Rust prevention on surfaces... in today's environments

[Steve]

Seeking your counsel, folks. I never had a need for a real rust-preventat ive on my tools, as my shop was in a reasonably- decent climate-controlled basement. Bought a new house a couple of years ago and upgraded the sho p, but it's in an uninsulated, unheated garage. Also upgraded the table sa w from a Craftsman contractor saw to the Grizzly hybrid model, and I love i t-- except the surface. I knew this would be a thing, but paste wax had always worked for me in the past. Paste isn't cutting it now. My band sa w table is also affected; no dice on the wax there either which had always worked for me.

Before you fire off with the usual, please... (1) yes, I will eventually b e insulating, heating, etc. but I still need a short term surface fix.

2) Other materials for my table surface ARE being considered, but for now, let's focus on the question at hand, please.

3) Yes I have looked and I am aware of the bazillions of previous comments on this, but believe it or not there's not a comprehensive thread since ab out 2012 or so, according to my search. There's more like a smattering of c omments embedded in a bunch of other threads. VOC Laws have changed dras tically in many states since then, affecting hundreds of thousands of produ cts in the chemicals and coatings industries. I'm in consumer-protection- happy Massachusetts, which has some new regs over the past decade. But I'm also located on the NH line and believe it or not, recent changes hit New H ampshire products even harder. (As only an example, I can still get real TSP in Mass, and I have a better chance of getting decent Alkyds in Mass.)

So my questions are this:

--Are you guys, generally, still using and/or recommending Boeshield and/or TopCote for this purpose today? What's your experience with these products in cold/heavy-moisture environments?

-- Have you noticed any decline in the products' effectiveness over the pas t decade or so? (Keep in mind, this reply may vary, depending on the regs i n your location.)

-- are there any new products that anyone's been introduced to that are as effective or better than these two today?

Thanks for your assistance, all Steve

[Ed Pawlowski]

They work for me. I'm probably 75 miles south of you so similar climate. I see no reason to change.

[Leon]

Wax nor Boeshield ever worked for me at all. With both I immediately had rust the next morning on brand new equipment.

I live in Houston so I am about 45 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. We get a wind from the gulf a majority of the time. And humidity is almost always 90% in the mornings.

My shop in in an uninsulated and unairconditioned garage and has been for the past 36 years.

The only time I really had a rust issue was when I attempted to use wax and or Bodshied.

Boeshield works if you heavily coat the surface. BUT you have to wipe off the film before doing any cutting. End of the day reapply.

For 30+ years I have been using TopKote, Bostitch. At one time it belonged to Empire. Anyway I apply this product 3~4 times a year and have not found anything that works better.

[Leon]

Let me add that if you are getting condensation, formally caused by sudden temperature changes you may want to consider a cover that sits directly on top of the surface. Typically these covers are flat and can be cut to fit the table precisely.

[Spalted Walt]

Just to clarify, it's TopCote:

not TopKote:

[Keith Nuttle]

I am going to repeat the same old thing. I have had my table saw in an unheated garage in central Indiana, and now for the last 6 years in the lower Piedmont region of North Carolina. I have been able to take care of the rust problem by periodically applying a coat of good car wax.

I also do one thing more. I have a piece of plywood the cut to the size of the table on the saw. Any time I am not using the saw, the plywood is on the table. This plywood lays flat against the surface and keeps the moist air from coming in contact with the metal. No moisture on the metal, and the metal does not rust.

I have had the saw for about 30 years, and while I can not see my face in the surface there is no rust on the table.

The piece of plywood also prevents someone coming in, seeing a flat surface. and plopping some thing on the saw that will corroded or stain the surfaces.

[Spalted Walt]

And just to clarify my previous clarification Bostik has changed their branding ;-D

"Bostik?s TopCote product with the brown and white label will change to the name GlideCote with a blue label."

[BillinGA]

like Keith I leave my table saw sled in place in an unheated well ventilated shop. A little minwax paste wax underneath the sled keeps my saw rust free. has worked for years.

[gray_wolf]

I wonder if a vinyl floor wax would work?

[Leon]

LOL

And to take this another step, Empire the originator of TopCote still makes great products. The original TopCote was made to make the TS top slippery and did an excellent job. But the big benefit was that tops, with this product applied, quit rusting too. The Bostitch version is not as good as the original but I it works well enough for me.

[krw]

I had my tools in my garage when I lived in Alabama. Boeshield worked but as you note it's pretty sticky stuff. I didn't like it. I still use it but a lot less, now that my tools are in my basement (only moved about 70mi, so the weather is similar). I also found that a magnetic cover for the saw helped.

[Markem]

My "cover" is my extension table for my unisaur. It does keep dew from settling.

[clare]

Why fool with success? Paste wax works. Another product that works is Collinite #845 Insulator wax. It is a high carnabu wax.

[DerbyDad03]

Maybe because the OP has clearly stated that "Paste isn't cutting it now."

[Jack]

Exactly, why fool with success. Bostik TopCote works great and is designed for exactly this purpose. Lasts a long time, easy to apply and slick as all get out.

Spend a couple of bucks and be done with it.

[Doug Miller]

gray_wolf wrote in news:Vp0YA.3864$ [e-mail]:

I wouldn't do that, at least not without checking first to make sure it doesn't contain silicone -- some of which will inevitably be transferred to the wood, where it will interfere with just about any finish you try to apply.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Think of life on the planet also. How many Carnauba have to die just so you can keep your tools clean? The best wax comes from baby carnauba that have been clubbed to death to have the wax extracted. It is very cruel and should be stopped.

Go ahead and use it but don't cry later when PETA confiscates your tablesaw and leaves you with a pile of carnauba dung in its place. .

[notbob]

One absurdity deserves another:

A baby harp seal walks into a bar. "Whatya have", the bartender dutifully grumbles. "Anything but Canadian Club!", answers the seal.

nb

[-MIKE-]

That's what I tell people every time the subject of removing rust from table saw top comes up. I say, "Just use Boeshield RustFree and be done with it."

But there are always people who want to put more work into it. There are always those who say you need WD-40 and steel wool and to scrub and reapply, etc, ad nauseam. Maybe, they get more satisfaction out of the scrubbing and elbow grease, but I'd rather use the saw, not clean it.

[Leon]

I think we are talking about "rust prevention" not rust removal.

I think you might be the first advising how to remove. ;~)