Restoring old shop equipment

[nospamanobama]

I inherited some old mostly craftsman workshop equipment, all about 55 yrs old and unused for the past 10-15. I plan on starting cleaning them up this long weekend and would like some input on the best methods. besides blowing out dust, etc, the main thing i have to do is remove rust:

work and fence surfaces have a fine covering of rust, no pitting. appears pretty minor but covers the entire area - whats the best polishing or rust removal solution and method to use? jointer blades feel sharp, but the rotor base and the blades are rusty. is there any real reason to clean them as long as they perform well?

stands and casing is all metal, cast iron i assume. there are areas of rust on these surfaces as well, but not as widespread. if i spot treat the rust i will need to repaint - is there a prefered type and brand of paint best suited for this?

a poster in a previous post about motors suggested looking for oil ports on the motor shafts, i will be looking at these as well.

thanks in advance.

[Limp Arbor]

I've had good results with WD40 and a Scotch-Brite pad to remove rust from cast iron. Wipes up easily when you are done but wear old clothes because the slurry stains are impossible to get out.

I would clean the rust on all bare metal to keep things from getting worse.

As far as the painted areas that need work I've heard rustoleum is the best but have not tried anything else.

Have fun!

[jo4hn]

and zerk (grease) fittings..

[BillyBob]

I've used T-9 Rust Free, sold by Woodcraft on cast iron and steel surfaces with a scotch brite pad. It gets rid of it in a hurry. I tried Wd-40 and it was way too much work.

Bob

[-MIKE-]

On of the magazines did a test of the rust removal/prevention products.

best product for removal was actually Empire Top Saver.

It's the only one that rated "excellent" for removal. Funny that Boeshield would have the test on their site, showing how their products came in second after a competitor.

[tom]

products.http://www.boeshield.com/rust_prevention/stoprust.pdf>> The best product for removal was actually Empire Top Saver.

Gotta hand it to Boeshield for the impartial endorsement... Tom

[Keith Nuttle]

I don't know if this is the acceptable method, but my Craftsman table saw is 40 years old. Over the years when it has not been used for a while it picks up a little rust. To remove the rust I have used either steel wool or extremely fine sand paper. You don't want to sand enough to cup the surface.

After I get the rust off I use auto polishing compound and then a good grade of car wax on the table.

If you have rust on the table of the saw, you may not get it completely off the first time, just get the table so that it is smooth enough so as not to catch the wood when you cut wood. The more sawdust you make the shinier the surface becomes. Sawdust makes a great polishing compound.

I have a piece of plywood that fits the top of the saw that is always on the saw when ever it is not in use. This seems to prevent rust.

[SonomaProducts.com]

[Martin H. Eastburn]

If your beloved sews - have them make covers - like pillow sacks that fit over - not tight - just to keep dust and moisture off.

It is amazing how well as a shop cloth keeps rust off. Not plastic - let it breath and wick as needed.

A lot of shops have dew drops at sunrise or such. Cold moist nights and then the temp rises and moisture dews out.

And the saw blades are just fine as is.

Mart> I inherited some old mostly craftsman workshop equipment, all about 55 yrs

[Daryl]

For the fence and surface (assuming they are cast iron) steel wool and FWD-40 does a great job. Clean and then Johnson's paste wax every 6-9 months. I've only repainted one tool and used Sherwin Williams epoxy. Looks great and has held up fine (5+ years). I have a Delta (Rockwell) scroll saw and belt sander from that era. No lube ports on the sander, saw has an oil reservoir right under the table.

[DLB]

I thought car wax near woodworking was baaaaadddddd. Silicone in the car type waxes interferes with finishing products.

[Larry Blanchard]

Since most folks are either sanding or planing after cutting, the dangers of silicone on saw tops is greatly exaggerated.

[Larry Blanchard]

I'd be leery of that. Depending on local humidity, moisture could get trapped under the plywood and make the situation worse instead of better.

[-MIKE-]

Wood magazine did a test between several different methods/products for rust removal and prevention.

may find that some of the newer products will save you some time and energy, as WD-40 and Johnson's both did the worst at their respective tasks.

[krw]

I use a beach towel (gotta get SWMBO to make a slot for the spreader). The thought being that it would protect the surface from any condensation but still let air at the surface.

[Keith Nuttle]

I don't apply the wax on a regular basis, about once or twice per year. So there is no significant build up of wax. I have not had a problem with the wax interfering with the finishes. I have tried to keep wax in the pores in the surface but not on the surface.

HOWEVER, my principal wood working projects are picture frames where I alway keep the shinny side up, for the sake of the mitered corners.

Larry wrote: > > I have a piece of plywood that fits the top of the saw that is always on > > the saw when ever it is not in use. This seems to prevent rust

I have been doing this for years, and always assumed it worked since it keeps the humid air from coming in contact with the cool surface of the table, therefore preventing condensation and any moisture build up.

HOWEVER: My shop is in an unheated attached garage where the furnace for the house is located.

[Pilgrim]

Most everyone seems to be mostly concerned with the cosmetics. If the equipment is 50 plus old and has not been used in 10 to 15 I would check out the motors and arbor bearings. Just because they may turn over doesn't mean they are properly lubricated. I have seen oil turn to glue and freeze moving parts. Ideally the bearings should be taken out, cleaned, and re-lubed. Sealed bearings in an ideal world should be replaced.

Chuck P.

[Daryl]

I tend not to believe everything I read, especially when it doesn't jive with my own experience. If I did, FWW would have convinced me a year ago that I needed a 20 ton press to do a panel glue up. Been doing this since '94 when I got my table saw. Johnson's takes maybe two minutes to apply, wait 10 then 2 more to buff off and that only twice a year. The top looks as good today as when I bought it. Now doing the same with all the tools. Not sure what could be easier than that but I should probably stick with this. I could use the excersize.

Just my $0.02

Daryl

[-MIKE-]

I certainly wasn't telling you how to part your own hair, just sharing info, which is the purpose of this group... I hope. :-)

For your intents and purposes, you probably don't need the best in both categories. If you look at the pictures in the article, you'll see they are letting those surfaces get very rusty... simulating what looks to be "a couple years in the shed" worth of rust.

If I ever have to take off that kind of rust, I'll go with what they recommend and not repeat the learnin' they already learnt. :-)

As for prevention... someone in here recommended this...

I've been using it with great results so far. Plus, it's a multi-tasker and I hate uni-taskers.

[nospamanobama]

i have never serviced an electric motor, is this worth paying a shop to do?