Which Scotch Brite Pad for rust removal ???

[PBS]

Hi:

I've seen several posts in the past suggesting using a Scotch Brite pad and ROS for rust removal on Table Saw surfaces. Never paid much attention to the details. My brother called to ask how to get the rust spots off his saw. seems a skylight in the shop cracked, and his saw is directly in the path of the drip.

When I looked I was amazed at how many different "Scotch Brite" pads there are, in all sorts of different levels of abrasiveness.

Does anyone have information on which would be suitable for cleaning up a saw table?

Thanks, Paul

[Gerald Ross]

[Rob V]

Green then white then 000 steel wool all lubed w/ wd40

[Michael Press]

[codepath]

I heard #0000 (4). Why #000 (3)?

I also heard about finishing (before waxing) with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Any thoughts? Is that overkill? My table saw top has swirl lines (looks like it was made that way at the factory) across it (it's not smooth and shiny similar to say a stainless steel texture like on the Grizzly G0444Z). Would the sandpaper help that (if not rust)?

By "white" Scotch Brites, do you mean the "delicate-duty" ones?

And then (after all the scrubbing), paste wax. I've heard Johnson's but what about Minwax Paste Finishing Wax? Is there really a difference?

Reason for all the questions is that I want to have a complete game plan before I begin.

Thanks,

codepath

[John Crea]

Start with the green then work your way thru the finer grades up to White

John

[codepath]

I went to the 3M web site and didn't see anything other than green and white (and very little info on either of those).

Where do I get them?

codepath

[Rob V]

There is really no difference between 000 and 0000 (IMO) when doing the top.

I actually go a bit beyond extreme sometimes.

I do green to white to 000 then I go to wet/dry paper to about 1000. (I actually did my saw 1 time to 2000 - basically a mirror finish) Then wax (any paste wax will do) the 2000 w/ wax was great - it was like glass - wood would slide effortlessly across it. It seemed to keep the rusting at a minimum also.

Until last winter where it went from 20 to 50 in 1 day - water was basically pouring off all my iron from condensation.

Now I only go to about 800.

[codepath]

What grits do you go through?

So it's: Green Scotch Brite (WD40) White Scotch Brite (WD40) #000 or #0000 (WD40) ??? grit wet/dry sandpaper (WD40)

800/1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper (WD40) paste wax (no silicone)

BTW: I have webbed cast iron wings. For these, do I just knock the rust off and wax them (skipping the steel wool and sandpaper steps)? Seems like they would be a PITA.

Thanks,

codepath

[Rob V]

The borg, Ace, FoodLion etc...

Dont have to be 3M.

I picked some up at the Big Lots a while back.

[Anthony Diodati]

Same difference. Tony D.

[Lowell Holmes]

[John Crea]

Try HomeDepot or Lowes for the non-green ones, but I buy my Green ones in bulk at Sam's Club

John

[Unisaw A100]

On the "Not Built In Chiwan By Defenseless Little Children" Powermatic No. 141 band saw I used a single blade razor. OK, I used several. The table is rust free has it's patina and a mirror finish.

UA100

[Father Haskell]

Use Norton pads if you can't find 3M. Norton pads are self-sharpening by virtue of their crumbly composition.

[Lawrence A. Ramsey]

They work WONDERFULLY on any metal. Sometimes I use the maroon on heavily rusted steel but generally the green is my preferred. They REALLY shine on sanding sheetrock mud-the dust just drops thru it!!! Also some use them in place of sandpaper although I prefer sandpaper myself. Also work great on removing corrosion off brass, copper, etc..

[Jim Wilson]

Others say green, but when I use the Scotch-Brite pads for rust removal, I use the maroon ones (7447). But, like Keith, I start with a razor blade.

Jim

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 21:36:36 GMT, "Rob V" brought forth from the murky depths:

Arrrrgh! Those are horrible, cheaply-made Chiwanese wannabes. I went through a couple packs removing the stain and poly from my parents' dining set a long time ago.

I got hooked on the 3M Scotch-Brite 7447, the 6x9" maroon pads, when I worked for a body shop. The painter swore by them and showed me, the wrench, how well they worked for derusting tools.

I now prefer the super-fine gray (000) Scotch-Brite pads. 3M, Mirka, and Norton make them and all are high quality.

If anyone buys a box of gray (7448) and wants to trade half to me for some 7447s, please let me know. I use fewer of the maroonies nowadays.

Russ at

sells boxes of 20 Mirka Mirlon pads for $16.45. I think Scotch-Brite was $18.

has the grays for $16.50

The Borg sold the 3M for $1.99 a pad, over twice the price.

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