Oak lathe jig

Is the oak in contact with the iron? It's well established that iron fasteners in oak will eventually corrode. Apparently the tannin acts as an oxygen scavenger. Now, how much damage to the lathe bed the contact will cause is uncertain, but I'd err on the side of caution.

Yes, I think it will corrode. I left a stack of oak boards on my table saw's cast iron table and it rusted in a week or so. My shop is in a non-condensing environment. And, the table had been coated with past wax. I will admit that the wax might have gotten a little thin, but it sure did rust. I have polished away at the rust, which does not feel rough to the touch, but I can still see where the board was.

Pete Stanaitis

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Answer I was looking for.

Lay some more boards on the saw, you'll never know where the first ones were.

Empire top saver will fix the problem..

Probably yes if the oak is unfinished. But some dewaxed shellac or poly in the oak and some topcote or equivalent on the lathe bed and you should be OK.

I understand that there is an insidious "oak rust" phenomenom that can manifest itself under certain conditions in home woodworking shops...