Thread: Rusty Cast Iron Table Saw

I don't find Silber Gleit good for rust prevention. It does a great job of making the surface slippery, but surface rust seems to appear quite quickly. If you leave a thicker layer on to try to help with the rust prevention, it just goes tacky when dry.
I am reading with interest the other suggestions in this thread. Might give the Traditional Wax a try as I have just brought some of that.

I have found that minwax traditional wax is great. After cleaning with turps AND metho, I wipe some over and leave it to dry.

If I'm not going to use it for a while I'll leave it be, but I normally give it a wipe after it dries.... Try not to leave the tools alone for too long

I enquired after the evapo-rust after seeing it suggested here. AWESOME.

Ive picked up a ratty bandsaw that needs the top soaked, so the timing of the suggestion is perfect.

Normally I would just use brasso and put a 000 steel wool pad on the bottom of my ROS. It polishes it like a firemans helmet.

Avoid anything with silicone. I have zero experience with it, but every conversation in every forum from every expert has said this. I don't feel the need to test this gospel myself, it feels like it should be true, so true it is.

Hi Evanism, am very interested in how you fitted 0000 steel wool to the base of your ROS. Can you please advise?

I have found Ubeaut Traditional Wax good too, but prefer Becketts Bronze / Ferrous Microcrystalline Wax Polish for use here in the tropics with the high humidity and high temperatures.

The problem with Evapo-Rust is the cost - $25 per litre, or $75 for 5 litres, plus postage, and the item needs to be thoroughly cleaned and then soaked in EvapoRust for a few hours totally submerged

Originally Posted by Dengue

The problem with Evapo-Rust is the cost - $25 per litre, or $75 for 5 litres, plus postage, and the item needs to be thoroughly cleaned and then soaked in EvapoRust for a few hours totally submerged

See my post on the first page. I brush the Evaporust directly onto the table, rest for ~15min and wipe off, too easy. The price seemed stiff at purchase time but I have had mine for ~1.5 years and have barely dented my 5lt container with moderate use. Liquid can be re-used several times over until you find it no longer works.

Rust used to be a PITA until I started using Evaporust, cannot recommend it enough.

mmm... I have a litre here, will give it a try on the cast iron router table surface. thanks for this info Gareth

Originally Posted by Dengue

Next trick is to remove the oily residue after wiping the cast iron clean. Some use kero, others metho and others turps, but I am not sure. Can anyone advise on this please? I have previously used metho, and today used kero , which the label says is also good for removing wax.

Dengy

use mineral turpentine first as a solvent for heavier oils and waxes, twice if necessary, then wipe off clean with methylated spirits. The order is important.

cheerio, mike

Originally Posted by Dengue

Hi Evanism, am very interested in how you fitted 0000 steel wool to the base of your ROS. Can you please advise?

I have found Ubeaut Traditional Wax good too, but prefer Becketts Bronze / Ferrous Microcrystalline Wax Polish for use here in the tropics with the high humidity and high temperatures.

The problem with Evapo-Rust is the cost - $25 per litre, or $75 for 5 litres, plus postage, and the item needs to be thoroughly cleaned and then soaked in EvapoRust for a few hours totally submerged

With the ROS I just use a lumpy 40 grit pad. The fine weave of the 000 holds it quite well. It doesn't stick like Velcro but it does stay VERY in place.

I have a Festool RO125 which have very fine Velcro backers. The first time I did it, I just attached the 000 directly to it. It did grip it very well, but I then had to pick out a billion wire strings off the backer post job. Not happy nor fun. I'm sure it didn't do the backer any good either.

I pulled out the hose and use a piece of solid sandpaper without holes... Don't want to suck up brasso into the guts of the Festool! Norton pads are sold at bunnings (may the die a horrible death) for about $5 for 5 (I think)

The Beckett looks good, I'll give it a crack. I'm in Canberra, so tropical humidity isn't such a trauma. Though, being honest, things rust up pretty good here if you leave them alone

With the evapo-rust I am buying 5 litrs to start. The product tech sheet claims it can be repeatedly used until exhausted, which is 100 grams of rust per litre. That is a shovel load of rust to be captured. It doesn't go off/expire and if it evaporates away you just top it back up with water. Given this, it seems reasonable for a large item you don't need 100% evapo-rust, one could dilute it with a few litres of water.

Perhaps this will reduce its efficacy and it does seem illogical to put iron into water to remove rust, but the data sheet does imply this is do-able, albeit at a reduced efficiency.

I intend to do this with the BS top in a huge plastic bucket. Wish me luck

Given I have a good chunk invested in tools and most are prone to rust, I thought 5 litres could be bought and divided up so it doesn't cross contaminate too badly. Everything is iron based, so chisels, planes, table tops (using a paper towel procedure advised by someone else on this thread) every 6 months seems like a good preventative.

Sure, a little surface "patina" adds to the vibe and authenticity, but rust irritates the heck out of me!

HI if you didn't find a solution for your rusty cast iron table I recommend you the top saver from Carroll's I use it and is fantastic. Top Saver System

http://www.cws.au.com

Originally Posted by Ricardo292

HI if you didn't find a solution for your rusty cast iron table I recommend you the top saver from Carroll's I use it and is fantastic. Top Saver System

http://www.cws.au.com

CWS Store - Top Saver System | Carroll's Woodcraft Supplies This? If so, it looks interesting but it's out of stock. Any idea if it'll be available again, and/or if it's available more locally (WA)?

Originally Posted by d0vr

CWS Store - Top Saver System | Carroll's Woodcraft Supplies This? If so, it looks interesting but it's out of stock. Any idea if it'll be available again, and/or if it's available more locally (WA)?

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f177/t...5/#post1690342

Thanks, appreciated.

Originally Posted by d0vr

CWS Store - Top Saver System | Carroll's Woodcraft Supplies This? If so, it looks interesting but it's out of stock. Any idea if it'll be available again, and/or if it's available more locally (WA)?

Yep that one, and correct out of stock, sorry I don't know when they will have it back in the shop but you can send an e-mail to them asking for it.
Believed or not it works.
Ricardo.