TS top cleaner

[Robert Willing]

Preparing to sell my 10" General International TS and am looking for a good cleaner to clean the top. What would you use?

[Andy Giddings]

Depends how much crud you have but I've used Boeshield Rust Free for minor rust removal and clean up with a Scotchbrite pad - quick and easy

[Brian Tymchak]

I just used Simpile Green, a Scotchtbrite pad, and a bit of elbow grease on my TS and jointer. Worked really well. Followed with Bostik TopCote.

[Lee Schierer]

The best cleaning I've witnessed for cast iron surfaces was to take a 1/4 sheet vibratory sander and clip on a red Scotch brite pad instead of sand paper. Apply some light machine oil or Boeshield to the surface and polish the entire surface with the sander. Wipe off the sludge and apply paste wax and/or Boeshield

[Robert Willing]

Those Scotchbrite pads are great for putting on a polished finish during wood turning.

[Doug Ladendorf]

WD-40 and ScotchBrite on an ROS.


Doug

[Jim Riseborough]

I used WD40 scotchbrite pad, and some 400-800 grit paper on a steel plate. nice and clean, smooth. Wax with paste wax and buff.

[Dick Mahany]

WD-40 and ScotchBrite on an ROS.

Yes this, and an apron

[Matt Day]

I used to use the ROS with soctchbrite and WD40, but an angle grinder with a wire cup wheel and scotchbrite works better.

[mike wacker]

I guess I'm cheep, but what I have found to be crazy successful is to start with plain old white vinegar. About $1.99 a gallon. I use a clean spray bottle and "flood" the top of what ever tool I'm trying to clean. Sometimes I put paper towel down over the top and soak it so it holds the vinegar better. I asked a chemical engineer buddy why this works and he explained it to me. There is NO chance I could repeat his explanation but his explanation did make sense. How long you soak it depends on the magnitude of the rust. The typical light patina of brown usually only take 15-30 minutes. A little bit if Scotch bright pad (or your choice of similar) by hand or quicker on a palm sander or ROS with a sprites more vinegar (as noted earlier) with an apron on should have the top shinning after wiping off the slurry with paper towel and water making sure to get it D@#$ dry as to not start the rusting process all over again. I use paste wax after that as a preservative coating, again because it's effective and cheap.

On another note, White vinegar and a soak will bring many BADLY rusted parts back to life. Find a vessel large enough to totally immerse the rusted tool with straight white vinegar. leave it 24 hours. Nasty black participate that needs to be scrubbed off the tool (think wearing vinyl gloves or your hands will be black for a week). The make sure the tool gets some preservative coating, WD40, paste wax, or my favorite, Fluid Film (google it).

[Lee Schierer]

I guess I'm cheep, but what I have found to be crazy successful is to start with plain old white vinegar. About $1.99 a gallon. I use a clean spray bottle and "flood" the top of what ever tool I'm trying to clean. Sometimes I put paper towel down over the top and soak it so it holds the vinegar better. I asked a chemical engineer buddy why this works and he explained it to me.

Vinegar is a liquid consisting of about 5–20% acetic acid (CH3COOH) which reacts with the rust and iron.

[Justin Ludwig]

My FIL is a chemist and mixes me up a 3% solution of phosphoric acid. Same stuff in Boeshield's Rust Free. Vinegar works too, just not as fast.

Spray all over table, cut a piece of red scotch brite to fit my ROS and get after it. Follow up with a liberal coat of paste wax then wipe off with a dry paper towel. I do this for everything cast iron in the shop.