Carbon method for rust prevention - any good?

[Johnny Barr]

I normally clean my Sawstop with WD40, then apply Boshield T9 and finally paste wax and this has been OK but not as good as I would like.

I saw this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_HVA391T0E&t=10s ) and it sparked my interest so I watched a few others and read a few reviews which have been positive. Seems like a good product.

I'm curious to hear from people who have actually tried this and what they think.

[Robyn Horton]

That looks like an interesting product.

[Jim Becker]

Bent has had good results with the product. The Wood Whisperer posted an update to day on the product, too. Mark did have some issues, but it wasn't so much the product as the situation which he clearly explains. This stuff isn't inexpensive, but it appears to do a great job if one takes the time to apply it properly.

[Larry Frank]

Boy, that is a lot of effort to prevent rust....must take some time.

I must be really lazy as every couple of months or so, I just apply Johnson's paste wax. No rust at all. Of course my Sawstop does not look showroom new but is smooth and cuts great.

[Andrew More]

Based on what I've seen from the wood whisperer it seems like a decent product. OTOH it's a bit pricey, so there's that.

One thing I haven't seen a lot of people discuss is just a coating of poly. John Heisz from I Build It did it at one point, on a wooden table saw, and apparently does it on other equipment as well. Poly is going to be a lot cheaper.

[Bill Dufour]

I switched this summer to dupont chain saver spray. Self cleaning and leaves a wax layer behind. I will see about rust this winter.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

I do not see that carbon will do anything to stop moisture from getting to the iron.. Laser printer toner is mostly carbon powder. Anyone going to try that or powdered graphite on their iron?
Bill D.

[Brian Gouldman]

I have no proof or knowledge of their formula, but my intuition is telling me that this product is likely just repackaged ceramic coating that has been around in the automotive, and architecture, world for a while now. Assuming that’s the case, which is highly likely, you can get a pretty equivalent product for 1/3 the price on Amazon with very positive reviews.

[Johnny Barr]

I thought I'd get some comments about its expense and how wax works just as well etc etc and these are fair points but I was just after information on this product. One benefit, I see, is the coating lasts a long time so instead of waxing regularly you can apply it and they say it will last 6 to 12 months before reapplying another 2 coats depending on usage of your saw. They also sell a glide spray as part of the kit, similar but an improvement over glidecote. Anyway I was hoping an actual user could give an opinion but maybe the product hasn't been around long enough. It does look promising particularly in humid environments and I'm happy to pay for it if it provides better rust protection, a slicker surface and less maintenance.

[Jim Becker]

Boy, that is a lot of effort to prevent rust....must take some time.
Yes, the application of that kind of system does take some time and care, but the ongoing maintenance is pretty limited and the level of protection is much better than wax and/or some other products. I'm happy with the T9 I used and since I have it, that's what I'll continue to use, but if I were starting from scratch, I'd seriously consider the Carbon product.

As an aside, it will be interesting to see if my rust risk is higher here at the new property once I have the shop setup in the dedicated building with HVAC. There is more ground moisture here than at out old property, but the shop building will be better sealed, etc.

[Richard Coers]

My opinion is a table cover will reduce rust just as much as chemicals. Condensation mostly settles on horizontal surfaces. Keep the top covered with anything and no moisture settles on the top.

[Peter Schussheim]

On a related note, are y'all familiar with this comprehensive comparison of corrosion inhibitors (https://dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667)? Sure, it's not the last word on the topic but it is certainly well worth your time to read through the process and results.

[Michael Drew]

I normally clean my Sawstop with WD40, then apply Boshield T9 and finally paste wax and this has been OK but not as good as I would like.

I saw this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_HVA391T0E&t=10s ) and it sparked my interest so I watched a few others and read a few reviews which have been positive. Seems like a good product.

I'm curious to hear from people who have actually tried this and what they think.

I subscribe to this guy's channel. Just watched that video a couple days ago. I especially liked his method of cleaning the cast iron. I supose time will tell if the carbon treatment is worth it or not...... I'd use it if it lasts a few months.

[Johnny Barr]

Couldn't resist any longer and ordered the kit. Yes it was expensive particularly the delivery charge to Australia, but if it produces what they say it does then its worth it. I'll report back once I've treated my table saw.

BTW Richard I do cover my saw everyday and yet I still see the odd rust/stain mark

[derek labian]

I think you will be happy. The application is easy and my results after 4 months have been perfect. I decided to try it after some unexpected rust on various tools even in my climate controlled and dehumidified garage (55%). I had been using wax and glide coat top layer which worked inline with what the Wood Whisper posted. I believe you still need to apply once per year but that depends on usage I'm sure. Good Luck!

[Steve Demuth]

I subscribe to this guy's channel. Just watched that video a couple days ago. I especially liked his method of cleaning the cast iron. I supose time will tell if the carbon treatment is worth it or not...... I'd use it if it lasts a few months.

