Making sure your power tools are protected from any harsh elements that can damage them can take its toll sometimes. We should remember that keeping any of our power tools in our garages and basements makes them a vulnerable to harsh elements because of the humidity By following a few simple procedures you can spend more time woodworking and less time fussing over your rusty tools.
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Newly purchased power tools are always covered with cosmoline a thick waxy protective coating to protect it from rust. Before using the tool this coating should be removed and this will place your tools unprotected. Too many times anxious woodworker remove all of the Cosmoline without thinking about the ongoing protection of their investment.
Protecting our power tools would mean that we need to coat them again to keep away moisture. Commercially made rust preventive products can be the easiest way to do it. Two of the most popular brand are the Boeshield T-9 and Empire Top Saver.Both of these sprays are applied directly to the surface and then rubbed down to remove the excess. This step should be repeated periodically to keep a layer of protection on the tool.
We cannot always conclude that once we keep our tools clean in a nice storage place it will be kept away from rust. And not checking the tools for a long time will eventually lead to more damages.
This is a jointer without any rust protection. You can already see the increase in sawdust that invites rust to settle. Give it 2 years more and this tool will need drastic care.
The old methods of rust removal generally focused on using abrasives such as steel wool. While this works, it is difficult to get the abrasives into the pits created by rust. Luckily there are products that can do the job for you.
Boeshiled is a rust remover that completes its tasks quickly. This spray on rust remover works well on the tops of tools that are too large to soak in rust removal solutions. All you need to do is spray it all over the area then let it stay for a minute then wipe. If there's still rust remaining you can use abrasive tools to remove it.
Now that the jointer is free from rust you may apply rust protection on it. If you examine the jointer you will see rust pits that is caused by rusts that was there before cleaning. There is no way that a rust removal can repair a rust pit.
Most rust removal sprays contain some type of acid. These acids will dissolve rust very quickly and the metal very slowly. When using Rust Free or any other spray, be sure to wear safety goggles and gloves to avoid contact with eyes and skin.
Protecting your power tools from rust need not to be hard and time consuming, just follow the steps above and you will be able to keep them for a lifetime.
