keeping cast iron Machine tops clean the easy way.

[jack forsberg]

do you hate cleaning rust form cast iron tops? so do I. here is what i do that is quick and easy. Now i know some use there ROS with Scotch brite but with the Angle grinder you will not believe how fast this is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uMrVusnaEg&list=UUI6jpIs2zjN9DmVvK2ZAWXA

[Bruce Page]

Make sure the wire brush doesn't snag your sweatshirt!

[Mark Bolton]

Make sure the wire brush doesn't snag your sweatshirt!

Oooh man... I had a kid working for me one time that grabbed a Metabo 6" electronic grinder (read one that runs on 90v and keeps the other 30 in reserve and applies more power under load-amp draw which means you cant bog it down) that had a 6" knotted cup wheel on it. These grinders have an on/off switch rather than a paddle (which wish they didnt because if you lose hold of it its on even if you let go). Anyway, he grabbed it and kicked it on and was goofing around and the wheel hooked the belly of is T-shirt (he was ample in the belly which didnt help) and I saw it coming. I started running for the cord and thankfully he was a brute and sucked his gut in, and pulled the grinder away from his body. I just got to the cord in time and kicked it out of the wall.

If that wheel had made contact with his belly it would have been a majorly ugly scene. Sends chills up my spine just thinking about it.

[jack forsberg]

i agree them knotted wheels can draw blood. The one i am using is soft wire but its best not to to get it caught in your shirt DAMHIKT

[Lee Schierer]

It would be safer to purchase the Scotch Brite pads for an angle grinder and skip the wire brush.

[jack forsberg]

It would be safer to purchase the Scotch Brite pads for an angle grinder and skip the wire brush.

you can get the one that you say for about $35 each or the pad for about $1 that you can cut 4 from. If you find an angle grinder unsafe (i don't) than use something else. In the 6 years i have been doing this i have never had an injury.

[Larry Edgerton]

Jack, I use a product by Skyco called Ospho. I have mostly SCM and they use that lightly fluted machine tops [don't know the proper term] so its hard to use abrasives on them. I recently bought a Unitronix shaper that has that same surface and was in bad shape from sitting in a damp polebarn. So I picked up this stuff, laid rags on the top and soaked them so it would stay wet. In about three hours I picked them up and the top looked like it had just been surfaced. Its a rapid oxidizer, acid based. I use it on all my tops now when life happens.

I put it in plastic containers and drop parts in and a little while later they look like new. Supposedly eats the rust but not the good metal, not sure I believe that so I don't leave anything in there longer than necessary. I used it recently on an antique bed with some sort of intricate cast white metal feet that had corroded badly, left it for about 4 hours and they were ready for paint. Cool stuff.

Larry

[jack forsberg]

Jack, I use a product by Skyco called Ospho. I have mostly SCM and they use that lightly fluted machine tops [don't know the proper term] so its hard to use abrasives on them. I recently bought a Unitronix shaper that has that same surface and was in bad shape from sitting in a damp polebarn. So I picked up this stuff, laid rags on the top and soaked them so it would stay wet. In about three hours I picked them up and the top looked like it had just been surfaced. Its a rapid oxidizer, acid based. I use it on all my tops now when life happens.

I put it in plastic containers and drop parts in and a little while later they look like new. Supposedly eats the rust but not the good metal, not sure I believe that so I don't leave anything in there longer than necessary. I used it recently on an antique bed with some sort of intricate cast white metal feet that had corroded badly, left it for about 4 hours and they were ready for paint. Cool stuff.

Larry

Metal planer makes them line in the top and there very nice. here is one in action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4kPDhrhlgk

this process(the one i show is for working shop tools) that will work great on planed tables as the pads conform nicely. Just go in the direction of the planer lines.

[Bruce Page]

I ran a smaller 10' Hypro for awhile. Neat machine but it was like watching paint dry once you got it set up. :rolleyes:

[jack forsberg]

I ran a smaller 10' Hypro for awhile. Neat machine but it was like watching paint dry once you got it set up. :rolleyes:

You got to like the chip coming off the Cincinnati Bruce:cool::cool:

[Bruce Page]

I do but he should be squirtin' some black oil on it. It makes one heck of a cloud!

