Great deal on a jointer, has light surface rust, best way to remove it?

[Miksa de Sorgo]

I’ve been searching and it just seems like there are so many different ways to clean cast iron surfaces up but would you say there’s a best way to do it? Wanted to wait a bit to purchase another tool but couldn’t pass this one up. It’s really light but I’m trying to prevent it from getting worse and want to protect it as best as possible. I may have gotten carried away in purchasing some products but now with the SCM bandsaw, I really want to keep my cast iron in the best condition. So from researching I’ve discovered:

To remove rust:
RustFree from Boeshield
T-9 from Boeshield
CRC 3-36
Barkeepers Friend
WD-40
razor blade scraper
In combination with green Scotchbright pad either by hand or ROS, 400 grit sandpaper

To protect it:
T-9 Boeshield
CRC 3-36
WD-40
Johnson’s Wax
Renaissance Wax
Liquid first let it set in, apply wax until hazy and then wipe off. Or some just use wax alone.

Those were the most common that I was pulling up in searches. I live in Texas, typically not wet, it can get humid, especially since I live near a lake. Already have a dehumidifier and run AC/heat into my garage, looking at a way so I can keep temp/climate really under control. For now I don’t plan to resaw or work with green wood but maybe in the future. Is there a general consensus of what’s best or does it maybe depend on where you live and the climate conditions? The rust is very light, but don’t need it spreading or getting worse. May have went crazy but I ordered all those products, figured why not, I can see what works best but I absolutely want to keep these tools in the best condition as it’s a lot of money. I was also curious if anyone has used a polishing compound? For my airbrushes I use 3M Perfect-It Ex AC rubbing compound to polish my needles. Stuff is amazing and really cleans them up and makes them so smooth for operation but not sure if it should be used or if anyone has ever used it for a cast iron surface? I would almost be afraid to try a sandpaper, if anything I was wondering why 400 grit vs a 2000? The razor makes sense, I’ve done it before but I can be really OCD, and I know tools are meant to be used and not looked at but when I spend a lot of money on something I absolutely want to keep it in the best shape possible. I was starting to lean at trying the CRC 3-36 with a ROS with Scotchbright, then use wax. Don’t really see WD-40 as my best solution but could be wrong. Seems like the Rust Free works great, but would you consider it more harsh than something else? Honesty I’m not AS concerned about the jointer but for the SCM, that will be my biggest worry. No rust now and want to keep it that way. Also CRC makes a 3-36 Ultra Lite, various others as well. I’m curious if anyone has tried the others? Maybe I’m being neurotic but I have definitely spent a lot in the last 6 months and the purchases made were to be my one and done tools, keep them forever type purchases. I figured they would all work well but let’s assume you spent $100,000 on a tool or even more, how would you protect it and if had some surface rust, how would you treat it? Thanks y’all.

[Michael Schuch]

Rustoleum Rust Disolver is a thin gel that did an incredible job on a sliding table saw that I purchased that had pretty heavy rust. I used a scotchbrite pad with the rust disolver. My understanding is rust disolver type products are supposed to pull some of the oxygen out of the iron oxide leaving more original iron than just sanding alone. Evaporust is a standard but you probably know that it meant to have parts soaked in it not spray it on to a surface. Any of the products you list should do a good job for the surface rust you describe.

The Casidia sliding table saw that I used the rustoleum rust disolver on had an intentional wavy surface, presumably to reduce surface contact with the wood to lower friction and to possibly give fine dust a place to settle? Because of the somewhat heavy surface rust the top was left a little porous. I sprayed on a thin coat of minwax polyacrylic that bonded extremenly well to the porus cast iron top and did not seem to increase surface friction, I believe, due to the wavy top surface. The sliding table is flat (not wavy like the stationary table), I am considering using the same Minwax polyacrylic on the sliding table as I actually want more surface friction on the sliding table to hold the wood in place as opposed to it sliding around.

Johnsons paste wax is also an old standby that I use a fair bit. Wax is said to rub off on the wood being processed that can ruin a finish. I use Johnsons on my metal working machines like like my mill where I am not worried about spoiling the finish on wood.

The tables on my 8"Jet jointer and 15" planer are naked due to concrns about wax rubbing off on the wood being processed. I live in the very dry high desert of Oregon and don't have much rust problems on machines that aren't abused.

[Charles Coolidge]

Evaporust, amazing stuff!

[Steve Jenkins]

To maintain a slick surface I’ve been using Johnson’s paste wax for over40 years. Think I’m on my third can. I just wipe on buff off by hand. I don’t wait for it to haze over. Never had a problem with transfer to wood.

[Frederick Skelly]

I rub in a couple light coats of wipe on poly. Lasts a year or so.

[Mike Kees]

400 or 600 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Scotch brite pad. Have also used Evaporust on a heavily rusted /polished jointer that sat outside in the desert from California. WD 40 is one of my personal favorite lubricants for frozen/rusted mechanisms, it also works pretty well with the wet or dry sand paper as a lube for removing rust on flat surfaces.

[Jonathan Jung]

Evapo rust to remove
Johnsons pastte wax to protect

The evapo rust can turn the steel black, but it's so easy to use, I think I'd use it again.

