I bought a Mark V Shop Smith that came with a band saw and a jointer and 510 table upgrade with tons of band saw blades, multiple table saw blades including dado, shaper with blades, router bits and tons of other accessories for $500 on craigslist (she got everything in a divorce and sold everything... poor guy) only problem was the jointer and bandsaw had some surface rust as seen in this video. I hit it with a red scotch brute pad (dry) then a gray one (dry) which did a wonderful job. I hit it with some johnsons past wax and it runs like a dream. I did the same to the rails with good effect. I was so lucky to find such a great deal.
Where does one buy 'schmutz'? ;) Thanks for the video - I live in Houston - just bought a cast iron saw - watched this happen a little. Time to figure out a preventative! ;)
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I use TopSaver in this video, made by Empire Manufacturing. Recently I’ve had a hard time finding this product and it may no longer be available. Alternatively you can use carnauba wax or TopCote which is available from retailers like Rockler and Woodcraft. I don’t know who, in Canada, might carry the product.
May have been safety related to omit the option of using a safety razor blade. Scraping the cast iron top with a safety razor blade is a great first step in removing surface rust. Depending on how much rust has collected, I can get away with only using a couple of safety blade, no sanding, no elbow grease. A favorite trick used by old iron restoration folks.
I went through the effort of removing the rust from my jointer about 5 months ago. I have not used it since. I applied Boeshield after cleaning it. Sitting out in the cold shop, it has started to rust again! I am assuming that this problem is just due to ambient moisture due to the season. Do you have any tips for controlling shop indoor moisture to prevent rust?
stable temperature, and eliminate drafts. If I open the overhead when the shop is cool and allow the warmer outside air in I can watch condensation form on the cold iron. I keep things covered to limit its exposure to fresh air.
If your shop has a concrete floor, seal it. Concrete is a spunge and wicks moisture up from the soil (especially after rain!) and releases it into your ship. It's like a giant humidifier if it isn't sealed.
Just picked up my fathers table saw that my step-mother had in storage since he died in 1994. Fortunately the table only got mild surface rust. The biggest problem so far has been the hardened grease and saw dust packed in everything.
The saw is serial number 115-3861, and, according to the Vintage Machinery Delta serial number wiki page web site, it was manufactured in 1955 1955 serial numbers: 113-9614-116-5949 You can also see my blog about it on LumberJocks--DOT--com - search for MrMeasureTwice unisaw to find the blog - can't add links in the reply.
I have an old PowrKraft 10 inch cabinet makers saw from 1948 that was built in Los Angeles. It weighs over 200 pounds and is all steel, cast iron and brass. I bought it in the 70's for 125 dollars and have used it continually since that time. Original motor is still working fine! I built a nice rolling dolly with locking wheels to move it around the shop.
"...you can use paste wax, or, you can use what I am using, this undisclosed dry lube from a family of woodworking products- let's just call it: magic rub..."
I have an old 1948 Craftsman saw I've acquired and the table top was very dirty and rusted. Have you ever tried using an isolating sander to make the process go faster and easier? If so what was your opinion of the result?
I sometimes place a Scotchbrite pad under a palm sander and it works great. It quickly cleans up any rust spots that are on the surface. Pitted spots will require some WD40 or similar to penetrate and break down the rust. -Paul
I have been looking a long time for a video on how to deal with this exact problem. Thanks for uploading it! I have the same scenario with my dad's Craftsman table saw. Since he died, I want to restore it and I have found pits of rust in it. Would you have any suggestions on dealing with this problem? There are a couple ugly spots, but I suppose they would just be eyesores more than anything.
I have a bowl that was my Grandmother's and I remember her making bread for my Grandfather in it, but now it has a pretty good crack. Is there anything that I can use to fill the crack and still be able to use the bowl for food use?
Great tips, thanks! I just picked up a Darra James table saw at a yard sale that is going to need some serious attention and this certainly pointed me in the right direction. Thanks for the fun video and the useful information.
I have a table saw that sat outside over a winter with a tarp over it. Of course, there was quite a bit of condensation under the tarp that I hadn't considered. Hoping I can use this procedure to rescue it.
The video addresses not using a power sander but using an an orbital sander with an abrasive pad, not sandpaper, works great. The abrasive cannot remove cast material.
excellent video i have a pillar drill stand that you put an electric drill on and the base plate is rusty will clean it the same way you did also have solid furniture polish which i will use to finish off with to seal the metal as it doesnt contain sillicone
Thank you for this video. I am in the process of restoring an old bandsaw and was wondering how to best handle the surface. Exactly what I was needing.
Nice work on that table. I just picked up a Delta Unisaw that has some rust on the table after sitting for several years. Should come out looking beautiful... Thanks for posting!!!
an orbital palm sander with 180 grit could have done a better job. cast iron is a tough surface, chances to eat through it is very unlikely as long as you don't use very coarse sand paper or some crazy belt sander, and you keep moving don't stall on the same spot.
I like the idea of wet sanding. I know the author does not like the idea of using an orbital sander...I take it a step further. I dont like to sand with my hand alone. I always use a sanding block (maybe a piece of maple) and tend to keep the sanding motion parallel to the direction of material. If you go with the sanding block you dont have to worry at all about making your top out of flat and you dont seem to get the differences of surface sheen you may get with hand sanding without a block.
