removing rust from ways

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hazmat74

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Jun 20, 2013
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Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
What us an effective way to do this? The rikon i just picked up has a thin veneer of rust from lack of use sitting in a damp basement. I dont want to mung up the machining with an abrasive. Would wd40 and a scotch brite pad suit the job?
 
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A scotch brite with 3 in one oil or 10w oil would be better. Wd40 is not the best product to use although it will work.
 
hazmat74 said:
What us an effective way to do this? The rikon i just picked up has a thin veneer of rust from lack of use sitting in a damp basement. I dont want to mung up the machining with an abrasive. Would wd40 and a scotch brite pad suit the job?
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It may or may not do the job but its a safe place to start.

I tend to use bar keepers friend and warm water with scotch brite and steel wool if required. Try the scotch brite first.

Once clean, dry thoroughly. I apply mineral oil to everything cast iron to keep rust off. Little bit of paste wax on the ways will make things slide smoothly.
 
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You can heat mineral oil and melt paraffin wax into it. That may make a one coat application
 
I use 400-600 grit paper then rubbing compound then butchers bowling alley wax to keep it from rusting again. I apply the wax with steel wool.
 
I believe my girlfriend has bar keeper's friend at her house, where the lathe is currently living. I'll have to poke around and give it a try. I'd rather use something like that then a solvent if at all possible. I don't think it's going to take much to clean it up. Any particular paste wax?
 
You can also use Boeshield (sp?). It is sold by Woodcraft - probably by box stores as well. One product cleans the rust and the other protects the ways and saw tables.
 
Lots of good info here. If your rust is only surface rust and no serious pitting, Scotch Brite is good. Personally I like kerosene as a lubricant with the Scotch-Brite, but any petroleum product 3 in one, WD-40, LPS, ect. will do. Start with the maroon colored Scotch-Brite, if it does not seem to be aggressive enough there is a coarser grade that is gray I think. After removing the rust ditto on the Boeshield. It was developed by Boeing Aircraft for preventing rust. After the Boeshield, you might use a little Renaissance Wax as insurance. I would stay away from the Bar Keepers Friend--- what caused the rust in the first place? ----Moisture. Good luck and I hope you get the lathe restored.

Ben
 
I knock it down with my R/O sander w/ 600. Johnson's Paste Wax right after. Have to do it in the morning...I'm a slacker!!
 
Used the Bar Keeper's friend in a paste with a green scotch-brite pad. Rust came right off. It was only a light patina of surface rust and only on the ways. Got all that cleaned up and dried it with a hair dryer, wiped the ways down with mineral spirits, then applied some Johnson Paste Wax. Everything is sliding together nicely. Centers on dead on one another. Was even able to do a bit of turning...er...at least wood turned and I played with the tools. Have a good bit of learning to do.

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! Now I have to get it on a lower stand. Working up on a lathe is not a comfortable or efficient operation.
 
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