Well as you might guess I was kicked in the butt by hurricane rita. The
house and shop both survived but my cast iron took a beating by the
rain. My shop has a metal roof and the sideways rain was forced up and
into the ridge and down on the tools. Now this is no rust from humidity,
it's down right a soaking. I have dealt with surface rust when my tools
were in storage. A little scotchbrite pads and elbow grease got it back.
This time it's a little different. I work for the fire department and
worked the storm so I was able to get back and check things out the next
day. They all got a good coat of WD40. Now I'm too the point of getting
them cleaned up. I think I got to them in time to avoid pitting but they
are all stained with black water spots once the surface rust is removed.
Any other suggestions?
Jody in Beaumont TX

"Jody" wrote in message

This time it's a little different. I work for the fire department and
worked the storm so I was able to get back and check things out the next
day. They all got a good coat of WD40. Now I'm too the point of getting
them cleaned up. I think I got to them in time to avoid pitting but they
are all stained with black water spots once the surface rust is removed.
Any other suggestions?
Jody in Beaumont TX

Best I've found is Top Saver. I don't know if it will save yours if the
stains are deep, but it is easy to use and cleans CI up pretty bright.

On Sat, 08 Oct 2005 01:43:09 GMT, Jody wrote:

Well as you might guess I was kicked in the butt by hurricane rita. The
house and shop both survived but my cast iron took a beating by the
rain. My shop has a metal roof and the sideways rain was forced up and
into the ridge and down on the tools. Now this is no rust from humidity,
it's down right a soaking. I have dealt with surface rust when my tools
were in storage. A little scotchbrite pads and elbow grease got it back.
This time it's a little different. I work for the fire department and
worked the storm so I was able to get back and check things out the next
day. They all got a good coat of WD40. Now I'm too the point of getting
them cleaned up. I think I got to them in time to avoid pitting but they
are all stained with black water spots once the surface rust is removed.
Any other suggestions?
Jody in Beaumont TX


black stains don't impair their function any, you can consider them
battle scars.

work the surfaces over with a razor blade to get any built up rust off
first. then clean with a rag and thinner, then apply a coat of wax.

Jody:

Had the same problems when we have been caught in the rain our tools
were rained on for a couple of days. Amazingly, the motors still
worked. I had someone tell me to blow out the motor for several
minutes with the compressor to make sure no residual moisture was in
the windings or would wind up in the brushes, and it seemed to work.

As for the top on the contractor saw (your gonna love this...) I
cleaned it with emory cloth and 3 in 1 oil powered by hand. Then I ran
the ROS over it with a 180 grit alox grit pad on it. Then I hit is
with the big power buffer with black emory on the wheel from the
hardware store. Finished it up with red rouge on the wheel, and it was
better than when it was new. It took all signs of machining out and
truly looked polished.

Robert

wrote in message
ups.com...

better than when it was new. It took all signs of machining out and
truly looked polished.

If you worked enough to remove the machine marks by hand, I'm wondering if
you got any dishing in the surface. Did you check it for flatness after
that? I'd be hesitant to polish something by hand that much.

Bob

On Sat, 08 Oct 2005 01:43:09 GMT, Jody wrote:

Well as you might guess I was kicked in the butt by hurricane rita. The
house and shop both survived but my cast iron took a beating by the
rain. My shop has a metal roof and the sideways rain was forced up and
into the ridge and down on the tools. Now this is no rust from humidity,
it's down right a soaking. I have dealt with surface rust when my tools
were in storage. A little scotchbrite pads and elbow grease got it back.
This time it's a little different. I work for the fire department and
worked the storm so I was able to get back and check things out the next
day. They all got a good coat of WD40. Now I'm too the point of getting
them cleaned up. I think I got to them in time to avoid pitting but they
are all stained with black water spots once the surface rust is removed.
Any other suggestions?
Jody in Beaumont TX


Mine were submerged by katrina. Completely under water for the length
of time that the storm surge came in and then receded. Then sat for
two weeks in a mini-warehouse full of wet stuff before I could get
back to them.

I've torn down the Unisaw to the basic pieces. All the internal
castings have been de-rusted using Top Saver, emory, scotch bright,
and 30 micron paper. castings repainted with machine surfaces masked
with vasoline.

Arbor bracket assembly being rebuilt with new bearings.

Motor was completely disassembled (cap covers still had standing water
when I got to it) flushed, baked at 190 degrees F for about six hours
bearings changed, reassembled, and I'm waiting for new capacitors to
see if I did any good.

Don't know what to do with the table. Nothing has worked so far. It
is derusted but the black mottled staining remains. Smooth to the
touch,and flat but stained.

This was a brand new, collectors item. No doubt I will make it
functional again, but its value as a collectors item is probably gone.

Have several other working units to do when I've completed the Unisaw.

Hope you come out OK. I know folks in that area appreciate your being
there to work the storm.

If you worked enough to remove the machine marks by hand, I'm wondering if
you got any dishing in the surface. Did you check it for flatness after

that? I'd be hesitant to polish something by hand that much.

It was fine, Bob. I checked as I went. There is still tiny areas of
staining as I was careful NOT to concentrate on one area or blemish
(after all, thats all these are... please don't think the rust ATE into
the top as it has on some of my other tools) so I wouldn't dig in.

As for the machine marks, this is the satin finish machine marks left
after final lapping. So it has gone from satin to a nice polish. The
upside is that the coat of orange rust completely gone, but with the
polished surface every tiny scratch shows, and the small stains that
were left after refinishing the top really stand out in the new polish.

Robert

Jody wrote:
Well as you might guess I was kicked in the butt by hurricane rita. The
house and shop both survived but my cast iron took a beating by the
rain. My shop has a metal roof and the sideways rain was forced up and
into the ridge and down on the tools. Now this is no rust from humidity,
it's down right a soaking. I have dealt with surface rust when my tools
were in storage. A little scotchbrite pads and elbow grease got it back.
This time it's a little different. I work for the fire department and
worked the storm so I was able to get back and check things out the next
day. They all got a good coat of WD40. Now I'm too the point of getting
them cleaned up. I think I got to them in time to avoid pitting but they
are all stained with black water spots once the surface rust is removed.
Any other suggestions?

I had pretty good luck with a rusty garage sale table saw using wet or
dry sandpaper wetted with WD40. Had to use emery cloth on one pitted
area. Then waxed the top with Butchers paste wax and it slides wood
like new.

I would be careful of the wax, you could get it on the wood and the wood
not take finish or stain