Getting rust off of a cast iron tablesaw bed using Vinegar

[Bob Weisner]

Hi:

I know Vinegar will remove rust on steel, but has anyone tried to use it to take rust off of a cast iron tablesaw bed? The extensions are just bolted on and I was thinking that if I could get a plastic bin big enough to fit the extension in, I could just fill it up with Vinegar and just wait a week or 2 for the Vinegar to remove the rust. It would be less work than sanding the top.

Thanks,

[Mark Rios]

Someone like Dev will likely know more on this but since the rust in steel is from the iron in the steel, then the rust is coming from the same thing in the cast iron. You're just removing the oxidation of the iron. I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[Jay Knoll]

I used the medium version of this to clean up my band saw table after a humid Fl summer beat it up pretty good.

http://www.theruststore.com/Sandflex-Rust-Erase-3-Pack-P11C0.aspx

Jay

[Mark Drayton]

Yes Jay. I discovered the Klingspor Sandflex blocks after they were recommended to me by Lie Nielsen for removing rust spots on their iron bodied planes. It does that well but also works great on machine cast tops - better than wet or dry SiC paper or steel wool I had been using previously. The wet or dry paper wears out rapidly and wire wool is quite slow. As the block wears away, new abrasive is exposed. I use the block with a few squirts of WD40 - let that sit and penetrate for a minute or two, rub hard and then clean up the mess with a paper towel.

Mark

[Wes Bischel]

Bob,

Here are two tried and true methods of rust removal:

http://www.owwm.com/restoration/RustRemoval.asp

http://www.owwm.com/FAQ/electrolysis.asp

I used method one on a bandsaw table that had been left outside for a few years. I thought they were kinda nuts until I tried it - worked like a charm.

Wes