Cleaning the Table top.

Forum for Maintenance and Repair topics. Feel free to ask questions or contribute.

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beeg
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Cleaning the Table top.

Post by beeg »

I've only had my SS for about 30 years, so how do you people keep from getting black streaks from getting on your boards as they slide across the table? YES I have waxed it often. Tonight I wiped it down with paint thinner, rubbed it down with a scotch britr pad, followed by another rubdown with 0000 steel wool. Wiped it down with paint thinner again. Waxed it and will buff it out tomorrow. I've noticed on the sawdust sessions that Nick applies the wax and buffs it out soon after applying wax. I thought this was because of a lack of time in the sessions.

Do you do anything besides waxing the table?
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
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Bob
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JPG
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Post by JPG »

beeg wrote:I've only had my SS for about 30 years, so how do you people keep from getting black streaks from getting on your boards as they slide across the table? YES I have waxed it often. Tonight I wiped it down with paint thinner, rubbed it down with a scotch britr pad, followed by another rubdown with 0000 steel wool. Wiped it down with paint thinner again. Waxed it and will buff it out tomorrow. I've noticed on the sawdust sessions that Nick applies the wax and buffs it out soon after applying wax. I thought this was because of a lack of time in the sessions.

Do you do anything besides waxing the table?
YES!:D I sand the blackness off the workpieces!:eek:
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╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10
E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
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ddvann79
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Post by ddvann79 »

JPG40504 wrote:YES!:D I sand the blackness off the workpieces!:eek:
Hilarious! I thought I was the only one that did that. :o
Dalton
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1962 MK 5 #373733 Goldie
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dusty
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Post by dusty »

ddvann79 wrote:Hilarious! I thought I was the only one that did that. :o
Once the black marks have been deposited I think we all remove them by sanding. The trick is "no black marks". I have that issue - right now. Naturally, I am hard pressed for time and a list of projects yet to complete.

None-the-less, it is time to stop work for table top maintenance. I clean with mineral spirits, followed by a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax, followed by a machine buffing with a clean pad.

Wondering where the black on your fresh cut pieces comes from?

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"Making Sawdust Safely"
Dusty
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bffulgham
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Post by bffulgham »

Yep, an inherent problem with aluminum tables.
I've been ripping a lot of white ash on my 510 recently for my raised panel pantry project; and have been blowing off the table at the end of the day, wiping on a new coat of Johnson's (using Nick's tip to use a grey Scotch Brite pad), waiting a few minutes, then buffing with a rag.
I think we see the black marks after the wax coating is worn away. Aluminum oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air.

BTW, Dusty..... That's a pretty clean rag compared to what I get off mine sometimes....
Bud F.
1998 Mark V 510 bought used 2006, Jointer, 2 Bandsaws, ca 1960 Yuba SawSmith RAS
Projects and "stuff": http://www.bfulgham.com/JAlbum/Woodworking_Index/
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dusty
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Post by dusty »

[quote="bffulgham"]Yep, an inherent problem with aluminum tables.
I've been ripping a lot of white ash on my 510 recently for my raised panel pantry project]That's pretty nasty when you consider the fact that I pride myself in equipment maintenance AND the fact that the other side of the rag looks the same way.

The tables are clean and waxed now and ready to go back into service. Grandma Santa is really cracking the whip these days. She says I've been fooling around too much with that other Mark V (that I didn't need in the first place).
"Making Sawdust Safely"
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ddvann79
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Post by ddvann79 »

dusty wrote:Grandma Santa is really cracking the whip these days. She says I've been fooling around too much with that other Mark V (that I didn't need in the first place).
Whoa, now. To quote an infamous president, that depends on what the meaning of "need" is. :D

I'm working on presents and decorations right now and I could really use another Mark V.
Dalton
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robinson46176
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Post by robinson46176 »

Back when we used to raise hogs (thousands of them. most were white) we were using a type of automatic water fountain (Nelson) that was mostly cast aluminum. Hogs like to rub on stuff and much of the time they had big black blotches all along their sides from the aluminum. On the upside, the fountains stayed fairly shiny. :)
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I guess you could buy a pig, dip it in wax and use it to swab your table surface... :D
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Has anyone tried cleaning the table well and spraying it down with an acrylic or a poly coating and then waxing it.
You guys do realize that when you buff excessively that it makes the wax ultra thin, right? :rolleyes:
--
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Francis Robinson
I did not equip with Shopsmiths in spite of the setups but because of them.
1 1988 - Mark V 510 (bought new), 4 Poly vee 1 1/8th HP Mark V's, Mark VII, 1 Mark V Mini, 1 Frankensmith, 1 10-ER, 1 Mark V Push-me-Pull-me Drillpress, SS bandsaw, belt sander, jointer, jigsaw, shaper attach, mortising attach, TS-3650 Rigid tablesaw, RAS, 6" long bed jointer, Foley/Belsaw Planer/molder/ripsaw, 1" sander, oscillating spindle/belt sander, Scroll saw, Woodmizer sawmill
charlese
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Post by charlese »

beeg wrote:...I've noticed on the sawdust sessions that Nick applies the wax and buffs it out soon after applying wax. I thought this was because of a lack of time in the sessions.

Do you do anything besides waxing the table?

Nope! A simple wax and buff works good for me. I buff within minute or so after applying. Just let the wax take on a film.

I use those blue paper shop towels purchased at Wal Mart or H.D. or Lowe's. Love them for all cleaning and wiping.
Octogenarian's have an earned right to be a curmudgeon.
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
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