painted iron?

[sunnybob]

still struggling with humidity generated rust on the cast iron tables. Just tried camelia oil and its looking like a waste of money.
Any body got any objections to painting the cast iron tables on the bandsaw, bobbin sander and drill press?
I'm really not good with ongoing maintenance, I'm a "do it once and forget it" kind of guy.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I used Briwax on mine - about the only thing I found Briwax any good for. That was until my loved one left a near full gallon behind when we moved house. Our humidity at the moment is between 94% and 98% and I have no problem with rust - because the daytime temperature and the nightime temperature are only about 2c apart. Have you tried wrapping your saw in an old blanket or something to mitigate the effects of the temperature changes?

 

[sunnybob]

Phil, just doesnt work. the temp swings here are enormous. Right now its 15c difference between night and day. Come winter I've seen zero x at 6 am and 25 c at 1 pm. Nowhere in the uk will you get a 25 c swing, and thats most days! humidity is also all over the place. The cars dont rot out because theres no snow or ice and therefore no salt on the roads, but bare cast iron in the garage? no answer yet.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That's why I think it's not the humidity that's the problem, it's the temperature variation. In my old workshop I had no rust at all until I installed a pot belly stove.

 

[Ttrees]

Would heating these machines warmer than the air surrounding it not work?
I imagine it would be harder to do in your climate...could there be ways of heating your machines by the sun?

What about a dehumidifier, too expensive ?
Its a hot topic on the American forums :roll:

 

[sunnybob]

impossible to heat the garage, its just 3 x 5 metres with block walls and a roll up door each end. And dont forget I have a problem now, with temps of mid 30s during the day. Air con is NOT an option as I work with one and sometimes both doors up for most of the daylight hours.
I can not control the temp in there, I have to do something to the surfaces while still being able to use the machines at any time.

 

[ED65]

Just tried camelia oil and its looking like a waste of money.

Told ya. Or maybe I forgot. Anyway I was knocking it in another thread the other day I swears yer 'onour.

Wax is your buddy. I've had stuff hanging up in the kitchen here for months to years that hasn't a trace of rust or even discolouration that was waxed just the one time when I'd finished cleaning them up. My kitchen is used every day and gets properly steamy at least a couple of times a week (including right now, I'm making a stew) so it's a pretty demanding environment on top of the high humidity we always have here.

I'm really not good with ongoing maintenance, I'm a "do it once and forget it" kind of guy.

I didn't keep track of your previous thread, if there's some objection to paste wax then I'd try the varnish suggestion.

You either sand it in with fine paper or you wipe on and wipe off. I've read both as application methods and either seem to work for the respective parties because they're still singing its praises months or years later.

It's not permanent, nothing but Parkerizing or blueing would get you close to that, but it's as close as you'll get in an easy DIY process from what I've read.

 

[skeetstar]

Try BLO, I know of some Canadians who use it to rust proof new chassis for land rovers. They block the holes, fill the chassis rails and slosh it around to coat all the inner surfaces. May be worth a coat applied on a still evening with not a lot of dust in the air?

 

[Mark A]

Try BLO, I know of some Canadians who use it to rust proof new chassis for land rovers. They block the holes, fill the chassis rails and slosh it around to coat all the inner surfaces. May be worth a coat applied on a still evening with not a lot of dust in the air?

I electrolytically de-rusted a pair of cast iron fireplaces last year. After removing them them from the tank I liberally coated them in boiled linseed oil before storing them in a damp, leaky unheated shed. Zero rust, apart from the bits the brush missed.

 

[Vann]

I can't speak from experience, but I would think that whether you use BLO, wax, or paint :? you should do a thorough de-rusting first. Electrolysis, or one of those chemical treatments that will get into pores, cracks and crevices to kill all rust.

I've tried clear lacquer on the lateral adjusters on Bailey type planes. It's good if there's no rust - but once a bit of rust starts, it tracks like a spider web under the clear coat (maybe insufficient depth of cover, as I would imagine rust would need a continuing supply of moisture to spread?).

Is there enough time to de-rust and treat in once day?

Just my thoughts.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[sunnybob]

I originally tried to buy some machine wax, in with an order from axminster, but they cant send it by air. So I was talked into the camelia oil as a replacement. First impressions are not favourable.
If all else fails I can use it on the shotgun.

I admit to being extremely lazy when it comes to maintenance, its all I can do to clear away and vacuum the floor at the end of each day, no way am I going to start daily tool cleaning.

Theres a very large tool shop in Nicosia which might have some but is about an hour away on the motorway, trouble is its right next to ikea, so i try not to go there very often because it turns into an expensive trip.

I'm back in the UK for xmas this year, so shall buy some and pack it in the bottom of the biggest suitcase.

But strangely, none of you have commented about the painting idea. Is it a fashion police no no? or is there a decent reason why I cant just paint the cast iron.

