Scuff marks on Cabinet Saw

[Wes Erbson]

Hello!

I recently inherited a Grizzly G1023 cabinet saw from a local woodworking shop. Whatever they were using it for, the entire cabinet was covered in glue and paint splatters that were very difficult to remove. Me, being overly obsessive about such things, decided to take it upon myself to make it look nice before I actually put it to use. I tried various solvents and techniques, and the only method I found to be effective in removing the spatters was with a mild scotchbrite pad on a sheet sander with Goo Gone as a solvent. After I cleaned all the Goo Gone off and cleaned the surfaces with mineral spirits, I noticed that some areas on the paint/enamel were noticeably more dull than other areas, corresponding to areas in which I spent more time with the sander. While I'm not striving to make the cabinet perfect, I would like the surface to look a bit less irregular.

The finish on the cabinet looks great when it's wetted with some solvent (i.e. mineral spirits), but as soon as it dries the scuff marks re-appear. So my first thought was to simply apply a paste wax to it, in hopes that it would induce the same sort of effect but wouldn't go away. I tried this with Johnson's paste wax with a couple of coats, and didn't really notice a difference. I then tried Turtle Wax (the stuff for your car), and this didn't really work either. I then tried using Simichrome metal polish with a 0000 steel wool pad to a small area, and found that it does make the surface less uneven, but it still remains somewhat dull.

Right now I am thinking of applying Simichrome metal polish to the cabinet with steel wool, followed by some sort of high-gloss finish (of what type and technique I have no idea). Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks everyone!!

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

I, personally, would paint it. Not worth going through the fuss and aggravation of cleaning it and polishing it.

[Max Neu]

You could just try spraying it with a clear coat,that should even out the sheen.

[Cody Colston]

Do the dull spots on the cabinet affect the way the saw cuts?

[Wes Erbson]

You could just try spraying it with a clear coat,that should even out the sheen.

Do you mean something like polyurethane? Any recommendations on brand/type? Thanks!


Do the dull spots on the cabinet affect the way the saw cuts?

Nope. I do enjoy developing new skills and techniques, though, and I'm viewing this as a learning experience.

[Max Neu]

[QUOTE=Wes Erbson;2517266]Do you mean something like polyurethane? Any recommendations on brand/type? Thanks!
I was thinking something more for automotive use,might want to check somewhere like Napa or O'Riley's.

[John T Barker]

You simply have to use the same abrasive on the entire cabinet so you get a sheen which is consistent. Not fun but I think it would be the least labor intensive fix.

[Bill Orbine]

You might want to try polishing compound for automotive paints before considering clearcoats.... like this:
http://www.truevalue.com/product/10-oz-7-White-Polishing-Compound/11166.uts

[scott spencer]

I'd be inclined to try a clear coat of paint over the whole thing....scuff up the whole thing evenly and pick your gloss.

[Peter Quinn]

Do the dull spots on the cabinet affect the way the saw cuts?

Just the other day I was polishing the head of my hammer:rolleyes:......I'm truly amused and confused by a number of recent posts concerning cosmetic aspects of various wood machines. I'm trying to empathize, really I am....wait...what? `When I set up my PM66 some years ago, there were a few scratches on the brand new cabinet, out of the crate, I put a few more on set and a few more over the years. At this point its got that "patina" the folks on the antiques road show seem to always pay more for...maybe its value has gone up?

I'd say you pretty much wrecked the saw by removing the glue squeeze, except from the table if any were there...it had that hard earned look of a machine that has truly earned its keep...you should have co-opted that look, thrown some saw dust on your brow....spritzed a little water on your face, let people know you were doing the hard and serous business of wood working! Of course styles and approaches vary widely in this enterprise. My shop looks like the cleaning lady died in the war of 1812....

I second the suggestion to spray some clear coat, something fast drying like lacquer will put you back in business quicker.

[Art Mann]

Do I understand correctly that you are wanting the finish on your cabinet to remain metallic? That is quite unusual. I am not convinced that any clear coat material will give you the durable and consistent finish you want over time. If it were me, I would start by spraying on a coat of high build metal primer, let it dry and then sand it smooth. After that, I would apply two or more coats of solvent based enamel for durability. There is a reason the manufacturers do it that way.

[Carroll Courtney]

How bout sanding it will very fine paper then clear coat it.But Griz I think does use that hammer texture finish--------------

[Myk Rian]

2 choices. Paint it, or leave it.

[Tom Ewell]

Just the other day I was polishing the head of my hammer....:rolleyes:.
Don't polish my hammers :) but I do occasionally clean and scuff the faces to a moderate shine....helps keep the head from slipping off the nail... or set.

[Dan Hahr]

I like my tools to look nice too at least for a little while. All you need to do is buff out the paint. If it's smooth enough, get some heavy duty rubbing compound on a rag or polisher ( high speed, not orbital) and buff till it's shiny. A polishing compound next will take it up a notch. After this, you will probably just let the finish dull over the years.

Dan

[Frederick Skelly]

Hi Wes. Welcome to SMC. Glad to have you with us!

If I understand you right, the dull spots are where you used the scotchbrites. So, it's different because you sanded it in those places, right - the finish is literally different where you sanded it.

Why don't you try two things? First, like Bill said above, go get automotive polishing compound and polish the area that's dull. (I'd go with a fine to medium cur Maguires product. But do not get it on any table of part that will touch wood - you risk fisheyes - use it only on the paint. Then, if it doesn't quite match, use the compound to polish all the painted surfaces.

If all else fails, scotchbrite all of it and the sheen/surface should be uniform then. But I'll bet you don't have to.

Let us know how it turns out.
Fred

Edit: I wouldn't clear coat it. I think you'll still see it because the "texture" of underlying paint surfaces are still mismatched.

[Wade Lippman]

I've never used it, but I have heard good things about Barkeeper's Friend.

If there is enough paint on it to prevent rust, you are good.
If not, put some paint on it.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Wes, welcome to smc.
i feel for you, I really do. BUT I'm kinda in the same camp as Cody and Peter.

When I got my first saw, a PM66, I waxed the cabinet and treated it like jewelry, which I don't really wear but seems like a good analogy. Once I started using it, I never thought about the cosmetic aspect again. Few years ago I got a SawStop ICS ( let the flame war begin). Never waxed it but spent time dialing it in (a good area to be obsessive) and haven't looked back.

My my suggestion would be to spend the time getting it dialed in dead nuts and then see how you feel re the cosmetics. YMMV

[Michael Zerance]

There are different grades (grits) of Scotch-Brite. You should be able to simply hit the spots with finer grades until the sheen matches close enough to the existing. It should blend nice.

This is the recommended method to achieve the sheen on solid surface countertops. Maroon Scotch-Brite pads are used for matte finishes and grey pads are used for semi gloss.

[Frederick Skelly]

Michael, you said it better than I did! This isn't tough to fix.

[Jim Andrew]

I bought some of that Maguires compound to polish my old Honda motorcycle. It worked wonders on it. It is in stock at Walmart.

[Joe Spear]

I've never used it, but I have heard good things about Barkeeper's Friend.

If there is enough paint on it to prevent rust, you are good.
If not, put some paint on it.


Barkeeper's Friend has oxalic acid to eat away at rust. I wouldn't use it on a painted surface.