What to use to clean off the packing grease?

[John Hulett]

So my 6" Delta X5 jointer showed up on Wednesday (stealth gloat) and I've begun to unpack the boxes. I set the stand/base on the mobile base, and managed to get the jointer bed flipped up onto the stand/base and there it was... the packing grease I've heard so much about.

I know I've seen something posted here before, but a search didn't come up with any meaningful results.

What do you use to clean that goop off?

Thanks,
John

[Jim Becker]

Kerosene is the normally specified solvent to remove the cosmoline and works well for the purpose. Mineral spirits will also work, but in my experience, not quite as effectively...I use the kero first and do final cleanup with the MS to remove any oily residue. Some folks use WD40, but it's really hard to do the soaking of fasteners and small parts in that stuff!

Congratulations on your new tool!!

[Dave Moran]

Hi John, Congrats on the Jointer. Mineral spirits works well, it will clean off the preservative without pulling it out of the pores of the cast iron like laquer thinner will. just be careful when doing the cutter head, one blade cut through 3 layers of shop rag and got me once. Wax, or your prefered rust preventer, imediatly after it is dry.

[John Hulett]

Thanks for the tips. I have Mineral Spirits on hand, so I'll give that a try first. If I don't get the results I desire, I'll pick up some kerosene.

[John Hulett]

Wax, or your prefered rust preventer, imediatly after it is dry.

I bought some of that Boeshield T-9 before and used it on my TS top. It seemed to gum it up more than anything. Any tips there? Did I just apply too think of a layer?

[Dev Emch]

Hi John...
I use mineral spirits to clean this stuff off. First use a tight paper towel to remove the really heavy resisdue. You start on this with MS and you will turn it into soup and it will take a while to clean. So wipe off what you can first and then clean up with MS.

I use furniture wax on all my machines including my expensive stuff like the shaper and the martins. Wipe it on in a thin layer and let it dry a bit. Then apply copious amounts of elbow grease to get it polished. The surface is slick and dry. If you have a bit of gumminess, you need to keep polishing.

You want a silk, dry surface with no stiction resistance. This way, lumber flys through the machine, miniumizes table wear and does not transfer any wax onto the lumber which could interfere with finishing later on.

The stuff I use is either an austrailian wax or Brewax. Both contain beeswax. The austraillian wax is beeswax and turpentine. I like the smell of this stuff. The Brewax has MS as a carrier and has both beeswax and carnuba. The carnuba is much harder than beeswax and actually may be a bit better suited for waxing machine tops. Get the plain flavor. The various colored stuff is a gimmick.

[Charlie Plesums]

I got kerosene as recommended to remove cosmolene (shipping grease)... I suggest that you dedicate an old paint brush and a tin can to apply it.

After I spent $6 on a gallon of Kerosene (I remember it being 25 cents, so had sticker shock), I realized that it is almost identical to diesel fuel, another suggested solvent. Since I doubt if I will ever use up the gallon of Kerosene, I recommend that you start with a quart (50 cents worth) of diesel fuel.

[Russ Filtz]

Isn't Jet-A mostly kerosene too? If you happen to have a jet airplane lying around, maybe you can sneak up and siphon some!

[Dev Emch]

You wish to siphon off a bit of fuel from a jet aircraft in our post 9-11 environment? Oh Boy! They will love you! Just remember when they ask you about ammonium nitrate and its uses, the diesel **GOES** in the tractor and the ammonium nitrate **GOES** in the dirt prior to seeding.

[Jason Roehl]

Some folks use WD40, but it's really hard to do the soaking of fasteners and small parts in that stuff!

Jim, that would depend on how you buy your WD40. Around here, one can get it in the standard 1-gallon metal can with a little hand spray pump attached. But, IMHO, there's no real reason to not use kerosene.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I used WD40, but that was because, that is what I had. When I was done with the WD40, I used Simple Green to clean up and then 3 coats of johnson's paste wax.

[Ken Waag]

I bought some of that Boeshield T-9 before and used it on my TS top. It seemed to gum it up more than anything. Any tips there? Did I just apply too think of a layer?

The T-9 is as good as it gets for rust protection. You may have used too much. Just a light mist and follow the instructions and you should be fine. Do realize, however, that the T-9 is a great rust protector, but it is not particularily slick. I'd recommend waxing after the T-9. Renaissance wax is IMO the best thing going. Very slick, very protective and does not build up like paste waxes can.

If your shop is reasonably well controlled, I'd actually go straight to the Renaissance wax. It get into the pores and is quite protective in it's own right. If you're going to have temp swings and humidity, then the T-9 is the ultimate in protection.

[Michael Pfau]

Kerosene..is the only way to go....

[John Cavanaugh]

This might be a silly question but...

What is the harm in leaving the packing grease where it is on various parts that wont come in contact with wood? Im thinking about all the little nooks & crannies where the grease gets.

I had packing grease all over the jointer I just got. I cleaned it off with dry paper towels and did a relatively quick once over with mineral spirits on the key pieces that would touch wood, I didnt bother on the other parts. Was this a mistake??

--
John Cavanaugh

[Corey Hallagan]

I just started assembling my new Delta table saw. A roll of paper towell to wipe of initial goop, lots of simple green on paper towels until it is all off, WD 40 cleaning and treatment and when it was dried followed immediately by 2 coats of paste wax. Couldn' be easier. Took all of 20 minutes. It is 1:43 am and I got the table saw mounted to the legs and into the mobile base. Tomorrow the final assembly and set up.
Corey

Corey