 

[thick_mike]

Paint will form a pigmented layer on the table. Friction from whatever you are drilling or cutting will scuff the surface of the paint and will in all probability stain the wood you are using. Paint will never be as tough or hard as steel.

Second problem would be softening of the paint due to heat (I went to Cyprus once!). The paint layer will become stickier and could prove a problem with sliding of pieces on the surface.

None of this is from practical experience. It's all theoretical as I was a paint chemist for 25 years.

 

[swb58]

Paint might not leave a nice surface for use afterwards, it might wear, scratch and need recoating regularly?

Try it on one machine first and see how you get on with it. You might be sorry you didn't do them all, on the other hand you may be glad.

 

[Jacob]

Have you got any windows?
That could be the cure . At night the glass itself cools down very quickly and you get condensation on the windows instead of your machines which will stay relatively warmer.
Condensation then needs to be drained off via gaps between lights and frames at the bottom, or if fixed - into a drain channel with a pipe.
This is a very trad solution to condensation which in the old days (draughty windows) was taken for granted. In buildings with fixed windows (churches, halls etc as well as domestic) condensation channels were common. I found them in my chapel - a channel in the stone cills with a lead pipe to the outside, and have replicated them with wood and 10mm copper pipe. Works perfectly and you can see condensation collecting and draining off.
For a small garage just one small window, ideally on the north side, would do it. Just have a gap at the bottom of the glass (e.g. sit it on plastic spacers) so water drains down on to the cill and out.
The window acts as a dehumidifier but requires the room to be reasonably well draught proofed so that the dry air isn't being continually replaced by fresh humid air.

Simpler than paint would be raw linseed oil thinned with turps. It forms a hard permanent layer on un-worn surfaces and is fairly persistent on the worn faces but would need re-charging at intervals.
PS raw linseed works better because it leaves a thinner layer than boiled.

 

[Droogs]

Bob, I think you may have to buy something like Boshield, developed by Boeing to prevent corrosion on Ac parts, this lot do worldwide shipping:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TOBST9WL/ ... ubrication

 

[sunnybob]

Jacob..,. no windows, and the north and south sides are roller doors. Lots of air gaps around both roller doors.
other walls are house and next doors covered porch area.

droogs... I used to use a similar stuff called acf 50. Cant get it here. I need to bring a few cans back with me next time.

Ok, maybe the paint idea isnt perfect.

The camelia oil trial has been extended. Now that I've got all the excess off, I will know over the next few days whether it works or not.

Our summer has also been extended, after a few cooler days the temp is back up to mid 30's! I just might make it till december before i put the shorts back in the cupboard and get the jeans out. Good for me, bad for the cast iron.

 

[beech1948]

A very altyernative view would be to keep the iron surfaces warm or at least warmer so that condensation will fall elsewhere.

It is possible to attach small resistors under the iron tables wired to a small power supply. These provide the extra warmth to keep the tables clear.

I can't find a reference to them via Google today but if you search Fine Woodworking you get lucky.

I would also consider the use of heating pads.

If you go down the wax route then try to heat up the top with say a hot air gun, or in Cyprus the sunlight, and then melt Johnsons paste wax onto the top and let it soak in. Maybe assist with a hot air gun. Let dry, buff and use.

Al

PS. Fits your maintenance philosophy of fit and forget.

 

[ED65]

I originally tried to buy some machine wax, in with an order from axminster, but they cant send it by air.

Sorry again I didn't keep up with the old thread, did you discount the idea of making your own for a specific reason? It's literally a 20-minute job to make enough paste wax to see out the average person for a decade.

In case you need the instructions:
melt wax in a glass or metal bowl over simmering water, if you want to speed up the process grate the wax;
when it's gone clear add in a certain amount of white spirit, or turps if you prefer the smell **safety first** remove from the heat beforehand if using a gas cooker;
stir until it has gone clear again then decant to an airtight container, cap it and you're done.

Once it has solidified it's ready to use and will last nearly indefinitely, so long as the cap remains airtight.

The more white spirit you add the softer the wax which makes it easier to spread, add less and you get a stiffer paste which some people prefer.

Bob, I think you may have to buy something like Boshield...

But Boeshield regularly fails to perform well in realistic comparison testing. In one now-infamous test (Pop Woodworking's) it fared less well than WD-40 (!) in a 10-day accelerated test.

The thing with Boeshield is that it's not intended to be wiped away to nothing, a noticeable film is supposed to be left on the surface for it to function as intended which is incompatible with the need we have on something like a tool bed.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought microcrystaline wax from an ebay seeler for about £6 iirc for 200gms. That stuff takes a while to melt but is harder than hell. He no longer sells through ebay, but I've still got his email address for direct sales. I'll PM it to you, he might be willing to post it.