Keep rust off of jointer?

[Joe Shinall]

I have a 8" Grizzly jointer. I had it in storage for a while then built my new shop and have it in use. I cleaned the rust off the bed with Boeshield and put Renaissance Wax on it. Nice and smooth for about 3 weeks. Now I have rust coming back. Is there something I can put on this to keep it from rusting? Good ole Southern Georgia humidity doesn't like machinery very well.

[Don Huffer]

Joe believe it or not. I found WD40 to be the best at stopping the rust. I apply it about 2 times a year and I haven't had rust come back. When you clean it free from rust. The cast is so clean and free of any oils that might help ward off the rust. That's when it's most likely going to rust actually in minutes. WD40 will soak in and not wipe off on your wood.

Don

[Charles Wiggins]

Joe believe it or not. I found WD40 to be the best at stopping the rust. I apply it about 2 times a year and I haven't had rust come back. When you clean it free from rust. The cast is so clean and free of any oils that might help ward off the rust. That's when it's most likely going to rust actually in minutes. WD40 will soak in and not wipe off on your wood.

Don

"WD-40" actually stands for "Water Displacement, 40th formula." That's what it was designed to do.

I use Johnson's paste wax and it works well for me in my basement shop with no heat or A/C. I did get some surface rust when I left a piece of SYP laying on my table saw for a couple of weeks, but nothing from the ambient air.

[Mike Cutler]

Joe

I've tried just about everything short of bluing my machine tops. Nothing I've found is a one time permanent solution. Now I just keep a can of paste wax at the ready in the shop (unheated, uninsulated and subject to ambient environment). Johnson's and Fleet are pretty good, but I'm sure just about any quality paste wax will do the job.
I also cover my machines when not in use so the condensation doesn't settle on the tops.

[Mark Wooden]

Paste wax works for me on all my machines in a sometimes humid shop. I use Butchers, it has a good hard finish, but any wax that doesn't have silicone in it works.

[Don Huffer]

I was a little afraid to use WD 40 because I thought it would come off on the wood. But it doesnt effect my work in the least. I tried almost everything with only some success. I live in the sub tropics so it's quite a problem. I don't know how it works but it seems to leave something behind that protects the casting. My drill press and C clamps were a big problem too but not anymore.

[Jim Foster]

If it's possible, keeping the relative humidity somewhere around 53% or lower will provide a rust free shop. I've done this for 5-6 yrs now and have not had any rust bloom on any of my tools due to humidity.

[Gary Herrmann]

Try Fluid Film. Leave it on heavy if you're not going to use the tool regularly. Wipe it off before you joint, clean off the sawdust then reapply when done.

[Michael Dunn]

I have a 8" Grizzly jointer. I had it in storage for a while then built my new shop and have it in use. I cleaned the rust off the bed with Boeshield and put Renaissance Wax on it. Nice and smooth for about 3 weeks. Now I have rust coming back. Is there something I can put on this to keep it from rusting? Good ole Southern Georgia humidity doesn't like machinery very well.

Is it rusting in spots? Like drips of water sitting on it for a while? I use T9 Boeshield and Bostik Top cote (now called glide cote I believe). Unless water drips right on the CI surface I'm rust free all year. Chicago gets pretty nasty humid too. Not quite as had as Georgia, but still pretty wicked.

[John Downey]

My old jointer has quite deep pitting from old rust. Some previous owner stored it outside and you can see where a tarp didn't quite cover the infeed bed. Still works fine.

Rust on a newer machine is annoying, but in the grand scheme it's not a big deal. I'd much rather have a pitted bed than beds out of plane.

[Myk Rian]

Bar Keepers Friend
Paste wax melted in with a heat gun, then buffed
Cover. Canvas or machine cover

[Jim Rimmer]

I live on the Texas Gulf Coast about 2 miles from Galveston Bay. High humidity year round. My tools are in an uninsulated, uncontrolled (climate) garage. I use Johnson's Wax on the cast iron and it works great.