I have used his method for cleaning once in a while. It certainly works, but it is not gentle on your ROS. The WD40 + Scotchbrite creates a paste of oil and fine cast ion particles, and it WILL get into the sander, and if it gets on your next wood project, the staining will not please you. Cleaning it so you can use the sander again for wood projects is a chore, to me. I pretty much quit doing it for this reason, and because, frankly, my cast iron surfaces just get restained right away anyway, and I really don't care, as long as they don't stain wood and glide well. But if I were to use this method in future, I'd get a cheap ROS for the purpose. I sure as heck wouldn't use a high-end tool like his Festool, and suck the stuff with a dust collector.

[Bill Dufour]

Sucking a flammable solvent with a brush type motor in the sander and the vac is not a safe idea. Reminds me of the old story about the shade tree mechanic who used a shop vac to prime his carburetor by pulling a vacuum from the tailpipe.
Bill D

[Michael Drew]

I have used his method for cleaning once in a while. It certainly works, but it is not gentle on your ROS. The WD40 + Scotchbrite creates a paste of oil and fine cast ion particles, and it WILL get into the sander, and if it gets on your next wood project, the staining will not please you. Cleaning it so you can use the sander again for wood projects is a chore, to me. I pretty much quit doing it for this reason, and because, frankly, my cast iron surfaces just get restained right away anyway, and I really don't care, as long as they don't stain wood and glide well. But if I were to use this method in future, I'd get a cheap ROS for the purpose. I sure as heck wouldn't use a high-end tool like his Festool, and suck the stuff with a dust collector.

I was wondering about that. I figured I'd just use one of my older sanders that I don't use much anymore. Just designate it as a table top sander...... I don't see much point in using a dust collector either.

[Johnny Barr]

I think you will be happy. The application is easy and my results after 4 months have been perfect. I decided to try it after some unexpected rust on various tools even in my climate controlled and dehumidified garage (55%). I had been using wax and glide coat top layer which worked inline with what the Wood Whisper posted. I believe you still need to apply once per year but that depends on usage I'm sure. Good Luck!

Thanks Derek. Nice to hear from an actual user. I contacted them about reapplying and they said, remove dust then a couple of coats and your done. No need to strip back unless something unforeseen happens. So 15 minutes spent on surface maintenance once a year sounds pretty good to me!

[Michael Palyszeski]

Johnny, I was just about to pull the trigger on the Method Coating kit. How has it worked out for you?

[George Yetka]

Id rather put glide coat on 2x as often.

[Brian Runau]

I often wondered why they don't add a black oxide treatment to table saw tops. Would prevent rust, but wonder if it would add friction to cutting wood. Brian

[roger wiegand]

This discussion makes me really happy about having humidity control in the shop. No rust and no additional time/money spent on preventing it. Not a trivial investment, but I've spent more for less. Not to mention it's much more comfortable for the human inhabitant as well.

[mike stenson]

My shop is evaporative cooled. It is what it is. Glide coat doesn't help, wax doesn't help, I tried the carbon method and I guess we'll see.. but I gave up and just made dust covers anyway.

I will say that their slick coating is slick, but doesn't last long. Silbergleibt works better and (I never thought I'd say this) is cheaper.

[George Yetka]

I have used his method for cleaning once in a while. It certainly works, but it is not gentle on your ROS. The WD40 + Scotchbrite creates a paste of oil and fine cast ion particles, and it WILL get into the sander, and if it gets on your next wood project, the staining will not please you. Cleaning it so you can use the sander again for wood projects is a chore, to me. I pretty much quit doing it for this reason, and because, frankly, my cast iron surfaces just get restained right away anyway, and I really don't care, as long as they don't stain wood and glide well. But if I were to use this method in future, I'd get a cheap ROS for the purpose. I sure as heck wouldn't use a high-end tool like his Festool, and suck the stuff with a dust collector.

Ive only needed to do this once and just placed the ROS on top of a maroon pad, without DC. I sprayed surface with boeshield rust free and ran it. Then wiped table good and reapplied glidecoat. I dont believe my sander saw any issue with this. I couldnt see it being an issue of resistance and as long as its wet your sander shouldnt be breathing it.

[Johnny Barr]

Johnny, I was just about to pull the trigger on the Method Coating kit. How has it worked out for you?

Brilliantly, Michael. After 12 months the surface was still excellent and I hadn't touched it other than vacuuming and wiping with a cloth. They mention that applying their carbon glide product occasionally will help keep the surface slick but I hadn't seen the need. In January I cleaned the surface with their cleaner and added another 2 coats followed by carbon glide. The surface looks and feels very smooth and there's no sign of rust. I don't think it needed another 2 coats and I probably could have gone another few months before it needed some maintenance. So yes, expensive but well worth it but admittedly I'm not in a high humidity area.

[Michael Palyszeski]

Awesome! I haven't really seen any bad reviews for this product. I'm going to order today. Thanks for the update!

[Michael Drew]

I bought a kit to apply the stuff to my 3 machines that I think could use it. The product arrived a few days ago. It's too damn cold in my shop to do much more than look into it from the threshold right now though. Maybe next week it'll be warm enough to do something.....

[Michael Palyszeski]

I am currently redoing my shop. Selling my Robland X31 and insulating and running dust collection and electrical for new grizzly planer, jointer, widebelt and old delta Unisaw and old Powermatic bandsaw. Hoping to stretch the Method 3 machine kit on 4 of them.🤞 I will post when I get to use it.