Rust removal

[stronics]

I just bought a Powermatic 66 table saw that was left out side under a tarp for a month or so and has quite a bit of rust on the top. As soon as I got it home I coated the top with kerosene to arrest the rust so to speak.
Now what would be the best way to get it off without wrecking the top. Thanks for any help.
David

 

[Anonymous-0]

Brillo pads?

 

[flying belgian]

I've had good luck with grease remover. Just the cheap stuff in the squirt bottle.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Sander works good.

 

[bob15]

Try using 3M's Roloc pads with either the Scotch Brite pad or the Green bristle disc. Same stuff body-men will use on cars. I used it on my table-saw and it works great, and leaves no marks like you might get with sandpaper. When finished, use butchers wax to keep it from getting rusty again.

bob

 

[Anonymous-0]

I just went through this with an old Craftman table saw. I ended up using an orbital sander to clean up the top. It still looked pitted so I thought about clear coating or even painting it black but thought it would chip and scratch to much. I ended up using a bottle of Hoppes gun blueing on it. I used some Chemtrol B12 to make sure it was oil and grease free and then applied the blueing with a brush and let it sit until dry. I then cleaned the residue from the blueing off and applied a light coat of wax to the finish. The finish is shiney black and looks better than I thought it would.

 

[Ole Shovel]

Avoid sanding discs and belts you want to keep the machined surface flat. Like mentioned the scotchbrite pads will work well or a wire brush too. Any good paste wax then to keep it from rusting back instead of oily products. The wax helps fill the pits and wood slide over it easier too.

 

[edj856]

How about some Boeshield or Naval Jelly? I've used Boeshield on my tablesaw with good results.

 

[Zach Bouchard]

I had a table saw with that same problem, i don't know how severe the rust is but you should try scotch brite pads and steel wool. It worked good for me.

 

[charles todd]

ScotchBrite is what I'd use. Actually I'd use a right angle air die grinder and a 2" ScotchBrite pad. Much quicker and easier... If you have the setup.

CT

 

[fixerupper]

My Crapsman table saw will rust a little from the summer's humidity even inside my tight, wooden walled woodshop. Hand sanding it with 400 grit sandpaper gets rid of the rust and then polishing it with 1000 grit sandpaper puts the shine back in it. I do have a DA sander but when I'm hand sanding I can get into the grooves and crevices better. Top it off by spraying on a little silicone sspray lube and then wiping it off and the wood will slide across it like glass.

If it's rusted solid brown, then the DA or orbital sander is a better bet. It's no different than shining up the rusted hood on a tractor.Jim

 

[Robert in Md]

Just a suggestion, but after you get the rust off, I spray all my machine surfaces with varnish. This stops the rust and leaves a slick surface. Yes the varnish will wear of near the blade on a table saw with use. I think this works better then silicone sprays.

 

[JimDRIl]

The best thing to do after you get the rust off is put on a good coat of paste wax. This will keep it from further rusting, and the wood you are sawing will run thru effortlessly.

 

[Awlknottedup]

I restored a Craftsman table saw and bandsaw as well as cleaning up a 40s era Craftsman drill press. What did the best and quickest job with minimal surface removal was a Scotch pad designed for use in a drill motor. It very quickly removed surface rust and left a clean surface.

Follow the link for more photos and end result. Just after this I made a deal for a Delta contractors saw and used the same method on it.

Untitled URL Link

 

[fixerupper]

I never thought of car wax. The one reservation I've always had about silicone is if a little silicone gets on wood I plan on staining I'll be in trouble. Jim

 

[JimDRIl]

I don't use car wax. I use Butcher wax. It's actually a floor wax, I believe you can get it in supermarkets. I've had my can for probably 30 years. P.S. It's a paste wax comes in a round can, maybe 3" high by 3" dia.

 

[JIM33]

I used a machinist scraper on mine

 

[Jake in IL]

we use top cote on our saw tops