Destroyed New TS with Barkeepers Friend

[Terry Thillemann]

A few weeks ago I discovered two small rust spots developing on my month old TS. I believe it was caused from oily fingerprints I didn't wipe off after installing the fence system, extra wings, router extension, miter sled, etc.

I seen a post here last week regarding rust on the TS and a few people recommended Barkeepers friend to remove it. I wish I never would've read that thread! I don't recall anybody mentioning how potent it was and for whatever reason I was so excited to clean it up and apply CRC 3-36 I forgot to read the instructions.

I poured several lines of it on each of the table sections and proceeded to use #0000 steel wool to swirl it all around which took me several minutes to accomplish. By the time I made it around the table, I noticed the sections I started first turning a Gold haze color like the Titanium drill bits. I thought it may be normal and worked my way back around the table rubbing the steel wool with modest pressure as if I was polishing it by hand. The solution eventually dried up and I continued scrubbing to get it all off which it didn't come off easy at all. This took considerable pressure and time. While scrubbing, the film turned to a messy dust along with a lot of steel wool which was magnetized to the edges of the saw (I put tape over the blade insert so I'm hoping it didn't make it to the motor and make this nightmare any worse).

It took at least 45 minutes to scrub the table down just enough to get the majority of the film off the table (it also smelled bad but lucky I have a paint respirator for airbrushing which saved me from breathing it in). For the finale, I now have a table which has several darker lines where I poured out the lines of Barkeepers friend, some other dark patterned marks where it must have been thick and swirled up, and a tinted hue to the table which is nothing like the brand new shiny polished cast iron I had only hours ago.

I'm feeling very depressed right now and ready to go to bed to escape this misery. I'm hoping somebody here can tell me this is nothing to be concerned with and all can be fixed along with next steps. Is the table permanently scared with these dark marks? Am I able to polish it back up and get rid of the hazy film by using a ROS instead of rubbing by hand? Do I need something more course than #0000 steel wool?


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[Mike Henderson]

The top of my saw is not pristine. Maybe once a year I'll clean the worse crud off of it. So the advice I'd give you is don't worry about it.

Mike

[Jerome Stanek]

Is this saw to look at or do wood working.

[Tom M King]

Find Jack Fosberg's video of a sidegrinder with wire cup wheel running a Scotchbrite pad. That'll take care of it now, and any time in the future a lot faster than doing it by hand.

[Jeff Duncan]

It's understandable to be a bit depressed since it's apparently a new tool. However in the overall scheme of things it doesn't make a bit of difference to the wood how pretty and shiny your saw top is. I personally wouldn't waste a whole lot of time to try and make it all shiny and new again....instead I'd start cutting something with it. However I'm sure if that's what you want to do others can help you. My advice would be to go have a beer....or 3, and tomorrow start cutting some wood with the thing

good luck,
JeffD

[David Eisenhauer]

Put some Johnson's Paste Wax on it, buff it out and carry on. I can't even see what you are talking about from the photos.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Those shiny surfaces never last long.

[Keith Weber]

I restore a lot of rusty table tops by coating it with WD-40 and then putting a lot of elbow grease into it with a green Scotchbrite pad. They come out shiny and new looking and doesn't scratch the top up like a wire wheel would. It's worth a shot trying it over what you've got there now.

[Brian Henderson]

Honestly, this is a tool, not a piece of art. Make some sawdust and don't worry about it.

[Mike Goetzke]

I have used close to this process on all my new (and old) cast surfaces:


Dave's Dirty Dozen
1) Scrape as much of the sludge as you can off with cardboard from the shipping container or a plastic scraper.
2) Use Simple Green right out of the container and tons of paper towels to get the rest off.
3) Wash off the Simple Green with more paper towels and clear water. Dry off with even more paper towels.
4) Spray the top down liberally with WD40. The WD in WD40 stands for Water Displacing, by the way.
5) Take a finishing sander, like a Porter-Cable 330, and put it on a ScotchBrite green pad. Random Orbital will work, but makes a hell of a mess.
6) Sand the top evenly until you feel like you've "massaged" the WD40 in very well. This also will knock some sharp spots off your top, a good thing.
7) Take even more paper towels, and wipe the top until dry. It will feel slightly oily.
8) Using a quality furniture paste wax (Johnson's, Minwax, Butcher's, whatever is available in your area), wax the top thoroughly and allow to dry.
9) Wipe off the bulk of the excess wax with paper towels.
10) Wax it again.
11) Buff well with paper towels.
12) Last step. Take a piece of wood with straight edges, and rub the surface of the saw in the direction of cut with the wood, as though you were cross-cutting it.
It's a damn sight more steps than "wash off with kerosene", which is what all the manuals say. But, it leaves a top that is seriously ready for work, and won't need to be screwed with every couple months. I rewax my tops every year or two, and they ain't rusty...


Dave Arbuckle


I used a 1/4 sheet finish sander and used T-9 before paste wax.

Good Luck,

Mike

[Kelly Cleveland]

New tools seem to be magnets for abuse. The first board I planed with my brand new Lie Nielsen smoother had a rock embedded in the surface and put deep scratches all over the bottom of the plane. The bottom line is if it cuts wood or not.

[Raymond Fries]

All tools get character wear marks. Buff it the best you can and move on. I used 1000 grit sandpaper before the steel wool for a couple of my machines. Doubt you can get the same even sheen as the factory polish but it might remove the stains that bother you. Good luck getting your baby like new again.

[Andrew Hughes]

I don't think your saws table looks bad at all. Just looks like it's first battle.After a couple hard woodworking projects it will have a differant look.
My advise is too wax it.And clean the top with WD 40 once or twice a year and rewax.

[Harry Holzke]

I have been restoring a bunch of tools in the last several months and have tried everything. I came across Sandflex sanding blocks on a Youtube video from someone at Jet cleaning a table saw. I got the 3 pack to try them out and find them incredible! The blocks have imbedded aggregate throughout the rubber block. The medium and fine work really well for cleaning machined surfaces. Sorry, I could not find the link on Youtube.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o01_s00
(you can get these cheaper from other sources, I just like Prime for fast delivery)

[Bill McNiel]

As everyone above has stated "it's just not that big of a deal, lighten up and enjoy life". They have also provided you with a variety of methods for "curing" the situation. I appreciate your pain but in the world of woodworking there are many more mountains to scale.

My way of saying "this is nothing to be concerned about", You did NOT destroy the saw by any measure.