How to rescue a table saw from rust

Hi,

I was given a free craftsman table saw with a cast iron top and extensions. It's never been used and I got it in the original never opened box.

This saw was built in 1986 and has since been sitting in someone's garage. The box was penetrated by moisture and the table top and the extensions are completely rusted. It seems that the top was covered by a protective sheet of paper and it's now completely grafted onto the table top surface.

How should I go about rescuing this saw? (The rest of the saw is in pristine condition.)

Thank you,

Aaron

Reply to
Aaron Fude
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Lotsa steel wool and/or 3M scrub pads, and then wax it. Pretty much any solvent, even a soak in goof-off, should get the paper off. Don't use metal scrapers or power sander or anything. Ending up with a 'brushed' finish is okay, but you don't want deep scratches. After sitting that long, you will want to check the table for flatness, front to back, side to side, and corner to corner, with a good long straight-edge. Saw may or may not have screws to adjust it.

I'm envious.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

If you have a container large enough to immerse the whole table, you may want to consider electrolytically derusting it - but be prepared to oil it *immediately* upon removal/cleaning.

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nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

On 8/16/2009 2:33 PM Nate Nagel spake thus:

Could do. I'm a fan and practitioner of electrolytic rust removal, but usually for objects much smaller than a saw table.

Barring that, I'd just follow the usual advice. Tool of choice might be a wire wheel on a drill, which won't gouge or otherwise damage the surface but will aggressively remove rust, paper, etc.

You'll have a very nice tool once you're done. So let me join the others in saying "you suck".

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

You are sure the rest is "pristine". With that kind of moisture, I'd check carefully all moving parts. Do both up/down and tilt adjustments work smoothly and easily? Do the motor and arbor both turn easily and cleanly.

If everything else is really good, then cleaning the top should not be that bad. A wire brush on a drill or sander or grinder should clean it well as long as the rust isn't too deep. OR, you could try naval jelly, or some kind of acid wash, or the electrolysis someone else suggested. Then rinse very well and oil the clean metal.

Reply to
Bob F

Sandpaper, kerosene and a finishing sander. You may not be able to remove the rusy pits, but hey it's free. I would start with 120 grit then finish with 220. I use Johnson's wax on my cast iron tabletop to prevent rust, but you can use Topcoat spray (about $12). Alternatively, you can have the top professionally machined flat but not sure what this would cost. If the top is not absolutely flat (use winding sticks to check), the saw is not worth too much. A bad fence can be replaced.

Reply to
Phisherman

I just fixed up one like that, well about a years ago. I kept it wet with Kroil for about a month then started scrubbing and sanding. I have a neighbor that runs a machine shop and he told me AFTER I got it cleaned up that he could have milled the surface for me gratis. Mine was much older '60s and had been used a lot. I wish I could get a decent fence for it. I have the original fence but the old ones are a pain to square up with the blade

I was surprised it was all surface rust, I got obsessed with taking it all down to bright metal. I could have left a lot of the stains and it would have been just as well.

Jimmie

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE
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Most saws can be retrofitted with a Biesemeyer or similar fence.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I had a fire in my garage, then water damage that left me with a lot of rusty stuff. Mineral spirits and motor oil 50:50 is pretty good stuff once you get past the stuff you abrade off. (sand paper, steel wool, scotch brite or whatever). It gives you a nice bronze look.

Reply to
gfretwell

On 8/16/2009 4:34 PM snipped-for-privacy@aol.com spake thus:

Really any kind of oil will do the trick (well, except linseed oil or some other kind of oil that will turn sticky). A guy would want to wipe that oil off after applying anyhow.

After that, I like to rub a piece of wax over the table to make the wood glide nicely over it. Ordinary candle wax works fine.

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

You can use WD40 to remove the cosmoline holding the paper to the top and then as everyone else has said, lots of steelwool.

Reply to
dicko

Repost to rec.woodworking for the best advice.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Best, easiest way is to clean off is with a glass bead blaster. The grafted-on paper doesn't even have to be removed. Any automotive machine shop will have one and it should take no more than 10 minutes to process. Auto cylinder heads and other parts are routinely cleaned this way before machining. A fringe benefit is a slight work hardening of the surface in the process. If the shop charges over $20, then consider buying the gear from Harbor Freight if you have an air compressor. Some shops have shot blasters which are too rough to consider for a machined surface. Wax the surface as soon as possible after cleaning.

Joe

Reply to
Joe

I inherited an old Monkey Wards table saw and got excellent results using old gasoline with a little used motor oil added and some steel wool. Obviously this might not be a good idea if you have a gas water heater near the saw.

Reply to
Ulysses

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