How to treat a cast iron table saw top?

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95
Hey guys,

Anyone have any recommendations for treating the cast iron top of a table saw so it doesn't rust and stays good? The Delta manual says to apply a household floor-based wax ... has anyone done this? Any other products that would be better?

Thanks.
Dawson
 
i use plain ol` pastewax on all my cast iron....brand doesn`t matter....and i don`t buff it out either, just slather it on and get to cuttin`....i call wax "saw lube"
 
Usually I've found that if your treat your cast iron saw table very tenderly it will treat you well in return. You might try singing to it, taking it out for ice cream, covering it with a cozy cover at night, those kind of things. I bring mine into the house every night and let it sleep with me and my dogs on my bed and in return it always starts for me when I push the button.

Just a thought.
 
Thanks for all the responses guys. I'll look for some Johnsons paste wax tonight ... not sure if they have that Brand in my neck of the woods (New Brunswick, Canada)!
 
Bosheild T1 and then a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax over the top of the T1. Works good even right on the saltwater. If you go this route use a very thin coating of the T1. I even lightly wipe off the excess with a rag and let it dry a little before putting on the wax.
 
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Bosheild T1 and then a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax over the top of the T1. Works good even right on the saltwater. If you go this route use a very thin coating of the T1. I even lightly wipe off the excess with a rag and let it dry a little before putting on the wax.

I do the same. That T9 seems to work real well.
 
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I second the T9 vote. I picked up a can from the local farm supply store for about $8.00. The can goes a long way. I have not had any rust in about 6 months. My garage is detached and has no heating or cooling.
 
I see good reports on CorrisionX but have not tried it. Some say that it is better than T9. I looked around a little on line but it seems much more difficult to find than Boeshield T9 which is at a lot of hardware stores, marine stores, farm stores and even Home Depot.

I found that where I live paste wax did not do a good job for very long. A lot of corrosion here due to a high humidity, high temperature, salt water enviroment.
 
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How to treat a cast iron table top

I scrub my table top with 0000 steel wool, then wipe it off with mineral spirits.
After the mineral spirits evaporates I coat it good with Johnsons paste wax.
Keeps the table top slick and rust free.
 
I just cleaned up my my new jointer/planer with a large dose of WD40.

Do I have to do anything to it before I put a coat of paste wax on the cast iron? Meaning does penetrating oil not mix well with wax?
 
Same answer as most; Johnson's Paste Wax from day one, at least weekly based on your environment. Brush your tools off; the fine dust (or plain old sawdust for that matter) left behind to sit overnight captures moisture and promotes rust and stains.

If you have neglected things and notice soon enough, slap a piece of synthetic steel wool on a palm sander, squirt on some mineral spirits and go to town wiping off the grunge frequently with clean paper towels as you go.

Follow up with extra attention to any stains or tough spots using steel wool or whatever it takes. Lay on the paste wax, let it just start to fog and wipe it off. Don't forget your fence rails and neglected areas that are out of sight/out of mind.

Once clean, a quick wax job on a regular basis should do the trick. I've used other products but wax does as well as anything if you do regular maintenance. Like Jeff, I also keep a block of paraffin (near the canning supplies at the grocery store) around for surfaces that are going to get a work out and will need treatment between long runs. After the work is done, I wipe it down with MS and wax as stated above.
 
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I just cleaned up my my new jointer/planer with a large dose of WD40.

I can not remember and sure someone will know. But does WD-40 have silicone in it? If so I would want to clean up an residue so it doesn't get on the wood. Can make finishing a real pain.

I would just wipe it down with mineral spirits or something similar and then wax it.
 
Kevin, I've often used WD-40 and steel wool to remove surface rust from the bed of my lathe after turning wet wood. I follow it immediately with Johnson Paste Wax, and haven't seen any signs that the WD-40 was getting in the way of the wax. If in doubt, I'd say let the saw table sit for a half hour or so after wiping off all the "loose" WD-40 with a paper towel. It should be good to go after that.

I can not remember and sure someone will know. But does WD-40 have silicone in it? ...
Jeff, per the WD-40 website:

What does WD-40 contain?
While the ingredients in WD-40 are secret, we can tell you what WD-40 does NOT contain. WD-40 does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, wax, graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), or any known cancer-causing agents.
 
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