-40, then get after it with an orbital palm sander. Once the desired finish is achieved, strip the table with some denatured alcohol or acetone, then paste wax liberally. I personally try to avoid a shiny finish, as the wax tends to block up on it and then just scraped back off as the wood passes over. A dull, matte finish is perfect.

Best of luck with this,

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Ole Anderson]

Scrape it first to get the big stuff off (as stated, a raor blade works great) , then sand it with 220 grit then with a green scotchbright pad on your ROS. Then apply paste wax with steel wool.

[Van Huskey]

Does Lee Valley carry "elbow grease"? I looked in the BORG and they didn't have any.

You can't buy elbow grease, you can only rent it.

[ian maybury]

Suspect if there is pitting that another way of dealing with it might be a coat of 2 pack automotive clear lacquer - cut it back to the metal surface so that only the pits are filled.

ian

[HANK METZ]

As others have stated, mechanically remove the rust by whatever means suits, and you may well have one of the best rust preventives in your finishing supply cabinet: boiled linseed oil. Apply a small amount to a rag and rub all over, wipe up any excess and when it "cures", you'll have a near- bulletproof coating. I've used this for years on all my ferrous metal surfaces like drill press tables, columns, etc. while here in Florida, where I could throw a rock and hit the Atlantic- no more rust.

- Beachside Hank
Do not use remaining fingers as push sticks.

[Patrick Licata]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I will give it a try! Think maybe my 16 year old son might have some elbow grease, especially if he needs gas money!!! Thanks again!!

[Larry Gipson]

No one seemed to mention the Boeshield products. I initially used Rust Free to get the rust off my bandsaw table (with Scotch-Brite 7447 pads), then followed up with T-9 (and a clean Scotch-Brite pad). Rust Free can spot cast iron surfaces, but seemed to work ok on a small table where I could keep everything wet until I was done. T-9 has proven far superior to Johnson Paste wax in keeping the cast iron surfaces I have from new rust. (Of course, blade & bit is great for router bits, saw blades, and so forth.) All of this stuff is on Amazon.

I don't like using power buffers on machined surfaces, so I just cut the pads into quarters and used my palm. It's not a mirror look when you're done, but it's shiny enough. I tried to always go "with the grain" to align the micro scratches in the desired direction. Once T-9 dries, it leaves a sort of waxy film that can be wiped down with a paper towel. If I want a slippery surface, Johnson Past Wax works great on top of the T-9.

I've learned to have so much faith in T-9 that a couple of days ago, I wiped the grease off of a new cast iron router table with it right out of the box.

Larry

[Myk Rian]

I use a razor blade to scrape most of it off, then mix Bar Keepers Friend with some water to make a paste.
Scrub that in real good and rinse. Do it again if needed.
When clean of rust, I'll wipe it down with alcohol and apply lots of furniture paste wax. Melt it with a heat gun or hair drier, and buff it up.

Another option used for restorations is electrolysis.
Mix a couple tablespoons of Arm and Hammer washing soda (yellow box in the grocery cleaning aisle) with a gallon of water.
Put in a plastic tub large enough for the top to fit in. Some scrap steel and a battery charger, and the rust will disappear.
At OWWM.org we call it spooging. Works very well.

WD-40 does nothing to remove rust. It "prevents" it. Water Dis-placer formula 40

233355

[Prashun Patel]

I like a wire cup brush (not the braided wire one, and not the fine one, the medium duty one) on an angle grinder. It mattes the finish, but it's very hard to damage more than the rust and the shine.

[Ryan McDonald]

Here you go. Hot off the presses at owwm.org:

http://owwm.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=115988

[Kevin Bourque]

This thread has prompted me to clean off my old Craftsman 6" jointer that I cannot seem to part with. It has been sitting in storage for about 5 years so I dragged it out of hiding and sanded the table and waxed it afterward. Now I can put it back in hiding for another 5 years.

[Myk Rian]

This thread has prompted me to clean off my old Craftsman 6" jointer that I cannot seem to part with. It has been sitting in storage for about 5 years so I dragged it out of hiding and sanded the table and waxed it afterward. Now I can put it back in hiding for another 5 years.
I use mine for weight in the back of the pick-up.