Can't lift grime of table saw

[jo4hn]

My favorite: napalm.

[Leon]

Try using Duct Tape to stick on the surface, it may stick to what you rant to remove. I have used tape to lift lots of those gummy adjesives that solvents dont seem to permanently desolve.

[allen476]

No you are supposed to soak the whole saw in it while smoking. The flames will reduce the residue (and the saw) to nothing. Then when you wake up in the burn unit, You can think about what new saw you want.

I have used in the past.....gas, kerosene, diesel (works great on getting really thick grease off of your hands), brake cleaner, pumice hand cleaner, a wire cup for an angle grinder, a heat gun and scraper, an automotive or industrial degreaser, or the sandpaper route. Though with the sandpaper route, I would start at 150 grit and on a half sheet sander.

You might want to try penetrating oil and a scotch brite pad as well.

Allen (who is running with scissors and untied shoes after I have put out a grease fire with a big cup of water)

[Steve B]

You don't use it by the gallon. You just put a little on a rag, then set the can away from where you are working. Outside, preferably.

And never run with scissors in your hand. You could put yer eye out.

Steve

[John Grossbohlin]

I'd be inclined to take a scraper to it, even a card scraper, to remove the build up. Clearly this requires some care so as to not score the surface but it shouldn't be a big deal. After the scraper use coarse Scotch Brite pads with WD40, kerosene, (or gasoline!) to remove the rest of the asphalt. Another solvent that would probably work is sold in the automotive stores as bug and tar remover.

Another mechanical means would be to use an auto body float (file from the lead sled days) or file designed for flattening cast iron surfaces. Both are not commonly available today, and require skill to use, but old serviceable ones can be found.

I equate this problem to cleaning up a maple cutting board counter top that had gotten all gooey... the owner attempted to sand it but the paper clogged up instantly. I took a Stanley No 80 scraper to it and had it ready for mineral oil in a matter of minutes.

John

[Father Haskell]

Naptha.

[Joe]

(sarcasm on) Great idea on a dry, wintry day (sarcasm off). if you must use something flammable, try kerosene instead.

[benick]

Naptha.

Bug and Tar Remover....

[Lew Hodgett]

Top make look like ugly on an ape, but if sandpaper remains clean, so what?

Again Yep, it's my weapon of choice, but only outside.

Has lots of VOCs, be careful.

Lew

[Jay-T]

Try TSP. It comes as a powder (like detergent) in a box and is sold in the paint department at Home Depot.

[Lew Hodgett]

============================= If brake cleaner doesn't cut it, call KanoLabs:

1-800-331-3374

in Nashville, TN

They have some very interesting degreaser (solvent) products.

Lew

[WW]

Fast Orange hand cleaner. I do not like to wear gloves when painting or any other messy job. Fast Orange removes grease, oil paint, lacquer, wood stain etc from my hands. Even after it has dried. Yet it leaves hands feeling good. I bought it at WalMart or NAPA. Don't remember. WW

[Martin H. Eastburn]

I'd get some diatom earth - or Mothers polish and polish it off. Mothers polish at auto shop. Can get red and worst case black polish there. Rubbing compound - something that will absorb this stuff and cart it away.

Mart> Hi,

[Max]

Leaded? That would explain a lot. (just kidding, just kidding)

Max

[Max]

And never remove the guard from a table saw. And Radial arm saws are extremely dangerous. And dust explosions have happened in ungrounded dust collection systems And...........................

Max

[Markem]

Tide and white gas, sticks good too like a gel stripper. Where is that Willy P (the igniters are the only munition that made me shake).

Mark

[Swingman]

Firing a 1000m HOB of "Willy P" on a grid intersection saved my ass on many an occasion ... poor man's GPS! :)

[EXT]

but the saw table looks like the one I am using today. Mine is cast iron with a rough milled surface. I use mine for many things because I am short of table space. Often the top gets a little rust, paint splatters and who knows what on the surface. With the not-too-smooth milling on the surface, the stuff really bonds. I have found that a good solvent such as lacquer thinner will remove the dissolvable materials and a run over with a belt sander with a 120 grit aluminum oxide belt cleans it up and even smoothes the milled surface without taking off more than a fraction of a thousandth inch of iron. Don't use a belt intended for metal grinding as it will be too aggressive, aluminum oxide is good as it will wear down on iron before it does any damage.

[Steve B]

I was just throwing gas on Jim Yanik's gas paranoia fire.

Steve

[Max]

I surmised as much. I thought I would add a little fuel.

Max