Boeshield rust remover...ISSUE!!

[Jay Yoder]

Hey all, I was in the shop tonight and decided it was about time that i cleaned and waxed the TS top and joiner faces. Let me preface this by saying i have used the rust remover product on my other TS and it worked great with no issues, but tonight, on my pride and joy, it left bad stains! I sprayed it on and wiped it off almost immediately! Anyone ever had this happen? Are there any options to return it to at least decent shape? I know it is just aesthetic, but it still bugs me. Would it be a good solution to use multiple grits of scotchbrite and T-9 spray to try to return it to its previous glory? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[Eric Larsen]

I just did my TS today as well. I've found that spraying the Rustfree on a rag, then applying it to the table works better. And you have to rub it in, then rub it off with a clean rag. I do one wing at a time, then the center. It's tough to get it even, that's for sure. I clean up between Rustfree applications with mineral spirits. Then I give it a liberal coating of T-9 and allow the T-9 to work it's way in overnight. Longer if I can go without the TS.

My TS table wasn't all that great when I bought it. So the Rustfree was an improvement. But I do have some dark splotches near the corners that I don't really understand.... I may just sand the table one of these days.

Edit - Reason I just did my TS today? LOML set a glass of water on the table last night on her way to get the mail. Then she came back through a different door and forgot about the glass. I put a sign up in the shop today: "Jesus forgives. Then again, nobody ever set a drink on his table saw or pool table."

[Steven Almas]

I had the same thing happen to me. All I did was apply another coat and evenly as possible and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then I wiped up the excess, buffed the surface with some 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits. Last thing I used a clean cotton cloth with more mineral spirits and let it all dry. A couple coats of t9, first a quicky and the 2nd was left on overnight. The surface darkened quite a bit, but it's uniform. One coat of paste wax and its really slick too.

[Wade Lippman]

I've only used it once, but it did darken the iron. But so what? Beats the heck out of rust.

[John Thompson]

The Boeshield rep came by the booth I was working at IWF to demonstarte the Rust Free. He basically did as Eric posted.. very gentle with a rag in a very small area and then wife it off rather quickly. Then he neutrealized that with WD 40 if I remember correctly. I have not used it on any cast iron yet but am reluctant to do so as it is acidic. His demo worked well but from what you guys mention.. I may avoid using any acidic formula at all.

You might give Boeshield a call if you are in doubt and see what they have to say?

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Peter Quadarella]

I have a dark spot on my bandsaw table from it. I've never been able to get rid of it.

[Greg Cole]

CI is a porous material and the Boeshield is pretty acidic. Acid etches into the pores if you leave it for long at all.... you need to remove it quickly and neutralize it or you'll have the above mentioned issues.
I have some swirl marks on my jointer tables from using this stuff..... once and never again.
Keep the CI waxed and you'll be much better off. Since being more routine about waxing my CI stuff, I've had no rust or oxidation what-so-ever.

Greg

[Peter Quadarella]

My garage/shop is a rust magnet. There are certain months of the year where I see new rust forming on things daily. It doesn't help that I am a sporadic cleaner at best. I use the T-9 and wax routine for cast iron maintenance, but even that cannot always survive the bad weeks.

Since having that Rust Free incident, I've tried a bunch of the other stuff on my shelf, and still haven't come up with a great solution for rust. Anyone have a secret formula for removing this stuff?

[Matt Benton]

Dry sand with a ROS, then apply T-9.

I've cleaned 3 CI tops this way, and it worked much better than the rust remover....

[Peter Quadarella]

If you sand, do you have to do the whole top? I was thinking more about small spots/areas.

[Jason Perrott]

Peter,
I live on the west coast with long, humid winters, in a shop with no heat:eek:
Rust has obviously been a problem along with mold on stored lumber as well. I could paste wax daily with no positive benefits.

I found my solution in a low temperature dehumidifier ( 38 degree +). It runs on automatic when the humidity gets below my setting, has its own anti frost feature, and drains to the outside through a small hose.

This has taken care of all my moisture problems, now about that heat issue...:(

Jason

[Greg Cole]

I too live in an area prone to high humidity in the summers.....
I should add I use a dehumidifier in the shop in the summer months. That and wax has be rust free other than when I don't wipe down CI body planes when done for the day. The oils from hands and some sweaty palms don't agree with CI one bit.

