Kinda Interesting:
I was unpacking my new Powermatic 54A Jointer yesterday evening and noticed
Powermatic's suggestion for table rust protection. Sprinkle talcum powder
on the table and rub it in with a blackboard eraser. They say the fine
powder fills pores in the metal and blocks moisture intrusion. Should be
done weekly.
Anyone else heard of or tried this?


Congrats on the new machine, I should be so lucky (or blessed). But I would not do that
and can understand why from BillH's experience, I would think that the powder would
actually collect and hold moisture from natural condensation, keeping it there. It is no
doubt in my mind that a giant company passing on such information would really be
needing an owner to buy a new table "when" it becomes over rusted from possible neglect,
no matter who the future owner would be. I could be totaly wrong and if I needed to I
would read-up on it from other sources.

Companies go crazy figuring out people and their naivete´, and how to make as much
money as is possible. Every tiny damn detail of whatever is taken into account by business
engineers. As a bad example, a long time ago, American Airlines decided to remove one
olive from each and every salad that is served on flights. In one year that saved them
$40,000.xx -fact.

Go with something made for the job like Top Coat or like BillH, paste wax. Not Boshield
though, it is for protecting machinery from rusting during storage. I like Ace super oil, made
to be a cheaper 3-in-one you can smell the parrafin in it, which nicley stays as a thin coating
on the metal.

Alex
(my only machine is a mini DP, but everything I said is the way I think)