Suggestions for removing rust on spiral head on jointer

[Mitchell Garnett]

I just got my tools out of storage where they've been since mid April. I expected to see surface rust on tool beds but I hadn't thought about the spiral head on my jointer. See photo below. I know how to handle the surface rust but I'm not sure how to proceed on the head. I'm thinking about wiping with a rag saturated with Evapo-Rust, letting it sit overnight and then wiping down thoroughly but your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

rust on spiral head.jpg

[Cary Falk]

Remove all of the inserts and clean them. Wire brush (wheel on drill) the head and clean well with mineral spirits prior to putting the inserts back in.

[Bruce Volden]

I have had great luck with distilled white vinegar!!
I use it to sharpen files and other rusty things to near new condition. Heavily rusted tools I will sometimes soak for a couple days, or longer.
I pour 1 gal. into a 5 gal. plastic bucket and let sit for ~24 hrs. Depending on the size of your head you may need to tip bucket
on an angle to completely submerge the head. You should not have to do any further cleaning (maybe green scotchbrite) but wiping dry.
Maybe apply a coat of wax to alleviate future troubles??

Bruce

[John Lanciani]

Personally, I’d just use it as is and let friction take care of what little rust is there. It’s not hurting anything other than your pride and after a couple hundred bf of wood it will be gone anyways.

[Bradley Gray]

Personally, I’d just use it as is and let friction take care of what little rust is there. It’s not hurting anything other than your pride and after a couple hundred bf of wood it will be gone anyways.

+1 - get to work!

[Carl Beckett]

Personally, I’d just use it as is and let friction take care of what little rust is there. It’s not hurting anything other than your pride and after a couple hundred bf of wood it will be gone anyways.

Agree.

Someone on here once asked about how shiney a commercial planer was they saw, even though somewhat exposed to the elements. The response was along the lines of 'we use it, the surfaces are constantly being polished by the wood, it has no chance to rust'.

(And I have seen Johns shop and not a spec of corrosion on anything, so if good enough for him then....)

Oh, and also keep in mind that some of the removal methods will do some amount of damage so be careful not to create a big project that you dont need to.

[John C Bush]

Use as is but if interested in a bit more shine--wear gloves and use a green scotchbrite pad with
WD40.

[Simon MacGowen]

Evapo-rust for several hours since the rust is not really really bad, followed by some gentle scrubbing if necessary (scotch-bite pad, maroon or something like that) with or without WD40, and some final spraying of WD40 or T-9.

I would definitely not use them as is, as the unmistakable sign of corrosion is already there, and the condition of corrosion would get worse, not better without further treatment. Also there is not much work involved in cleaning up the rust (10 minutes?, not counting the soaking time).

Next time, when you put tools like that away, clean up the surfaces with WD 40 (to remove moisture), and spray a coat of T-9 or the like (fluid film works the best in my experience even in very very humid environment).

Simon

[Van Huskey]

I am in the just run it camp. That isn't near enough rust for me to bother with the cleaning route. I would grab some scrap quality boards and run them through with a fairly deep cut, I bet with just 4-5 cuts 90% or so of the rust will be gone.

[John Lanciani]

...Also there is not much work involved in cleaning up the rust (10 minutes?, not counting the soaking time)...


Simon

Pull the head off the machine
remove the inserts
pull the bearings
soak in evaporust
scrub with scotchbrite
press bearings back on
install inserts
install cutter head in machine
re- tune machine


sure sounds like a lot more than 10 minutes to me to remove a little superficial rust.

[Simon MacGowen]

Pull the head off the machine
remove the inserts
pull the bearings
soak in evaporust
scrub with scotchbrite
press bearings back on
install inserts
install cutter head in machine
re- tune machine


sure sounds like a lot more than 10 minutes to me to remove a little superficial rust.

10 minutes is for removing rust as spelt out in my advice. Assembly time is machine dependent, as well as experience/skill dependent. That I cannot and therefore do not estimate.

Superficial rust does not necessarily mean treatment-free, as anyone with a rusty spot on their car knows too well.

A rusty spiral cutter is a symptom, and it is not a cheap accessory. Not much different from a superficial surface rust found on a $200 Japanese chisel. I would not advise anyone to use their $200 "rusty" chisel as if using it would cure the rust problem.

We all use and spend our time differently in our shops. When I see a rust issue (when rust prevention fails), I address it proactively -- even if I have to dismantle the machine (I did it once for a jointer which I later sold...and I am 100% sure the jointer would not have left my shop given my asking price had it been in a rusty condition).

Do you leave the rusty cutter like that and just use it thinking that the rust is superficial? It is your judgement call. Some woodworkers would spend 50 or 100 hours in making a shop-made solution while others go out and buy a solution for, say, $500. Who is right and who is wrong? It's a judgement call.

My judgement call is that I would not let something like that stay rusty in any of my machines, and I firmly believe that using it to cut wood as is is NOT the proper solution to dealing with the rust problem. Some people use a job site saw and some use a cabinet saw to build furniture. We all have different standards and expectations. The OP can choose the advice that fits him the best whether it is based on time, effort, risk, result or money.

Of course, doing nothing is the simplest and easiest path to take. That I am in agreement with.

Simon

[John Sincerbeaux]

I would do a combo of both recommendations. Run a few Hardwood boards over the cutterhead then access. If there is still rust, I would clean the head/cutters manually as suggested. Rust in ANY form is never acceptable on my machines or hand tools. I treat my machines like the custom motorcycles.

[Darcy Warner]

Just start using it. Clean itself.

[Van Huskey]

I think some might want to reexamine the picture and see how LITTLE rust is on the head. A LOT of what you are seeing is not rust, just look at the carbide inserts and compare what you are seeing on them (not rust) to what is on the steel portion of the head, it is largely the same thing.

[John Lanciani]

I think some might want to reexamine the picture and see how LITTLE rust is on the head. A LOT of what you are seeing is not rust, just look at the carbide inserts and compare what you are seeing on them (not rust) to what is on the steel portion of the head, it is largely the same thing.

Now Van, surely you take the mufflers off of your fine automobiles and polish them monthly, don’t you? It should only take 10 minutes or so if you have the skills...