Refinish PM 66 top? (not a rust problem)

[MICAH MCARTHUR]

I just purchased a Powermatic 66 table saw, its a beast, but it needs a little TLC.

The PO was a cabinet shop, and they glued a piece of Formica onto the cast iron table. (I guess instead of the maintenance of polishing and waxing). Its old beat up, cracked, and needs to go.

I tried scraping, chiseling, heat, and blow torch, and it is not going to come off with anything I got.

Any ideas? Should find a machine shop and have them just remill the top, cut a .001 off?

[Bradley Gray]

You need to find the proper solvent and it will come off.

I would try lacquer thinner, then acetone if the thinner doesn't work.

[Mike Kees]

Lacquer thinner is your answer. It works best with two people, get a large syringe and then use a chisel etc to just start to lift at a corner. Use the syringe to squirt the Lacquer thinner in the gap,one person squirts the other gently lifts. Once off the thinner will clean off the top as well.

[MICAH MCARTHUR]

Thanks guys, I will give that a try. someone else also mentioned using a scraper blade on an oscillating tool. between the thinner and the oscillating, that sounds like a plan.

[Paul Tubergen]

NMP may work if lacquer thinned doesn’t.

[Mike Kees]

If it is solvent based contact cement ,Lacquer thinner absolutely works. Was taught this trick 25 plus years ago and have used it several times over the years.

[Frank Pratt]

But if it's that hard to get off, it may be glued on with something like epoxy. Then the fun begins.

[johnny means]

If it's hard glued, heat will absolutely do the job. It's just going to take more heat.

[Gustav Gabor]

Depending on the glue that was used (hopefully contact cement), an old clothes iron works really well.

Set the iron on a relatively high setting, and start "ironing" the formica in one spot. Once the glue has softened, use a scraper at the edge to separate the formica from the cast iron top.
Place dowels in between and keep going until all the formica is removed, then clean the residue with lacquer thinner.

If it was epoxy, break out the belt sander with 50 grit and swear a lot....

[Rob Charles]

If the Iron & heat do not work, consider trying one of the Debond Corp (or similar band) products. I have had excellent results using their marine grade product on urethane type adhesives. BTW, Heat often also works on various thermosetting plastic type resins & glues.

[MICAH MCARTHUR]

It took some time, but I finally got it all off
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