Preventing rust on thicknesser bed

[Lumberman]

I have only had my planer thicknesser a couple of weeks or so, but despite
cleaning thoroughly and applying record machine wax after leaving a few days I noticed some shall rust spots on the thicknesser bed. My workshop is dry but very cold,can anyone suggest
a way of preventing this?
Thank You
Harry.

 

[deema]

I use Metal Guard every 12 months and Liberian Machine wax on all my machines.
When I had the workshop built as it dried out I moved the machines in too soon. Despite each morning the machines being soaked in condensation the beds remained rust free. I’ve used this combination for about 15 years and never had any rust problems.

 

[ED65]

You can drape or even tent machine tools to shield them from condensation but paste wax should provide good enough protection even in a very cold workshop. I rely mostly on wax, and TBH scant amounts of it, and my tools have always spent their winters in cold rooms (including a working kitchen for three years so not at all dry rooms either!) and only times I get an issue on smoothly machined surfaces is on areas where the wax has been worn away by handing or use.

But if you'd like to add an additional layer of protection some people swear by sanding or scrubbing in some varnish to their cast iron, wiping the surface dry after. I've tested it a bit and it seems to work as promised, one vice I stripped back to bare metal over a year ago I wiped down all the metal with thinned varnish and it looks exactly the same now as when completed.

 

[El Barto]

I also use Liberon Lubricating Wax and have had no issues. Metal surfaces that haven't been treated or don't get regular use do rust pretty quickly in my workshop so I guess it's working!

 

[ED65]

BTW Harry to forestall the usual recommendation of trying a different wax, what you have there should work just fine. It's unlikely we'll ever get a definitive answer on this but it's my belief that virtually all plain waxes – that's wax + solvent, no additives – when applied equally, will give much the same level of rust protection. Certainly the performance of the most basic paste wax made at home from the cheapest white candles seems to stack up quite well against the ever so slightly more expensive Renaissance Wax. (Shades of camelia oil v. sunflower oil!)

 

[MikeJhn]

Don't forget that whatever you use will probably be adsorbed by the wood as you push your workpiece over the bed, wax usually can be sanded off, oil can't, it will sink deeply into the wood.

Mike

 

[MikeG.]

Chuck an old towel over it. Remove when using. Works with any cast iron anywhere in the workshop.

 

[MikeJhn]

Strange you should say that, its exactly what I do when I leave my workshop in France, but the CI does have a coat of Liberon Machine wax as well.

Mike

 

[Lumberman]

Thank you everyone for your info.
I will try all suggestions .
Harry.

 

[user22161]

I polish with Beewax (a mould release wax) a couple of times a year and today have been packing up and covering all beds as usual in winter with sheets of cardboard as won't be home again until March. No rust so far.

 

[dtecting]

Machine wax and a couple of old bed sheets have done this for a few years with good results. I polish my planes up them give a coat of machine was a then put them in a thick sock that as been coated on the outside slightley with a coat of oil never had a spot of rust on them.