Green wood = rusty bed

[Marty Tippin]

I'm curious how others deal with the inevitable rust that occurs when turning wet, green wood?

My current practice is to spray the bed lightly with WD-40 at the end of every turning session and use a piece of 800 grit sandpaper to buff out the rust that has accumulated. But I'm wondering if there's a better way - or even something I can do that will totally stop rust? I wax the lathe bed pretty regularly, but that only slows down the accumulation of rust - and once I use the WD-40 and sandpaper, the wax is pretty much gone.

[Jon McElwain]

I use Johnson paste wax as a protective barrier. A good application (wipe on, let sit for a few minutes, then wipe off) prior to turning wet wood does a decent job of protecting. Bottom line though, you've got to get the wet shavings off as soon as possible.

[Prashun Patel]

I assume you sweep the ways frequently?

I only today thought to start using packing foam between my green blanks and the face plate to stop THAT from rusting. DUHHHH!!!!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

My OPINION, and I live in the rust capital of the world, is to NOT use sandpaper. Eventually, if you sand enough, you could change the dimensions of your ways, and if your headstock moves, could lead to issues with staying put when you lock it down. Again, just my opinion. I use a putty knife or scraper with WD-40/CRC 3-36/PB blaster to get rust off. Wax/Boeshield and some protective cover, an old raincoat, even an old towel will help a little bit with rust starting. I like that rust patina. But I do live where rust never sleeps. I like Boeshield to prevent the rust from starting.

[Reed Gray]

When I sold my PM3520A, after 8 or so years of heavy turning, the entire bed had a nice black patina. Just the extra humidity from the wet wood will color the ways, and the only way to keep them from coloring is to get a lathe that has stainless steel. The coloring doesn't hurt. However, do buff it out if you get rust showing. I can't remember if I ever waxed mine or not.

robo hippy

[Brian Myers]

WD40 and a scrubby pad

[Jeff Grantham]

This thread put some fear in me - I was just turning a very green bowl last night that was giving me a good shower. Left all the shavings sitting there afterwards. :eek: Time to head to the basement and get it cleaned up!!!

[Prashun Patel]

Forgot to add: I use my homebrew Anchorseal: mineral spirits and wax. I use it on green wood blanks, and I use it on the ways and rests.

[Marty Tippin]

This thread put some fear in me - I was just turning a very green bowl last night that was giving me a good shower. Left all the shavings sitting there afterwards. :eek: Time to head to the basement and get it cleaned up!!!

You're probably in for an unpleasant surprise... I had rust on the bed within 30 minutes last night, turning some very wet black locust. (I've got a nice stripe of spray up and down the wall behind the lathe also...)

I think I'll amend my WD-40 / sandpaper routine and use Scotch-Brite pads instead of the sandpaper.

[Jon Nuckles]

Inexpensive wax and a scrubby pad to clean up after turning. A coat of wax as a preventive measure. I experimented a bit to see if Renaissance Wax offered better protection than Johnson's Paste Wax. It might have been a little better, but not even close to justifying the extra expense. You could always buy a Robust lathe with stainless steel ways!

[Jon Nuckles]

I had rust on the bed within 30 minutes last night, turning some very wet black locust. (I've got a nice stripe of spray up and down the wall behind the lathe also...)



My experience with locust is that it starts the staining and rusting faster than anything else I've turned.

[David Delo]

I've used Johnson's and a few other waxes along with T-9 and a few home brew potions without the highest degree of success. Started using Fluid Film and that seems to be the most resistant to the widest variety of species (at least for me). Not perfect but seems to provide the best protection with the least amount of elbow grease needed after turning...if needed at all. I'm convinced that not all CI is created or aged the same even within the same manufacturer and model. I read some 3520b owners state they just wipe on JPW and no problem but for me it provides very little protection.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I've been using Boeshield for a several years now on my machine tables and lathe bed - it's worked well for me. The only table that's still exposed is the band saw (the table saw has been retired to support work - I pile stuff on it mostly so it sits under a nice plastic cover. That's stayed nice and bright with the Boeshield - and this part of the extreme upper left hand corner of the country is a pretty wet place. Got so tired of rust prevention on the lathe that I retired it, too in favor an AB - stainless is the only way to go if you rough a lot of green wood. Kind of an expensive fix, but worth it.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I’ve only ever wiped it dry and that keeps things shiny black and smooth, just don’t wipe those wet hands onto your Red Oak turning, makes a real mess out of that, DAMHIKT :eek:

[William Bachtel]

American Beauty will solve that problem, Robust has Stainless Steel Bed, I love it.