Greg

[Charles Lent]

I live in North Carolina where we have very long humid summers. My shop is in a detached building, and keeping rust off my tools used to be nearly impossible, until I installed a window style heat pump thru the shop wall. It now significantly reduces the humidity, cools, and heats my shop. I only run it when I'm out there (almost daily), but it has removed enough moisture to keep all my tools rust free. I wax the cast iron monthly, but do nothing else for rust prevention. I've never used any of the rust control products that are on the market. Years ago before my heat pump installation, when I did get some rusting, I used scotch brite and WD-40 to remove the rust and then Johnsons paste wax to preserve the finish. Now I rarely if ever need to resort to this. I just keep everything waxed. My stored lumber moisture content stays much lower too. De-humidification of your shop is likely all that you need to eliminate your rust problems. If you don't need heating or cooling, then just get a de-humidifier and run the drain line out through the wall so it'll stay running when it needs to.

Charley

[Shawn Walker]

Well I live on what we locals call the (Wet Coast.)
Where I live it's a tropical rainforest eight months of the year.

I,ve tried lots of things to protect the cast iron surfaces, with minimal success.

I finally decided to try the HTC machine covers, and problem solved.
I still treat my surfaces, but it's those covers that are keeping them rust free.

I don't heat my shop unless I'm in there.
Last winter I left my shop closed up for the wettest month of the year with the machines all covered.

When I pulled the covers off, they all looked freshly polished, just like I left them. :D

If they hadn't had the covers on, I would have been running for the big can of WD-40, and steel wool.
Amazon sells them with free shipping.

[Jay Yoder]

I wish i could turn back time, but alas that is not an option. I will call boeshield in the morning and see what their recommendation is. I was so ticked off at myself for doing this!! All i wanted to do was clean it good and then get a good coat of wax on it! I will let u know what they say...thanks for all the suggestions...

[John Ricci]

Jay, not that it helps much now but I read the label on my bottle of the Boeshield rust remover and it states, "may leave spotting on cast iron":(. I have only used it on steel and it seems to work just fine but I may try it out on an old Shopsmith 4" jointer to see what happens to CI:confused:.

J.R.

[Eric Larsen]

For heavy rust, I used a wire stripper chucked to my 1/2" hammer drill. Knocked the rust off tout de suite. (Pardon my French. ;))

Then I used a buffer with a scotchbrite pad under it and some citrus degreaser to even things out. Then mineral spirits, then rustfree, then more mineral spirits, then finally T-9.

My Shopsmith now looks good, but still needs to have the headstock rebuilt. There's some pitting on the way tubes, but that had the worst rust. My little 4" jointer looks factory fresh after the above treatment.

[Frank Dominski]

I live in South Florida and I can watch the rust grow as I'm standing there. I have tried all the stuff they sell for removing table top rust and have not found any that really work. When removing rust and stains I found that rubbing compound works the best. It not only removes the rust but will get out most of those unknown dark stains. Use the heavy duty compound and do a small area at a time, don't let it dry or it will be hard to get off. I follow that with Empire table top lubricant and your go to go. :)

[John Thompson]

"When removing rust and stains I found that rubbing compound works the best. It not only removes the rust but will get out most of those unknown dark stains".... Frank D

What type of rubbing compound, Frank? Auto finish... etc. etc.. ?

Thanks...

Sarge..

[Mike Heidrick]

For heavy rust, I used a wire stripper chucked to my 1/2" hammer drill. Knocked the rust off tout de suite. (Pardon my French. ;))

Then I used a buffer with a scotchbrite pad under it and some citrus degreaser to even things out. Then mineral spirits, then rustfree, then more mineral spirits, then finally T-9.

My Shopsmith now looks good, but still needs to have the headstock rebuilt. There's some pitting on the way tubes, but that had the worst rust. My little 4" jointer looks factory fresh after the above treatment.



Eric, lookup sawstop sawdust sessions. These are great video podcasts for all WW not just sawstop owners. They have how to rebuild the headstock and how to use a potato in water to clean up and take the rust off the way tubes.

[Jay Yoder]

Good evening...Boeshield's answer was..."spray some T9 on the top and scrub with fine scotch-brite pad..." Or i could try to use ROS with scotch brite pads...