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Keith nuttle

wrote:
I inherited some old mostly craftsman workshop equipment, all about 55 yrs
old and unused for the past 10-15. I plan on starting cleaning them up this
long weekend and would like some input on the best methods. besides blowing
out dust, etc, the main thing i have to do is remove rust:

work and fence surfaces have a fine covering of rust, no pitting. appears
pretty minor but covers the entire area - whats the best polishing or rust
removal solution and method to use?
jointer blades feel sharp, but the rotor base and the blades are rusty. is
there any real reason to clean them as long as they perform well?

stands and casing is all metal, cast iron i assume. there are areas of rust
on these surfaces as well, but not as widespread. if i spot treat the rust
i will need to repaint - is there a prefered type and brand of paint best
suited for this?

a poster in a previous post about motors suggested looking for oil ports on
the motor shafts, i will be looking at these as well.

thanks in advance.
I don't know if this is the acceptable method, but my Craftsman table
saw is 40 years old. Over the years when it has not been used for a
while it picks up a little rust. To remove the rust I have used either
steel wool or extremely fine sand paper. You don't want to sand enough
to cup the surface.

After I get the rust off I use auto polishing compound and then a good
grade of car wax on the table.

If you have rust on the table of the saw, you may not get it completely
off the first time, just get the table so that it is smooth enough so as
not to catch the wood when you cut wood. The more sawdust you make the
shinier the surface becomes. Sawdust makes a great polishing compound.

I have a piece of plywood that fits the top of the saw that is always on
the saw when ever it is not in use. This seems to prevent rust.