I’ve recently switched from Turtle Wax to Top-Cote to protect my cast iron surfaces. I applied the recommended two coats of Top-Cote after cleaning with lacquer thinner one weekend. After returning from a business trip I went to check on my babies…they all had an oxidized tint. A dry rag wiped some of the residue but the color transformation remains. While I’m sure re-prepping the surface would renew the luster I never had to do this with wax. I really like the silkiness of the Top-Cote.
Is this a normal appearance for cast iron, obviously I’m not declaring rust or pitting just a color change. In my artillery days we used to maintain our iron daily, however it needs to maintain itself at least to the weekend.
Any thoughts, the tools are in a dry garage 75- 85 degrees here in South Carolina.
Replies
Just renewing my post, I realize this sounds like a redundant question. I'll appreciate any comments.
I was a little surprised that you chose lacquer thinner to clean with. Don't even know why I was surprised, just was. What led you to use it?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I read somewhere that lacquer thinner was a great degreaser and appropriate for cleaning cast iron. It easily cleaned the cosmoline when the tools were new and I've used it the last couple of years. I am aware of its volatility and extremely low flash point and have been careful to hang dry my rags. What have you been using?
Steve, your saw looks great. I didn't have any problems with wax either and it certainly is less expensive than Top-Cote. I decided to give it a try based on a post this past winter where several people glowed of its advantages. I guess I was wondering if other Top-Cote users had experienced this problem.
Hi Joe, I've used Top Coat (two applications only so far) and not had the color change problem you have. My saw top had very light rusties on it, so I cleaned it with -- hmmmmm, can't remember -- maybe steel wool and WD40 or turp or something. Probably used acetone to be sure it wasn't oily after that (sorry I can't remember, it was awhile ago). Would have let it sit for 1/2 hour or so before Top Coating it.
You might try posting a thread entitle "Top Coat Question" and see if that gets you some experience-based replies.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Just out of curiosity, what does Top Coat cost. I think I paid 5.00 for a can of Johnsons. I think it will probably out last me. I also like using scotch brite and nothing else. This way I don't take away any of the oils that might be helping to preserve the finish.Steve - in Northern California
Steve, are you pickin' on us? :) Can't remember the cost -- I was at the WWing show a couple years ago, not allowing myself to spend big bucks, so I think I picked up a can just so I could say I bought something.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
LOL, no I'm not picking on anybody. This subject has been on this board at least 10 times in the past few months and the end result is always the same. Johnsons or TreeWax always produces the best and longest lasting results when preserving cast iron that is in regular use.Steve - in Northern California
Ahhhhh, I see, Deja vu all over again! forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
What no work today.... I'm sitting here, in my office, surfing the web. I can't wait to get in my truck, drive to the lumber yard, finish the drive home, start building the new shop cabinets, benches and yes, finally the new wood rack.
BTW the wrist is fine this morning. Swelling went down overnight, pain is nearly gone but I still have to wear this goofy looking temporary cast.
Whoops, hijacked another thread didnt I.Steve - in Northern California
I paid $14.50 for a 10.5oz can of Top-Cote which will last me a maximum of three months. Again it does impart a noticeably slicker surface, don't know what to make of my experience regarding the tint but I suspect I will return to using wax. I wasn't giving this much attention to my iron with wax.
Well Joe, not sure what you think you need to do but all that is required is to hit it with a scotch brite pad and a coat of Johnsons paste wax, I do mine about once every three months. Attached is a picture of how mine looks all of the time.
Steve - in Northern California
Artillery huh? I was a member of a howitzer company back in the 60's. We would summer camp at Fort Sill OK. On the weekend we would go into Lawton and ask the girls if they would like to see our 8" howitzer. Was good for a few laughs. On the last day of summer camp we would fill a 1/4 ton trailer with ice and beer and then proceed to empty it. Was an essential part of protecting our country!
I use TreWax on my TS and other cast iron items. I hit them with my finish sander then steel wool on a heavy coat and then buff clean. I do this about every 6 months.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
PlaneWood
Would you believe that I didn't get stationed at Ft. Sill "Home of the Artillery" until I reenlisted as a Respiratory Therapist. My artillery days, 5yrs were spent in Ft. Bragg. Imagine that...
Been a while since I heard the 8" howitzer joke-
thanks for rekindling the memories.
Joe -
We used a 10 ton truck to pull the 8"er. Big dude! Ever get the powder wet? On night we had a fire mission and shot off 3 or 4 rounds. The powder guy opened about 6 or 8 cans of powder and forgot to put the lid on the ones not used. At dawn the next morning we had another fire mission and the 1st round had a terrific back blast. Knocked our company sign down that was 20 yards behind the gun, knocked me down, as well as several others. We shot off two more rounds like that before the dumb lieutenant called cease fire. Seems the dew had got the powder wet and 90% of the powder was burning outside the tube. Fun and games! (this has absolutely not one durn thing to do with woodworking!)
PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood
I was working on my jointer and noticed in the manual that it specifically says not to use lacquer thinner to clean the surface. It doesn't say why. It recommends kerosene. My drill press on the other hand, recommends oven cleaner to clean off the initial grease.
I cleaned the cosmoline off of my Jet 6" with "Goof Off" then immediately waxed it. No problems yet. It didn't say anything bad about laquer thinner that I remember. But I'm pretty sure its not a good idea. The "Goof Off" probably wasn't a good idea either.
Steve - in Northern California
This part of the conversation is reinforcing my initial suspicion that lacquer thinner might be the culprit. Anyone know what the ingredients are, and how much they might vary among manufacturers?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Yes,
I was leaning that way too, even though the lacquer thinner was dry (dries in seconds) there may be some chemical reaction occurring with the Top-Cote. Especially given that the color transformation didn't occur with the wax coating.
At any rate the can is almost empty, and with 4 pieces of iron to maintain this stuff is relatively expensive. I've delayed reprepping the surfaces to take in any opinions and experiences of the forum. But as this seems to be an isolated occurrence I'll give my babies some TLC this evening-
Thanks for the help Steve and Forest Girl.
The last woodworking show I was at showed samples of steel coated with several products. BoShield T-9 protected the best. The TopCote samples and others were inferior. Of course this was the display for the manufacturer. I've used the T-9 as a lube for table saw trunions with great satisfaction. It doesn't attract dust to threads or gibs on the jointer/planer either.
I have used Tru-Wax in the past with good results. It's also ok to rub in talk/powder with felt. Chalkboard erasors work well. Always use kerosene if you clean cast iron. Acetone and laquer thinner penetrate too deeply and invite moisture to enter the pores that the wax can't reach.
By the way, testing for firearms has shown that RemOil by remington protects the best for firearms. I use it for lubrication where dust collection is not a probelm.
Don
Just got my Grizzly 1022Z put together over Memorial Day weekend. They suggest Mineral Spirits for the initial clean. I presume I can keep using it to clean up between wax jobs. Any one else experience Mineral Spirits? Maybe kerosene is better?
Q
If your iron rusted up right away, llike the next day, here's what probably happened:
Acetone and Laquer thinner are so volatile and evaporate so quickly that this lowers the temperature of the iron so fast that it causes condensation, especially on a humid day.You can't see it, but it's there. I know that one cannot use acetone on aluminum that is to be painted for this very reason. You can't see the corrosion on aluminum, but it is there. Paint over it and the paint will come right off.
Anyway, I would use a more stable solvent like paint thinner or turpentine.
Living in South Florida where a tables aw top will corrode in a day, I use a marine product called Corrosion Block whenever my machines will sit for more than a week. Wax won't do it. Expensive at $15 a spray can, but this stuff is a clear oily substance that is easily rubbed off with a paper towel and any residue doesn't stain wood. My saw sat outside covered with a tarp for over a year with this stuff on it and not a trace of rust. I did recoat it periodically, though. Excellent stuff in my view. Available at marine stores or online .
Dave P
Good Advoice Dave,
I agree that most any proven Marine product is superior. I recently used a lube for all the casement windows in my house and they still work perfect 2 years later.
Don
Yep,
That's what happened, it was humid and hot that day- remember sweat dripping off my brow.
Thanks
Joe,
One of the Jet reps actually told me to use straight WD40 on the surface of my cabinet saw. At the end of each work day in my shop, I dust off the surface with a static dust rag (e.g. Swiffer), then spray an wipe down the top with WD. I take great care to keep my investments (tools) in top condition, and I can tell you, the WD40 works. It has yet to interfere with any finish that I might apply later.
- JC
You are correct about WD40. It does work well and I did use it myself for a while until I got tired of buying it all the time. WD40 is an excellent water dispersant (WD) and is a good way to get protection into the poors of the cast piece. However, to keep doing this over and over, day in and day out is rather expensive. The alternative I prefer is to clean it off with WD 40 wipe it down then wax it. I re-wax when it needs it, usually about once a month under heavy use.Steve - in Northern California
I use good old Min-wax paste fininshing wax on my T/S top. When I cut Pine it leaves a black residue in some places but it comes off when I start the sanding process.
STEVE; I want my T/S back. LOL I have the same one you do but I have 52" rails on mine with the cast iron wings. I don't have room for an outfeed table (yet). I have to cut back the rails somewhat so the wife can get to her potting bench. I have a source for the smaller rails whenever I need them.
Speaking of artillery, when I went into the Marine Corps reserve in '82 they found out I was with a recon unit in Viet-Nam and they sent me to Corando Ca. and I became a Naval Gunfire Foward Observer. It didn't bother me but really upset the wife.
Dave, I opted for the 32" rails now knowing I could go to the 52" when I have room. I felt the long outfeed table was more important for me in a one man shop. I can now cut the full length of a sheet goods without any help. Its Independence Day..!Steve - in Northern California
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