Online Tips Index / General Shop Tips / Preventing Table Top Rust
Preventing Table Top Rust
There are two basic steps we follow for maintaining a cast iron table top on
a table saw and other stationary tools: remove rust and dirt, and seal it
with a protective topcoat.
We're always on the lookout for rust so we can stop it before it becomes a problem, see top photo. Grit-embedded scouring blocks, like this Sandflex, work great for removing rust and grime from a cast iron table top.
After removing any rust, seal the top by spraying on a protective topcoat,
see bottom photo. Spray-on topcoat products are available at hardware stores
and woodworking stores. In addition to rust protection, they also act as a
sort of lubricant so workpieces slide smoothly across the table.
