Replies

1. 
   BG | Dec 31, 2002 07:23pm | #1

   Ouch !  MI in the middle of winter...how can you possibly stand just looking at those wonderful machines ...and checking for rust till spring.  Hell, you might as well leave the cosmoline in tact till spring.  

   Anyhow, I use wax...and if you get a lot of lake effect snow...I'd cover.  Good Luck and congratulations  

1. 
   dustyone | Jan 01, 2003 04:48am | #3

   My shop is 200 ft from a salt water cove on the Chesapeake Bay so I definitely have humidity situation!  Plus I only heat the shop in winter when I'm working (about 25 hrs/wk).  Have no A/C for summer, just fans. Here's what I use, with no rust problems; Johnson & Johnson baby talcum powder!  Yup!  Just dust it on & work it in, a heavy coat the first time.  Blow off the excess. Then a light touch up about every 6 months or so. I try to keep any excess off when cuttting big $$$ woods just in case it might contaminate the final finish. But I figure by the time I later sand & vacuum the wood it's likely gone. If I'm cutting some moist wood like presure treated stuff, I'll dust the top for that too.

    I have no problems with rusting on any of my cast iron machine tops. Give it a try, it's cheap & effective. Several of my woodworkig friends now use it too around here.

   Good luck, Dan

1. 
   BarryO | Jan 01, 2003 06:35am | #4

   FWIW, Grizzly recommends talcum powder as well. 

2. 
   TomFerreira | Jan 01, 2003 07:38am | #5

   I agree with this. I live in southeastern Mass and have a basement shop. I bought my PM66 TS last year and they recommended powder for treating the cast iron. I have used it ever since about once a month. It also makes the cast iron very slippery. I apply it with a blackboard eraser and wipe off the excess with a soft cloth. Works great. absolutely no rust yet. I use this on all of my tools now.

   TDF

1. 
   PlaneWood | Jan 01, 2003 08:31pm | #6

   Living near houston, I hit my cast iron surfaces with Trewax about twice a year.  On my table saw, I usually have to scrap off the accumulated gunk first (glue, paint, blood, etc.).  I then hit it with my vibrating sander using 220 grip and then wipe on a liberal coat of wax using 0000 steel wool.  Then buff.  It is a 10" Rockwell contractors saw, circa 1960's.  The top has a nice dark patina.

   By the way, blood makes a beautiful patina on cast iron.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood

1. 
   BG | Jan 01, 2003 11:10pm | #7

   I just got finished putting a little blood on the new TS top..how long before it turns that lovely patina?....I swear, everytime I work with that lousy 1/4 ply..the warp cause me all kinds of problems... 

2. 
   BertJ | Dec 31, 2002 11:51pm | #2

   Firewood,

   I highly recommend a dehumidifier. In my area (Central Texas) we have mild but moist winters, and I pour out about a gallon of water EACH DAY from the collection bin on the dehumidifier! More importantly, this works quite well in keeping the machines dry. However, I also cover the cast iron tops of the machines just to make sure. (Any plastic material will work.)

   BJ