Thread: Making a shiny cast iron table surface

Jill


I would not put metho on the cleaned surface as it is water soluble , it may cause rust??

I use camelia oil on the one I use but it is not cast iron. It seems to deal with any rust problems.

Regards Mike

Jill I am around water or water based coolants and washes all the time with my various machines (tool sharpener) I too would not advocate the use of metho, I rub the machines down with fine sandpaper or emery to get rid of the rust on machined surfaces when and if any appears then polish off using CRC 808 which is a silicon based spray, I dont spray it directly on the machinery, I spray it on a rag and then rub the machine down, I've been using this for a long time now with very good results, it does give a very "slick" finish ideal for the thicknesser or saw benches and jointer's, I have found that it does not build up like some protectorants, I dont go for shiny, just protected, I have seen metal polishes used but dont know what they are called or where to get them

thanks for these replies, Mike and Dave.
I thought that silicone based products were an absolute no-no on woodworking machines, as they interfere with the finish

I use the 808 on the saw bench and bandsaw as well as my thicknesser, when dry (usually a couple of hours or overnight) the silicon has not affected the timber in any way that I have found, it does leave a very slick surface!

JillB, the lack of high shine is a function of the the way the cast iron was machined at the factory. Any metal can be made very shiny but most cast iron tops have not been machined for this in the first instance. In fact, my Hammer Jointer/thicknesser is deliberately machined with curved lines in the the surface which is not very smooth to the touch.

The benefits of this I guess is that there is less wood to metal contact which should make it easier to slide the timber across it, particularly if the wood is very flat. The other benefit is that the surface can better hold protective coatings and sliding aids.

As far as rust preventatives go, I am not overly impressed with the longevity of Silverglide. It doesn't protect for as long as just about everything else I've used but I still use it to clean off residue to assist the wood to slide better. It also reacts badly when a drop of sweat hits it which leaves marks on the cast iron surface.

For rust prevention a wax polish is very good, a little harder to apply but protects much longer than Silverglide. Inox is excellent as is CRC Long Life. The latter can even be used for mothballing equipment. Haven't tried Silicone/Teflon yet but there seems to be enough people attesting to it working OK.

Originally Posted by JillB

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I thought that silicone based products were an absolute no-no on woodworking machines, as they interfere with the finish

This is my understanding also.

Many moons ago I had a problem with "fish eyes" in a finish I was trying to do - to cut a short story long ---- after trying as many solvents I could get my hands on and heavy sanding, I spoke to a panel beater who told me of the curses of silicone and finishes. Never used it again and no more "fish eyes".

I have heard of problems of finishing where silicone sealants had been used to seal glass or edging on tiles, but I have not seen nor experienced this personally.

However, anyone with more info/ideas/experience - I'm all ears......

Regards,
Bob

"Use" would be the best cleaner, surely ?

Originally Posted by q9

"Use" would be the best cleaner, surely ?

Who makes that?

Originally Posted by TP1

As far as rust preventatives go, I am not overly impressed with the longevity of Silverglide.

......

For rust prevention a wax polish is very good, a little harder to apply but protects much longer than Silverglide.

I have applied bees wax to my machines and everything glides beautifully over them. However, a professional table maker has told me to be careful in doing this to the buzzer so as to avoid getting excess on the outfeed table especially which may interfere with edge gluing of boards for panels or tables. It seems that a little is better than a lot.


Speaking of bees, I have never bought Silverglide - the price always shocks me - but I would have thought that it would be the 'bees knees' considering that it is a dedicated product for the purpose.

If not, then why buy it?



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TP1, you can buy that product that q9 suggested wherever you buy elbow grease

Originally Posted by Charleville

If not, then why buy it?


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I use it as a table lubricant to assist in the timber movement. Its especially good when you have put a lot of timber through and there has been a build up of resin etc on the table. Silverglide contains solvents and will very easily remove the build up of gunk and will smooth things out for your work. One tin will last a very long time with this sort of use.

when finished, I will then usually use another protectant for rust prevention. For this I've use Inox, floor polish - (goes on much easier than beeswax), and CRC Long life ( although this is more suited to long term protection and mothballing)

Many thanks TP1.

Being pretty well a mug beginner, I have often wondered what its benefits are.

I tend to use Inox a fair bit as well because I buy it by the 4 litre container for use on my boat and therefore have it on hand. I especially use it on the drill press where I want rust protection but not an especially slippery surface.

You have convinced me to give Silverguide a go though.


Many thanks for your advice.


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For my drill press I use CRC long life. I applied it about 12 months ago and the metal is still all shiny and rust free.