[jack forsberg]

I do but he should be squirtin' some black oil on it. It makes one heck of a cloud!

I did see the heat in the chip but the color was nice. The man there i think has run that there machine before a few times. But for a show the Oil would have given its some stage FX.:D:D

[Tom M King]

Thanks for that Jack! I keep a twisted wire cup on one of my 15 amp old Milwaukee side grinders, and I'll sure put that to use with it now too. For those worried about safety, the big side grinder has two handles on it, and you wouldn't run it so close to your body as a 4-1/2 anyway. I have another one that I keep a 9" grinding wheel on for sharpening mower blades.

Larry, Thanks for that tip too. I'm going looking for some right now.

[Mark Bolton]

I agree. I have scotch pads in the shop all the time. The wire wheel is a good option. No safety issues. Id rather keep the money in my pocket

[Dennis Aspö]

I just don't keep my tables in that good condition, my tops have developed a patina that is kind of dark, sanded it until it felt smooth and then treated with wax. This patina helps somewhat in preventing further oxidation.

[Max Neu]

I don't have an angle grinder, but I do have a festool RO125.I wonder if I used that in aggressive mode with some scotch Brite, it would produce similar results?

[Jeff Duncan]

I do similar but using the setup for attaching paper discs to the grinder. Takes a little longer to screw them on, but they'll stay on there! Maroon Scotch Brites will clean up surface rust pretty quickly….but you'll want to be wearing a mask!

JeffD

[Jim Andrew]

Thanks for posting that video, hadn't thought of using a wire wheel on my tops. Be sure to wear eye protection, a friend got a piece of wire in his eye while taking paint off a bus, went straight into the center of his eye, he had multiple operations and the eye was never very good again.

[Michael W. Clark]

Thanks Jack. This does work like a champ, but it is fast! I used this technique with the maroon pad on a Delta shaper I'm cleaning up after seeing your post. There is some skill involved. The finish is plenty smooth, but is streaked, shiny in places and less so in others. May do another round and spend time on the less shiny areas. Does the fine scotch brite leave more of a matte finish?

Thanks
Mike

[Matt Day]

I just wanted to bump this thread because it works great! I just did it for the first time and my TS top has never looked so good. I used maroon, green, then gray. It took me longer to cut the squares then to do the work! Obviously there are some small scratches that won't be taken out but it sure is smooth now. I plan to do the same treatment to my jointer and planer.

Great tip Jack!

[Tom M King]

I keep an old, extra 15 amp side grinder dedicated to this since Jack first posted this. I don't bother to cut the pads down at all. The corners slinging around don't bother a thing, but my hands aren't anywhere near it with the full sized grinder.

[jack forsberg]

Yes it's work very well and i have not found a better way. Glad you have found it useful.

[Doug Ladendorf]

Giving credit where credit is due, I have also used Jack's suggestion on my Powermatic 20" bandsaw and Oliver lathe. The wire wheel does an amazing job prepping for polishing passes. I've also used Norton wheels like these with success: http://www.nortonindustrial.com/Bear-TexNon-wovenDepressedCenterWheels.aspx

Doug

[Matt Day]

Doug,
Do you start with the wire wheel then go to course scotch brite?

[Doug Ladendorf]

I start with a wire wheel (not knotted as they weren't too bad), then to a Norton Bear-Tex wheel. Those two leave a very smooth surface. I'll need to look this weekend to ID exactly which Bear-Tex I have ($10 ebay). ScotchBrite makes something similar I believe.

Doug

[Chris Padilla]

Cool. Harbor Freight has cheap grinders (and ScotchBrite) that would be perfect for dedicating to such a feat. I shall now use mine as such! :D

[Kevin Jenness]

You can spin scotchbrite with a regular hook and loop pad on a random orbit sander without using a wire wheel.

[Brian Henderson]

You can spin scotchbrite with a regular hook and loop pad on a random orbit sander without using a wire wheel.

Sure, but you don't have the same power or speed.

[Matt Day]

Sure, but you don't have the same power or speed.
Exactly. It's a night and day difference.

[Carroll Courtney]

Well I'm going to give it a try this weekend,some of my tops have blotch spots smooth but discolor.Thanks for posting---Carroll