Dumb question about drill press

[Clarence Martin]

Why don't they make a drill press with an aluminum column ? It would not rust.

[Matt Day]

Strength, cost, corrosion.

[Clarence Martin]

After I remove the rust from the column, is there a spray paint that I could use on the column to prevent the rust and still allow the table to glide easily down the column ?

[Steve H Graham]

Machinists use an oil called Vactra to prevent steel parts from scraping each other up.

[glenn bradley]

My suspicion is that any adhesive film like a paint or varnish will jam the works. I use a spray teflon product (http://www.amazon.com/DM1046601-PARENT-DuPont-Teflon-Multi-Use-Lubricant/dp/B00P7F8MW6) that used to be available at the BORG for a few bucks. Lowe's stopped carrying it but, fortunately for me, a can lasts for years. In sunny SoCal it works as well as any of the more costly "aviation" products I've used. I see your area has a pretty reasonable humidity level. Breathable tool covers are reported to give good results. Perhaps some of our folks who live where it's wet even when its not raining can chime in.

[Lee Schierer]

Other than lots of use, paste wax will help with making it slide, just be careful the first time you release the table after you wax the column. DAMHIKT.

[Roy Harding]

... Perhaps some of our folks who live where it's wet even when its not raining can chime in.

I think I qualify on that one - I live in the Great Bear Rain Forest - the key word in that name is RAIN!! It's always wet here, even when not raining.

On my metal surfaces, including the drill press column, I use any and all of the following, depending upon what is handiest to my reach at the time:

- Parafin wax - good old candles
- Paste wax - same stuff you use to polish your furniture
- "Topcote", which is, I think, pretty much the same stuff as Glenn mentioned. I get mine at Lee Valley - here's a link (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=40952&cat=1,230,64343,64350) . While digging up the link, I see they've changed the name to "GlideCote" - but it appears to be the same stuff.

I've never had a problem with rust.

It's worth mentioning that my shop is heated 24/7, which means that I don't have serious condensation problems as would become problematic if a shop was let to cool down to the outdoor temperature, and then heated up only when one is working in it.

[Eric Schmid]

I use this on my machines; cast iron, steel, aluminum parts. My shop is unconditioned and in the Pacific NW.
http://www.amazon.com/Bostik-10220-Aerosol-Top-Cote/dp/B0000223UD

I have a table saw top that I had Blanchard ground flat several years ago which has been coated with this stuff ever since. It has petina'd a bit, but no rust. It needs to be reapplied occasionally.

[Bill Ryall]

I use LPS 3 in both my shops in Florida and Maine. No issues.

http://www.lpslabs.com/product-details/612

[Sean Tracey]

Way lube oil is used in machine tools to lubricate the ways of lathes and solid way mills. It often has corn oil in it. The corn oil is used because it tends to be sticky and the way lube oil will stay put on the ways. I believe it was Shell Tonna.

I lubed by drill column one time with way lube oil at least 4 years ago and it has little rust on it and I live in Houston.

Another easier to find alternative would be some sort of light grease applied thinly so chips don't get stuck in it. Vaseline is pretty thin and might stay put.

You might even be able to get by with some corn oil. l don't know if straight corn oil will become a sticky mess making it difficult to move the table up and down.

[Bill Orbine]

Another product worth looking into is Boeshield T-9. I don't have any reviews myself as far as rust protection (I don't have this problem).......... however the product contains lubricants and paraffin wax.

[Sean Tracey]

Machinists use an oil called Vactra to prevent steel parts from scraping each other up.

Vactra is Mobil's way lube oil and that will work well on a drill press column. I used Shell Tonna way lube oil on my drill press and it has lasted for years with no rust.

[Bill McNiel]

I've used Boeshield for years in the "moist" NorthWest with nice results.