Protectant for a table saw top.

JD Seller · Nov 24, 2012

I just bought a real nice cast iron top, table saw. It is in like new condition. The fellow I bought it off of told me he would spray the top with "fog" oil to keep it from rusting. He said it as a product that the antique car guys spray their cars with when storing them a long time.

I do not use a table saw that often but I do want it to be rust free when I do want to use it. The owner said he would spray it with this stuff and just would wipe it off with mineral spirits when he wanted to use it.

I have tried the spray penetrating oils (WD-40, PB Blaster, etc) in the past. They either evaporate or make a sticky mess.

So want do you guys use. This will be inside a unheated wood shop. I only heat it when I am working in there. So I really would like to use it on some other wood working tools.

Ivan in Mich · Nov 24, 2012

I have a paste wax that has bees wax in it and it works good. My wife bought a spray can of wax last year for our oak dining table and it has bees wax in it and leaves a real slippry suface. I think that would work also. She got it at the oak furniture place.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 24, 2012

I bought a nice Rigid brand table saw a few years back. I was so careful to spray it down with WD40, or wipe it down with motor oil. This worked pretty well, but some rust spots developed despite my best efforts. Just happens my face really sweats in hot weather. At times latge drops of salty sweat would drop on the table as I leaned over it. I usually wiped them off promptly, but sometimes missed them! & a rust spot developed almost instantly. So one day to I sanded it down a bit and applied a thin coat of varnish with a good quality brush. It's not as slippery as bare, polished/regularly used steel, but no more rust worries. When the varnish begins to wear off, I'll sand it down & varnish it again. Works for me.

Glenn F. (NE WI)

Anonymous-0 · Nov 25, 2012

If you got it really clean, maybe you could spray it with clear lacquer/enamel or something? There is such a thing as fogging oil too that you could use on the table.

Dick2 · Nov 25, 2012

I cleaned the table of my saw once in awhile and just rubbed a block of parafin wax on the table, especially if I wasn't going to be using the saw for awhile.

That worked better for me than all the other sprays and oils that I tried at various times.

Bob Huntress · Nov 25, 2012

This is what I figure to be the standard for all your saw surfaces. If you cut metal with it, you should oil the surface. If you have a band saw that you you for cutting aluminum and such, you want to oil the surface. If you cut wood with the saw, and far more often then not, a table saw is going to be used to cut wood, it should be waxed. If he used oil on the table saw, I"ld be worried that he had an abrasion blade in it and was using it for a chop saw. I had an old miter saw that I found thrown away. I had to replace the micro switch, yet, it wasn"t straight enough to cut trim with so I put an abrasion blade in it and used it to cut metal tubes and stuff.

36 Coupe · Nov 25, 2012

Paste floor wax works fine.I have my Dads table saw he bought in 1950.No rust on it.I use paste wax on my planer bed when the stock starts to drag.WD40 is the worst thing you can use on anything.

Uncle Ernie · Nov 25, 2012

I wax mine with automotive wax. Seems to work well.

MarkB_MI · Nov 25, 2012

I use paste wax. There are products specifically for this purpose sold at most woodworking tool stores, but I've never tried them.

A spray lube I've been using a lot lately is "Dupont Teflon Multi-Use", sold at Lowe's. I haven't tried it on my saw top, but it should work well for that purpose. Really good stuff; it quickly dries and leaves a waxy coating that holds up well.

Fawteen · Nov 25, 2012

My woodworking equipment is in an unheated garage. Temperature swings and condensation are a big problem for anything metal.

I wax the top of my table saw and the ways of my Shopsmith. I keep things cleaned off to avoid sawdust build-up (which collects moisture) and I keep the top of my table saw covered with a big terrycloth bath towel.

No rust problems.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 25, 2012

I have user Johnsons paste wax for 35 years now. Use it before starting a big project also as it makes thing slide a lot easier.

OldFarmTractor · Nov 25, 2012

I use spray furniture polish. Johnson's or whatever I can find. It has wax and oil. I work it into the grooves with a rag.

MFPoor · Nov 25, 2012

I wipe down most of the bare metal surfaces on my wood working equipment with teak oil. I've got a 5-gallon bucket of it left over from refinishing a teak deck on a boat I did for someone a few years ago. Light coat doesn't allow any rust to form and teak oil won't discolor wood if a trace of it does get on any un-intended surfaces.

cannonball · Nov 25, 2012

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Stephen Newell · Nov 25, 2012

I think putting oil on the top would be fine if your going to put it away somewhere to use in the future but cosmoline would be better for that. Anything you put on the saw will end up on the wood so it should be kept at a minimum. Aerosol furniture polishes contain silicone which can make paint and finishes you apply to the wood fisheye. There is a high dollar product formulated for saws called Topcoat which is suppose to be pretty good. I've been using Johnson Paste Wax for 40 years and it works fine for me. I just make sure I wipe the saw off with a clean cloth before I cut anything.

Greenday · Nov 25, 2012

car wax, stops it from rusting and makes the wood slide across the table 10 times easier which makes it safer because you dont have to push as hard.

Bob - MI · Nov 25, 2012

I use a light oil and I do it a couple of times a year. You can also get a sheet of VCI paper and cover the top with it. I also am very careful about setting things on the iron surface. You never know when your drill or hammer will have a small amount of moisture on it that will create spots of rust.

