PeterM wrote:
I just picked up an older Unimat lathe, a DB 200. I like to clean it up.
It has light rust on the metal rails that allow other pieces to slide
on. What is the best way to do that, and maybe a hint on what to put on
the parts afterwards, so the rust will not come back......many
thanks...........Peter


I have a Unimat DB200 too and when I got mine last year it had a light
rust film on all exposed parts including all the chucks, centres, vice
and milling table.

I used a very fine grade 'wet & dry' paper I had lying around (possibly
600 or 800 grit) and a drop or two of oil and used that to 'gently'
remove the rust deposits. Just be careful not to rub too hard in any one
place as you do not want to create 'flat spots'. If you don't have 'wet
& dry' paper try using wire wool (gently) to remove the rust. Just be
sure to remove any traces of the wire wool afterwards in case they start
the rusting process again.

As far as preventing rust afterwards, lightly coat the parts with a
light grade mineral oil (general purpose oil or sewing machine oil is
good) and try to keep the machine in a damp free environment (I also
keep a couple of packs of silica gel crystals in the box to hopefully
catch any moisture. I usually oil mine when putting it away after use
and use an old rag to wipe the oil onto bare metal surfaces (a small
squirt on a rag goes a loooong way!)

HTH

--
Larry Green