George Vondriska

The Best Way to Remove Rust From a Cast-Iron Tool Table

George Vondriska
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Duration:   8  mins

George Vondriska demonstrates the best way to remove rust from a cast-iron tool table.

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28 Responses to “The Best Way to Remove Rust From a Cast-Iron Tool Table”

  1. Dale Riffenburg

    I use crud cutter rust remover and the gel spray it down let it sit 15 minutes wipe it off it's almost spotless. I also soak my tools in muric acid and I’ve also used miric acid on my old rust vise but do it where you have good ventilation or outside with a mask or respirator on.

  2. William Larkin

    I use a grill brick and oil or WD40, then use a good paste wax and I am good all winter long, this makes the table top like new. Thanks and you shows are great

  3. WILLIAM

    WD-40 isn't bad either but white vinegar is good too. It does have to soak for a while.

  4. Wiley Cotton

    I clean off rust the same way you do--with penetrating spray--but I use a "new improved" version. After letting the spray sit for 15 minutes, I sprinkle on Bar Keepers Friend. It's like the old timey Dutch Cleanser. It's intended to clean and polish stainless steel. I sprinkle it on the spray and mix them up until I get a slurry. Usually a scotch Brite pad on a sanding block finishes off the rust removal. I seal it with furniture wax. Top can actually get a little shiny.

  5. Rev. Andy Levine

    George, The chemicals you used for this video are good, WD-40 is also, but the abrasive process you used could leave flatness imperfections on the table surface. I was a machinist then engineer for many years and had to clean up many a rusty or banged up milling machine table. A clean, flat 220 grit, or higher sharpening stone is a much better approach. It's also considerably faster than using the scotch bright.

  6. Aaron Gatzke

    We hVe been told if there is any difference between the two lubricants that he used for wet sanding. Did he find one better than the other?

  7. Matt Russell

    What is the table sealer used?

  8. Frank Soranno

    What is the woodworking sealer you used after cleaning the rust? I recently found an old cast-iron jointer/planer manufactured in the 50's that has a rusted surface and I want to restore it.

  9. Woodie

    good idea but shouldn't you have taped off the two areas and used a separate piece of scotchbrite on the other side vs dragging solution 1 into solution 2, possibility of a potential chemical reaction that could have an adverse effect on the CI or with each other? I know i might be too cautious but some products have ingredient names that are unpronounceable let alone what interactions with other products

  10. Andy Levine

    I love your videos but this one demonstrated a no-no. I was a machinist, then a manufacturing engineer in metal machining shops for over 40 years. I've cleaned up rust off of cast iron more times than I care to remember. Plenty of WD 40 works great but NEVER clean it with anything but a very flat abrasive stone, like a sharpening stone. You have a very flat surface and polishing as you did in this video will mess up that flatness.

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