16" Oliver jointer

477279
477280

[Bill Dufour]

EDTA in water is 99% of what evaporust is composed of. And it is safe enough to eat. Supposed to be you can soak a towel in it, cover with plastic, and attack big pieces that way. But things must be fully submerged or there will be a permanent high water mark.
Bill D

[Patrick Varley]

I've started with the scotchbrite-type pads on an angle grinder with WD40, then switch to the scotchbrite on an ROS. While I know you can just put the ROS in a normal pad, I'm lazy and just buy the H&L style pads from Klingspor.

[Miksa de Sorgo]

Awesome thanks everyone, I picked up some scotch brite 7445, 7448 pads and going to grab some wetordry paper. Already had some higher grits but the 400/600, but will start with higher see if that works. I’ve been spending a lot of time researching and watching videos. Has anyone tried Collinite? I’ve seen a few really good reviews for cast iron and supposedly it lasts for a very long time and has great gliding properties. Figured I would just get a lot of these products as, well, they can literally be used for anything around the house and would be good to have. Lots of products to test with I can post back with results. Can’t help it I’m the curious type. But from looking around a lot of the products seem to come to about the same results lol. Also found a used Bosch finish sander on Facebook marketplace, going to need one of those eventually and got a decent deal so going to pick that up in case it’s necessary. But I know it’ll be used in the future. Its just awesome seeing it all come together, I’ve worked so hard for the last couple years to get the funding together, total satisfaction. Have a separate fund for materials though I didn’t forget about that.

Edit: forgot one thing, for cleaning the surface while removing the rust and old wax what’s good to use? I have Xylol and de-natures alcohol but also seen lacquer thinner, mineral spirits, and naphtha being used. Thanks!

[Mike Wilkins]

I cleaned up a drill press column with WD-40 and fine steel wool. It had very light rust but this treatment worked like a charm. I always start with the least invasive methods first.

[Randall J Cox]

To maintain a slick surface I’ve been using Johnson’s paste wax for over40 years. Think I’m on my third can. I just wipe on buff off by hand. I don’t wait for it to haze over. Never had a problem with transfer to wood.

+1 Randy. Reply too short to post?

[Clifford McGuire]

I rub in a couple light coats of wipe on poly. Lasts a year or so.

On cast iron? Interesting. I never thought about that.

[Rod Wolfy]

I bought a very rusted Felder years ago from the San Francisco area. I got some kind of rust off gel, (thick, kind of like neon pink slime) and then a wire brush (and one mounted on my cordless drill) and it took the heavy rust off. Johnson's plate wax to keep it rust free. Sold it, but use the Johnson's on my SawStop & Hammer A3-41 cast iron now.

[Alex Kapl]

i just went through this last week. picked up Ridgid jointer that had a fair amount of rust. used Rust Free, scotch brite and tried out sandflex blocks. the ping slime is naval jelly, works great as well. You can brush it on, but it needs to be removed. Usually with water, kind of hard to do on jointer table.
Main thing is not to forget to apply protection as soon as you are done. I once did Rust free and it was late so i went to sleep, woke up to full on rust had to do it again.
I finish up with T9 sprayed on, let it sit for about an hour or so then wipe it off and do either paste wax or lately I've been doing glidecote. Makes it very slippery and a lot fast to apply then paste wax

[Jim Becker]

I have, for the first time in 23 years, a rust issue on my machinery here in my temporary shop at our new place from over the winter because of condensation when I necessarily had to open the garage door on warm and humid days a few times. I'm using the RustFree product and then T9. My little test on Thursday on the table saw top while something was cutting on the CNC was positive and I will take advantage of some warm weather this coming weekend to deal with it as best as I can across the machines. All those years with zero rust at the old shop and in only a few months here (10 miles away)...wow.

[Charles Coolidge]

I have, for the first time in 23 years, a rust issue on my machinery here in my temporary shop at our new place from over the winter because of condensation when I necessarily had to open the garage door on warm and humid days a few times. I'm using the RustFree product and then T9. My little test on Thursday on the table saw top while something was cutting on the CNC was positive and I will take advantage of some warm weather this coming weekend to deal with it as best as I can across the machines. All those years with zero rust at the old shop and in only a few months here (10 miles away)...wow.

I feel your pain, I found a sweat droplet rust spot on my new Sawstop ICS yesterday. :eek: :mad:

[Alex Zeller]

I had used Johnsons in the past but now I use magnetic sign material. You just cut it to size with scissors and put it on the tables.

[Miksa de Sorgo]

I actually did order magnetic material for the table tops saw that on a video, great idea. I ended up using the Rust Free after way too much overthinking. Used a carbide scraper for the spots I could feel and the sprayed the Rust Free on a Scotchbrite 7445 pad, think it’s equivalent to 0000 steel wool. The rust just melted away so quickly it was very light rust. Product worked great, wore my respirator after looking at all the videos about it lol. I chose to go with the Collinite double wax, interesting to work with… may actually use it on my car. You absolutely can’t let it dry, it becomes super hard. I did coat it before going to the wax I chose the CRC 3-36, let it sit and then wiped off. Then finished with the wax, table looks good as new. Now I just need to clean the rest of it up, it’s a Delta DJ15. I really wanted a 20 but for the footprint and the price I snagged the DJ15. Worst case I can sell it and get a bigger one but I really think this will suffice. Just waiting on the drum sander which like everything has long lead times. But todays focus is the bandsaw. Had to get an engine hoist to stand it up, get the garage wires up, get it cleaned up. Took care of its table as well when I did the jointer. On a side note the Collinite wax gives a super slick finish. The wood glides over it like a puck in air hockey lol.