Shopsmith Forums

Hello everyone,

I recently acquired a '84 Mark V model 500 with three SPTs... the bandsaw, belt sander, and an entirely unused jointer. I'm entirely new to the Shopsmith line of tools and woodworking in general. Fortunately, my Mark V came with all the paperwork, and I've been availing myself of the extensive online resources as well.

The previous owner bought it from the original purchaser and had it for two years. He only used the bandsaw (and that relatively infrequently). During that time he did not wax the way tubes/tables/etc, nor did he lubricate the sheaves. So the first thing I did was clean, lubricate, tension the V-belt, and wax. The good new is that I have a happy headstock now.

My machine is mostly rust-free, but I've found a few rust spots on the bandsaw table and bench tubes (I think... it's dark in color and slightly rough, either oxidation or caked on gunk perhaps?). I've scrubbed the rough spots on the way tubes with #0000 steel wool. Some of it came off, but most of the darker stuff hasn't.
Before I address the rust spots on the bandsaw table, I wanted to ask for advice. I've read some posts about serious rust removal, but since these are very small spots on a mostly clean iron table, I don't want to apply a too-rough technique and create new problems (like polishing a low spot into the table). What techniques do you experienced folks recommend? Should I continue with the #0000 steel wool? Should I be using a rust-removing chemical? Once I'm done I will wax the entire surface.

Evaporust. Only attacks the rust. Non toxic.

Mechanizoid,

Welcome to the Shopsmith Forum. Looking at the pictures you posted (and thank you for those) your new to you Shopsmith tools are in very good condition as far as rust goes. As JPG said

Evaporust. Only attacks the rust. Non toxic.

It works well and quickly. It doesn't look like any of the rust spots in the pictures will need anything more than waxing to protect them from now on. The tubes you show are they the upper tubes called the Way Tubes or the lower tubes which are the Bench Tubes? The Way Tubes are polished metal and unless you find pitted areas, waxing after the rust is removed is all you will need to do to protect them. Something you do not want to do is remove any metal causing a reduced diameter of the Way Tubes in an effort to smooth out rust pitted areas.

Below is a before and after set of Way Tubes from a Model 10ER. As you can see, they can take some abuse/neglect and still come out looking like new.

_

Some of your spots may be nothing but rust, but some might have picked up other contaminants. If you haven't done so yet I would try some kind of solvent just to clean any pits or low spots. Some light oil you can leave on for a while or just rub WD-40 on it for a while, or let acetone or alcohol work on it for a while. Evapo-Rust will leave the metal looking shiny clean. All you have to do then is make sure there are no rough edges left with some very fine grit paper if needed.

It looks clean enough and flat enough to use as it is in the picture. It's pretty hard to ruin those cast iron tops unless they warp somehow.

I do not have the same table and I probably do it wrong , 0000 steel wool , finish up with a good wax and a buffing wheel has worked for us . be sure to clean / wax the miter slots .

Thanks for the welcome and the advice! One of the best things about owning a Shopsmith is the outstanding community.

Evaporust. Only attacks the rust. Non toxic.

Thanks for the recommendation. I can't pick this up at my local Ace, but once I get into town I will pick up a jug.

The tubes you show are they the upper tubes called the Way Tubes or the lower tubes which are the Bench Tubes? The Way Tubes are polished metal and unless you find pitted areas, waxing after the rust is removed is all you will need to do to protect them. Something you do not want to do is remove any metal causing a reduced diameter of the Way Tubes in an effort to smooth out rust pitted areas.

Those tubes are the Bench Tubes. I did find some similar spots on the underside of the Way Tubes, and some rough brownish spots that came off after applying mineral spirits and gently using #0000 steel wool. I couldn't get the dark spots I photographed off with mineral spirits though, so I went ahead and waxed them. I found the recommendation to use the ultra fine steel wool on Shopsmith's own getting ready page: https://www.shopsmith.com/getting_start ... _ready.htm, so I figured it should be safe. I'm definitely not sanding the Way Tubes due to the reason you cite!

You did a beautiful job restoring those 10ER tubes. It looks like the technique of soaking the tubes in Evaporust is very effective and safe for both humans and the metal. Do You think that this would remove those stubborn dark spots?

Some of your spots may be nothing but rust, but some might have picked up other contaminants. If you haven't done so yet I would try some kind of solvent just to clean any pits or low spots. Some light oil you can leave on for a while or just rub WD-40 on it for a while, or let acetone or alcohol work on it for a while.

If I get into the shop tomorrow, I will try cleaning the table with mineral spirits and applying the very fine steel wool pads. Failing that, I'll try the Evaporust. As for the bench tubes, I haven't tried letting the alcohol work on it for several minutes yet. Should I just apply it to a rag and let it sit on the tubes for a bit?

I do not have the same table and I probably do it wrong , 0000 steel wool , finish up with a good wax and a buffing wheel has worked for us . be sure to clean / wax the miter slots .

A lot of people agree on the #0000 steel wool + mineral spirits, so I doubt it's wrong. I'll be sure to get the slots too. The very original owner was an Air Force veteran and took very good care of his Shopsmith. I want to keep her clean and shiny.

For the Model 10ER Way Tubes I showed above I used vinegar to remove the rust. I have a PVC pipe with caps that I use to soak the tubes in to remove rust. Vinegar works well for rust removal and is cheaper than Evaporust but takes a lot longer to work. The black spots may be stains left in the metal which may not come off without removing some of the actual metal or they could be something else on the Tubes. It is hard to tell for sure from the picture. I have had stains similar to those left on Way Tubes after rust removal and cleanup which are not pretty, but the Tubes are still functional. Using steel wool with the mineral spirits will help give you a "clean" surface ready for waxing.

I have tried Evaporust and other stuff. The cheapest and best I've found is Barkeeper's Friend (make a soft paste - thicker than slurry) and rub it on with a cloth and then off. I easily turned black way tubes to silver. I keep a small plastic container in the cabinet under the SS for easy access.

WD40, Scotch brite pads, and elbow grease followed by a diluted polyurethane wipe, then waxing as recommended by Scott Markwood on My Growth Rings website (search Youtube for "Safe Rust Prevention with Oil-Based Polyurethane, H2O Poly or Penetrol"). Has remained bright and shiny so far.

Once the rust is gone you can protect it from further rusting as noted above. But even after cleaning with abrasives or solvents some rust may remain in pits of pores and something Evapo-Rust will get rid of it. You can get a quart for $9 at Harbor Freight, and you might only need a few teaspoons to finish your table but it doesn't go bad and eventually you'll find good use for the rest of it.