I am tempted however to suggest that since the old gentleman was successful using fogging oil that it would be good to take a tip and continue that approach. Hard to argue with wisdom and success.

old · Nov 25, 2012

I was told by a pro wood worker to use simple wax be it car wax or ski wax and it keeps the rust away and also makes the lumber slide easy. This guy was a cabinet maker by the way

Rich_WI · Nov 25, 2012

I think putting stuff on cast iron table saws is overrated. My Rigid table saw is over 10 years old and I havent done anything to it. Somebody set a Pepsi on it and it must have been spilled because it left a dark mark but thats it, no rust, just discolored. I lives in an unheated garage.

My dads saws are the same way. The small table saw he used for side jobs from the 70s to sometime past 2000 was stored in an unheated garage and its fine too. The whole thing is just a darker cast iron, but no rust or anything.

fixerupper · Nov 25, 2012

Yes, car wax does work. My table saw is in an insulated heated shop in the winter but the summer humidity will rust it if it's not protected. If there is some rust, get out some 400 grit automotive sandpaper, followed by 1000 grit and start sanding. Then follow with wax. After all that sanding you'll remember to re-wax it for awhile. A table saw is safer to use when you aren't pushing hard to slide it along. Jim

JimDRIl · Nov 25, 2012

In my unheatedshop, I do run a woodstove quite a lot, but I'm gone quite a lot during the winter. Anyhow, I use Butcher wax on the cast iron tops. used to use Johnson's til the can ran dry. Bought the first tool in 1959 and have used the wax eversince with no problems.

old · Nov 25, 2012

I WILL NOT OWN A TABLE SAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Reason is the same guy who told me about the wax is a guy I also watched cut off 3 fingers and sure as heck did a number on the date I was suppose to be going on with his daughter. Seems she wanted to be at the hospital instead of going on that date for some odd reason. After watching him do that I will never use a table saw

Anonymous-0 · Nov 26, 2012

I just put a layer of sawdust on it and cover it with a tarp. When I need to use it just sweep off the sawdust and you're ready to go. Learned it from my Pappy and it works fine for me.

Areo

Briar Hill Brittanys · Nov 26, 2012

Many, many moons ago, in a galaxy far, far away, our vo-tech school cabinetmaking teacher used to have us maintain the cast iron table tops of any tool, (sander, band saw, shaper, mortiser/tenoner, planer, jointer) by first pumping a few squirts of 30 weight motor oil on the surface, taking some 150 grit emory cloth and polishing the surface. After that was done we'd wipe the oil and gunk off with laquer thinner. Then dab on that Johnson's Paste Wax, and polish it when dry. To this day, I do the same to my tool tops. Makes the surface slick, sawdust blows off easy, and protects without leaving a residue that gets on your wood. It's just one of many secrets "Old Man Heinlein" taught us. Amazing how much of that I remember and use to this day. Mark

Briar Hill Brittanys · Nov 26, 2012

Many, many moons ago, in a galaxy far, far away, our vo-tech school cabinetmaking teacher used to have us maintain the cast iron table tops of any tool, (sander, band saw, shaper, mortiser/tenoner, planer, jointer) by first pumping a few squirts of 30 weight motor oil on the surface, taking some 150 grit emory cloth and polishing the surface. After that was done we'd wipe the oil and gunk off with laquer thinner. Then dab on that Johnson's Paste Wax, and polish it when dry. To this day, I do the same to my tool tops. Makes the surface slick, sawdust blows off easy, and protects without leaving a residue that gets on your wood. It's just one of many secrets "Old Man Heinlein" taught us. Amazing how much of that I remember and use to this day. Mark

Briar Hill Brittanys · Nov 26, 2012

Sorry.....double posted somehow. :?: Mark

JRSutton · Nov 27, 2012

I've always used wax, but go thin with it and get rid of any extra build up from the edges.

Residual wax streaks on a project will make stain look horrible.

If you have a real heavy rust problem, somebody sells cans of stuff you can open up and put near the tool - or with it under a cover. I think it's some kind of dessicant to pull the moisture out of the air.

Heard they work real well but have no direct experience.

JD Seller · Nov 28, 2012

(quoted from post at 09:59:04 11/25/12) This is what I figure to be the standard for all your saw surfaces. If you cut metal with it, you should oil the surface. If you have a band saw that you you for cutting aluminum and such, you want to oil the surface. If you cut wood with the saw, and far more often then not, a table saw is going to be used to cut wood, it should be waxed. If he used oil on the table saw, I"ld be worried that he had an abrasion blade in it and was using it for a chop saw. I had an old miter saw that I found thrown away. I had to replace the micro switch, yet, it wasn"t straight enough to cut trim with so I put an abrasion blade in it and used it to cut metal tubes and stuff.

Bob I was standing in this guys CABINET making business when I bought the saw. He just found a larger Delta table saw. He had 20-25 pieces of wood working equipment all there that look like new. So I am pretty sure that he did not use the saw with an abrasive cutting blade.

There is such a thing as "fogging" oil I found it on several wood working web sites. It mainly is just a natural mineral oil base. So it will not stain wood.

Protectant for a table saw top.

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