[robert baccus]

After 50 years of duck hunting and sailing around saltwater and fresh I can assure you that WD40 is totally useless for rust proofing. Google up some companies that specialize in rust control. There are several good ones. The marine industries have rust problems that make ours look silly.

[Brian Myers]

After 50 years of duck hunting and sailing around saltwater and fresh I can assure you that WD40 is totally useless for rust proofing. Google up some companies that specialize in rust control. There are several good ones. The marine industries have rust problems that make ours look silly.


Robert is right that WD40 does not prevent rust but it works well with a scotchbrite type pad for cleaning up surface rust. Sometimes I apply paste wax afterwards but I don't sweat it. Unless your bed is stainless , you will get rust where I live unless maybe if your lucky and your shop is heated. If it's surface rust it cleans up quickly enough , just don't let it get farther than that.

[Dan Hintz]

American Beauty will solve that problem, Robust has Stainless Steel Bed, I love it.


That was my solution :D

But Johnson's paste wax is what I use elsewhere. I would also cover your ways with a towel... that should take the brunt of the wetness, and combined with the wax, you shouldn't see any further rust.

[Pat Scott]

I use any color of Scotchbrite that I have handy (except for white) with Mineral Spirits to clean up rust after coring. I think Mineral Spirits works faster and better than WD40 to remove surface rust. If I do get rust starting to form during coring that interferes with the banjo sliding, I will spray WD40 on the ways and slide the toolrest over it a few times - but don't wipe up the slurry.

I just cored some Silver Maple yesterday, and the ways will rust before I finish for the day. I've tried wax, WD40, and numerous commercial spray products to prevent rust, and in my opinion they are all equally ineffective. I used to try and lay a towel or drop cloth underneath the blank, but that's kind of a pain. It doesn't stay in place, the banjo pinches it when re-positioning, or I spent more time worrying about wet shavings that slipped past the edge of the towel onto the ways. In the end I still had to clean rust spots on the ways, so now I just consider it part of my clean up routine at the end of the day.

[david privett]

I use minwax paste wood finish in what ever shade I have laying around it is oil based and works well enough (it was suggested in the 17 inch grizzly band saw manual) As a matter of fact I use it on all my cast iron power tools beds now.

[Mark Greenbaum]

That was my solution :D

But Johnson's paste wax is what I use elsewhere. I would also cover your ways with a towel... that should take the brunt of the wetness, and combined with the wax, you shouldn't see any further rust.

The Shopsmith always recommends using Johnson's Paste Wax on the exposed metal ways and table, so that's what I've been doing on the G0766. I use 0000 steel wool to clean with WD-40, and the wipe off and paste wax to preserve the clean. It's worked so far.

[Rick Bailey]

T-9 then JPW.

[john taliaferro]

I use a pice of cardboard or two . 10/30 motor oil on the ways .

[Aaron Craven]

Not sure how I feel about cardboard, but I feel compelled to point out that laying a towel or rag over the ways is probably not the safest thing to do... As Capn Eddie says, NEVER take a towel or rag to the lathe (at least when it's running).

[Dan Forman]

Fluid Film is the best I've used by far. You can get the spray at Lowes, but I use the brush applicator can. Fluid Film 8 oz. Brush Can (https://www.theruststore.com/Fluid-Film-8-oz-Brush-Can-P203.aspx)

Dan

[Hayes Rutherford]

Always wanted to get some Fluid Film. I think I read somewhere it is lanolin based and many companies that have fleets of vehicles periodically undercoat their vehicles as a rust preventive from road salt and de-icer. Don't think I would use it on my lathe though, wouldn't it prevent things from sliding?

[Dan Forman]

Hayes, it actually helps the tool rest to slide easily. I just wipe off well when finished for the day.

Dan