Help with new tool

[Laurie Brown]

I am fairly new to woodworking (1 year), but VERY new to having any REAL power tools. The cheapy tools I've been using are all aluminum. I just got a new Delta Hybrid saw and I'm going over the manual before I start cleaning and setting it up. Being new to cast iron and nice tools, I have a question.

The manual says that I should clean the top and tables that are currently coated in some kind of shipping oil with kerosene. Since I have nothing around here that uses kerosene, I don't have any and don't want to buy any if this is the only time I'll ever use it. Can I use something else to clean the top, such as WD-40 or denatured alcohol, which I do have some of?

Also, what sort of floor paste wax should I get to put on the top, and what's the procedure for applying it on the saw table? Oh, and how often will I need to clearn and/or reapply wax to the table?

[Allen Bookout]

Use the WD40 that you already have and wipe it off real good. Buy a small spray bottle of Boeshield T9 (Home Depot, some hardware stores, West Marine) and lightly spray a coarting on the surface. Gently wipe it with a cloth. Get some Johnsons Paste Wax at Home Depot or Walmart or your hardware store and put a coat of that over the T9 and buff it. You are good to go.

How often to rewax depends on how much moisture you have in your shop. You will know. It also depends on how much you use the saw. As a general rule I put a quick coat on every two to four weeks. If you see any rust adjust your timetable.

Enjoy your new saw.

[Bill Lewis]

Yes you can use WD-40 to clean off the top. You are not required to use Kerosene. Basically, any solvent that cuts the stuff and doesn't leave its own residue is ok to use.

S.C. Johnson Paste wax is the wax that is preferred by most folks. You'll usually find it with the cleaning supplies vs. the finishing supplies. How often you ned to apply depends on how often you use the saw, and how slippery you like it. There are other surface treatments out there made specifically for tool tops, but even a good (non-silicone) caruba based car wax will do the job. Nothing I have tried (not an exhustive list) has the staying power of the SCJ wax.

[Frank Fusco]

I use spray carburetor cleaner to remove rust preventative gunk.
Johnson's paste wax works just fine protecting my tools.

[Steve Sawyer]

I've had to clean that gunk off of several new pieces of equipment recently, and find that the least noxious stuff to use is Simple Green's degreaser concentrate, available at many hardware stores and auto parts shops. It's a soap-based product rather than some kind of hazardous volatile solvent like mineral spirits, kerosene or even WD-40. It comes in 2-quart bottles and it's diluted 1-to-4 if memory serves. If you're like me and "eyeball" the dilution, I definitely recommend using rubber or vinyl gloves, as it can get a little harsh on your hands , but won't do any permanent damage.

For small stuff (like a Woodcraft tenoning jig I bought recently) I dissassemble the item and put it in a bucket to soak for a few minutes, then scrub it with a plastic, bristle or brass-bristle brush, then rinse in hot water and air-dry. You will often end up with a slight haze of rust that disappears as soon as you apply the Boeshield (recommended above) and some paste wax (I use Minwax which I think is identical to the S.C. Johnson paste wax, also recommended above).

For larger items (like your saw table and my bandsaw table, drill press table and column), wipe off the big smears of the stuff with a paper towel, then dip one of those scotchbrite scrubbing pads in the solution and scrub the surfaces with it. You might want to put down some newspaper (or just be prepared to do a little floor-wiping) as it will drip, but again this isn't hazardous stuff, so it's just a little messy. Rinse off real well with hot water and a sponge or clean rags, wringing frequently and treat as above. The treatment with Boeshield and/or wax is extremely important with this stuff as it strips off ALL of the protecting gunk, and leaves the surface completely unprotected. With kerosene and the like they leave some petroleum residue that offers minimal (though inadequate) protection.

[Laurie Brown]

I've had to clean that gunk off of several new pieces of equipment recently, and find that the least noxious stuff to use is Simple Green's degreaser concentrate, available at many hardware stores and auto parts shops. It's a soap-based product rather than some kind of hazardous volatile solvent like mineral spirits, kerosene or even WD-40. It comes in 2-quart bottles and it's diluted 1-to-4 if memory serves. If you're like me and "eyeball" the dilution, I definitely recommend using rubber or vinyl gloves, as it can get a little harsh on your hands , but won't do any permanent damage.

In that case, couldn't I use something simple like a grease-cutting dish soap like Dawn or something?

[Steve Sawyer]

In that case, couldn't I use something simple like a grease-cutting dish soap like Dawn or something?

I don't think that would be strong enough, Laurie, though you could certainly give it a try. It wouldn't hurt anything, you might just find that you have to do more than one application to clean all the "cosmolene" off. The Simple Green product is made specifically for degreasing things like engines, and bicycle chains - pretty strong stuff.

[Carol Reed]

The last time I had to do this, I scraped most of it off with a razor scraper. Then I used paint thinner (because I had it). Finally I used lacquer thinner and paper towels.

Then out came the wax. I happened to have MinWax, but Johnson's will work fine as well. I used to teach woodworking and learned tons from my students. One trick was that on cast iron surfaces to use a stiff bristled brush to rub the wax in. Cast iron is relatively porous. If you get the wax down in the pores, it lasts longer and protects better.

His analogy was the same as waxing boots. Apply it. Brush it in. Buff it. After that a light application and buffing works for a long time. For the brush I used an old fingernail cleaning brush.

BTW, I use the process for the initial waxing of wood. Looks great.

My 2 cents.

[Bruce Page]

Laurie, I use a scraper to get most of the cosmoline off, then wipe with mineral sprits. I then use a solvent like alcohol or lacquer thinner (wear gloves) and wipe it down again. Lastly, I apply a coat of Johnson’s paste wax.