shop question...opinions

Date 10-29-2007 15:44

I don't think that painting it is a good idea. If you want to keep it kind of rust free, spray it down with some rust inhibitor. That will do two things..1) it will keep it rust free for a long time, and 2) it will act as a lubricator allowing the table to travel up and down freely.

I have used this in the past, and it keeps the rust off for a long time!

http://www.crcindustries.com/marine/content/prod_detail.aspx?PN=06026&S=N

By CHGuilford (****)

Date 10-29-2007 16:17

I agree. An application of WD-40 will work well. When the dust accumulates, wipe it down and spray it again.

(actually, anything similar to WD-40 will be fine, even 3 in 1 oil, or even a rag wetted with motor oil)

By rlitman (***)

Date 10-29-2007 19:11

Yeah, paint is probably a bad idea. Moving the table up and down will quickly wear through the paint and put you back to square one with the rust.
I used to use half a gallon a year of wd-40 in my home shop (in a basement on Long Island with over 80% humidity most of the summer). It was always a losing battle.
I switched to aerosol gun oils years ago, and never looked back. You want something that has a lot of "VCI" in it.
wd-40 is great for degreasing, and for expelling water, but Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors are much better at preventing rust.

BTW, on these old tools, I try to avoid cleaning to shiny metal. A little "browning" goes a long way towards preventing more rust, and actually protects the metal underneath. So long as you don't have pitting or flaking, just oil it up. I usually use steel wool or a wire wheel to take the loose material off, and that is typically enough.

-- Robert

By leon phelps (**)

Date 10-29-2007 19:44

Thanks. I found some sewing machine oil and it looks good. I kept a little brown on there like you recommended.

I guess this method worked for the first 50 years so it should last another 50.

Thanks again.

By darren

Date 10-29-2007 22:10

fluid film
its sheeps wax
spray it on a cloth and wipe it down and it should last for a year or so
http://www.eurekafluidfilm.com/

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 10-30-2007 04:48

Don't paint any machined surfaces like the spindle,table or collum. WD-40 works fine in a heated garage, but if You go into the unheated space You might need more protection, depending on how "tight" the building is. I have some unheated outbuildings where rust isn't much of a problem, and others where it is.

By rlitman (***)

Date 10-30-2007 19:51

Exactly.

A little rust on tables (band saw, drill press, table saw, etc), or on parts that only receive ocassional metal to metal movement (drill press column, jacobs chuck moving parts, etc.) is nothing to be worried about. Just rub it off with a little oil, and remember that some browning prevents more rust (even if its not so great for a tool's retail value). You could always use a scotchbrite wheel to get back to shiny metal if you decide to sell. Painting these parts is either bad (as in the case of a column, where it would make it harder to move the table), or won't last (painting the table is a futile effort).

Just be careful with parts that have close tolerences designed into them, with frequent metal to metal contact. Think: drill press quill, lathe bed ways, dovetails & gibbs, etc.
Those parts must be kept religiously oiled. Rust OR dirt there leads to increased wear. Browning leaves the surface slightly more abrasive, and any abrasive removal of it, reduces the accuracy of the machine.
Thankfully, I've never seen a drill press quill rust, because its only exposed when you pull on the handle, so just keep it damp with oil, and it'll stay clean and rust free.

As for your choice of oils. Well that all depends on your climate (indoor and outdoors). The marine rust preventative spray mentioned up this thread will probably keep you rust free in a Peruvian Jungle, but is most likely sticky and will attract dirt (bad for moving parts, but good elsewhere).
Your own tolerances for reapplication, messiness and odor will dictate what oil you choose, but oil of some sort is what's in order.
My own rust issues were mostly from machines getting cool at night, and then having water condense on them in the morning, from warm wet air infiltration. wd-40 is not up to protecting when dew drips from your machines on a daily basis, but it may be just fine for you also.

-- Robert

By leon phelps (**)

Date 03-13-2008 01:58

Thanks. I oiled it up and it works like a charm. I do still have one problem. The star key used to tightening up the chuck is big. I mean bigger than the usual ones. I have tried with no success to find one that fits the chuck properly.

Any idea if there are certain sizes that this one may be? I have the standard four sided one and none of the sizes fit.

Thanks for any input.

By rlitman (***)

Date 03-13-2008 15:44

I've never had much luck with the four sided chuck keys.
Its probably a #3 Jacobs Key, which is what all of 1/2" and 5/8" my drill press and lathe Jacobs chucks take.
Oddly enough, home depot actually carries an ok selection of Jacobs chuck keys, in their tool aisle (usually at the bottom of the shelf with the drill bits).
I would buy a selection, and return what doesn't fit.
Just a hint:
These keys are sized in two ways. 1. the size of the pilot; 2. the size of the gear.
You may find two keys, with the same size pilot (the tip), with different sized gears, and vice versa.
So, don't just look at one number, if you're choosing a selection.
Also, the standard #3 key has a 5/16" pilot. This key is definitely a size larger than you would see on just about any drill.

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 03-13-2008 16:41

I found a bin in Northern Tool's store here in town that had many, many different sizes of the 4-way check keys...I finally found one that fit an old drill press that I had one missing to(large channel locks were getting tiresome to use).

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 03-13-2008 17:54

I have a big ball bearing..... I cut the ends off the chuck keys and weld them to the ball bearing.

It looks like a big spider..... but it's easy to grip, has all the key sizes from big to small, and it's hard to loose.

By rlitman (***)

Date 03-13-2008 18:19

I tie my keys down with fine braided steel cable (think "shark leader" line, or bicycle brake cable).
All of my lathe's Jacobs chucks take the same key, so I've got one key tied down there.
Then, there's one key tied to each drill-press. For safety reasons, I keep the original key attached to my drill press. Its got a spring loaded pin sticking out from the tip of the pilot, so it can't be left in the chuck. Not as big a deal in a lathe tailstock.

Giant sea urchin key on a ball bearing. Interesting. Only problem for me, is it could be the size of a cinder block, and I would still lose it.
I finally solved my never ending search for Allen keys, by getting NINE HF tee handle sets, and putting one at arms length from just about any place you can stand in my shop. :)