[Phil Thien]

Have any of you guys use the large pieces of magnetic sign material? I know some places were selling the stuff as a solution, you basically cut it to size and placed it on top of the machine tables when you left the shop.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Please don't shoot the messenger, (me). FWW did a rust test, and they concluded that WD-40 is actually very highly rated. Even more so than the long term corrosion WD-40. Go figure. Also, far above Beoshield. I use Boeshield/paste wax like many others here, since a lot of us recommend it. Top rated was CRC formula 6-36. I found some locally and I did my own test, and it seems to work pretty good as well as being cheaper than the Boeshield. I think after I run out of my beloved Boeshield, I will not be buying any more of it. WD-40 is dirt cheap at the big outlet box company. Although I really can't bring myself to use it.

As a side issue, they also tested the "effects" of the lubricant/preservative, rubbing off and adversely affecting the finishing process. They found nothing.

Again, I'm just re-stating what they found, not what I personally believe. Please, no flames.

Sign material? Now that's a novel idea.......

[Mitchell Garnett]

I live in the Seattle area and my shop is my garage. I do have heat but only have it on when I know I'll be working out there. My rust under control regimen: I occasionally clean the top of my cabinet saw, jointer, etc with WD20 and a green Scotch pad. Then I apply with SlipIt per instructions. SlipIt isn't advertised as a rust preventative but it seems to be working for me. I put it on a couple of times a year.

[phil harold]

Since it seems to be that time of year
rust on cast iron
I dug up some old internet searches
and posted them here:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?212477-Moisture-on-tools-when-heating-shop&p=2208501#post2208501

[Dick Latshaw]

When I first got most of my current floor standing tools about 8 years ago, I put a coat of Boeshield T-9 on all of the unpainted cast iron surfaces. Since then, I have applied a coat of Johnson's paste wax about once a year. I also keep my machines covered with old bed sheets when not in use. Rust has not been an issue, and it is humid here much of the year.

[Joe Shinall]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I'll try paste wax and see how it works out. WD-40 works as good as the t-9 in my opinion at getting the rust off but not for keeping it away. I'll just try to do it more often than once a month and see how it works.

It's not rusting in spots, just all over rusty haze. More where the boards are going across, but all I cut is dry lumber so maybe that's just where the renaissance wax wore off more than the rest.

[Joe Shinall]

Well one more question, for those of you that use boeshield, does it go on smooth enough to where i wouldn't have to worry about friction against the boards?

[george newbury]

<snip>I occasionally clean the top of my cabinet saw, jointer, etc with WD20 and a green Scotch pad.<snip>

Do you use 2 coats of WD20 :) Or did you mean WD40?

[Jim Rimmer]

Do you use 2 coats of WD20 :) Or did you mean WD40?

I'm glad you asked because I have never heard of WD20. :D

[Henry Kramer]

Is WD20 half as strong as WD40?

[Jim A Walters]

I was just paging through my new Feb/Mar Woodcraft magazine and there's an article in there about a product called BORA MetalGuard Ultra Anti Rust Coating. The author says he's used it for a couple years and apparently it works pretty good. I haven't tried it but thought I'd mention it as another option that may be worth looking into.

Jim

[dan sherman]

the issue you are having is with the dew point. basically, the air in the shop heats up faster than the tool surface. as soon as tool surface temp is lower than the due point condensation will start to form on the machine. You can prevent condensation from forming in a number of ways but I think the easiest ways are as follows:

1. prevent rapid temperature change in the shop (more insulation, or a heater)
2. lower the shop humidity (dehumidifier)

[Randy Rose]

"Blaster" Silicone spray has performed best for me.
Have previously used WD40 / Fluid Film / Kroil etc.
Have excessive condensation due to heating only on demand with ventless gas heaters.

[phil harold]

"Blaster" Silicone spray has performed best for me.
Have previously used WD40 / Fluid Film / Kroil etc.
Have excessive condensation due to heating only on demand with ventless gas heaters.

you having many fisheyes while trying to but a finish on your project?

silicone does not play well with others

[Randy Rose]

you having many fisheyes while trying to but a finish on your project?

silicone does not play well with others

Excellent point.

I certainly learned the silicone/fisheye lesson when painting cars and agree 100%
Haven`t had that issue here, I assume 2 reasons, this product cures "dry" and is far easier to remove prior to use than my previous experiments.