Boeshield, TopCote, or other

[GreekGeek]

Got my TS3660 assembled and have been having fun making saw dust :p I put nice 80 tooth Diablo (Frued) blade on it and got the thing calibrated with PALS and dial indicator.:D

Anyway, I'd been using Johnson's Paste Wax to protect the table top from rust. I live in North Alabama (Huntsville) and while it gets pretty humid in the summer we don't have salt in the air like when I lived in West Palm Beach (I recall my dad out in the garage every weekend putting rust protectant on his tools, and old 70's road bike)...

I digress... The month of June I was on travel (both personal and business). Anyway I applied a thick coat of wax before my trips started. To my surprise I still ended up getting a bit of rust on the table :mad::eek:. I'd been looking at getting either Boeshield or TopCote (or other such product) before the trip but never got to it.

I've got the rust up but now I need to decide on a prevention that doesn't involve just paste wax. As a relative newbie I thought I'd turn to the forums. I've read a number of threads about a number of products including Boeshield and TopCote. However few say much/anything about why they picked one product over the other (pros/cons). TopeCote seems to be formulated for wood working, but Boeshield has the whole Boeing/Industrial side of things as cred. I also read WOOD magazine favored it in a 2004 review but I didn't have that issue to refer to. I also read a post on ARMOR WRAP® 30R.

From what I can tell Woodcraft only sells Boeshield and Rockler goes with both. Not sure what to make of that, and both are similarly priced. I'll continue with the Paste wax as well as the rust preventer as I've read BadgerDave and others recommend. For now I just need to settle on one.

Any insight to why you guys made the choice you did will help (pros/cons/etc).

Pavlos

[garager]

Boeshield

[GreekGeek]

BTW Woodcraft does carry both. I was doing a search for TopCote... Turns out they prefer you put it in as Top-Cote or Top Cote. Anyway.... :D

[BadgerDave]

What has worked well for me for years is to use TopCote as a base for rust protection and Johnson's Paste Wax on top of the TopCote for slickness. About twice a year I strip off the layers with Mineral Spirits and get down to the base CI. Once I've done that, I apply a layer of TopCote followed by 2 or 3 coats of the Johnson's Paste Wax. This combination has kept my iron rust free. I won't guarantee that you'll get the same results but for this part of the country that method works for me. BTW, WOOD Magazine had a review awhile back and Boeshield and TopCote both scored well for rust protection while paste wax didn't do very well at all for rust prevention.

[Velosapien]

However few say much/anything about why they picked one product over the other (pros/cons).

Any insight to why you guys made the choice you did will help (pros/cons/etc).

Pavlos

For me it was a simple decision. Boeshield is available at the store 5 minutes away. I'd have to go out of my way or order other products. It gets the job done just fine so I haven't found it necessary to try another product. If TopCoat was the one easily available to me I'd probably be using that instead. I can't compare Boeshield to anything else from experience really but I can tell you that my cast iron tools are used and stored in an outdoor garage 40 feet from the ocean and the don't rust for about 2 months or so after an application. I bit more frequently when the tools get heavier use.

[Jacked Up]

I also would like some suggestions on this subject. I am constantly having to clean my table top of what I think is the start of rust spots, or maybe I should say a rusty looking discoloration. It's typically around the area's where my hands and fingers are in constant contact with the tabletop. The worst area being around my zero clearance and my rounter plate on my Benchdog Router Extention. My routine has been to remove the discoloration and polish the top with WD40, a fine synthetic steel wool pad, and lots of elbow grease. Next I clean the top with Mineral Spirits to remove any left over WD40. After its dry, I apply a coat of Johnsons paste wax and follow up with TopCote. When not in use, I keep my saw covered with a furniture pad. About a week later, I can uncover the saw and will see the discoloration again, only it may be in a differant area as before. It seems like I'm spending as much time cleaning my saw as I am making dust. I would appreciate any advice, I was going to switch to the Bioshield when I run out of the TopCote. Also, I live in Missouri where it's only hot and humid.

[garager]

Do not cover your saw period....

[VASandy]

For me, it's always been BoeShield as that's what is around. I got it originally for keeping the guns rust-free, so it was there when the TS moved in.

Always apply your rust inhibitor first. In other words, start with Topcote or Boeshield after cleaning the surface. Rub it in good following the instructions. For Boeshield you want to apply it liberally, wipe it in, then let it sit overnight. In the morning or next day, wipe the surface to insure all excess is removed. Then apply the paste wax on top of the rust preventative. Paste wax will make the surface slippery so wood will pass over it easily.

By the way, jackedup, the furniture pad may be what's causing the rust to appear. Leave the saw uncovered after treating. Covering it can lead to condensation.

[Velosapien]

I cover up mine with plastic when done. It can sit for months unused without any rust or spots.

[Wood_Junkie]

It's typically around the area's where my hands and fingers are in constant contact with the tabletop. The worst area being around my zero clearance and my rounter plate on my Benchdog Router Extention. My routine has been to remove the discoloration and polish the top with WD40, a fine synthetic steel wool pad, and lots of elbow grease. Next I clean the top with Mineral Spirits to remove any left over WD40. After its dry, I apply a coat of Johnsons paste wax and follow up with TopCote.

Two suggestions:
1) Wear some lightweight, dextrous work gloves to keep your sweaty meat hooks off the iron. :nono: I have a pair of Workforce gloves I picked up somewhere that have leather fingertips but are very light, comfy, and allow heat to escape. I wear them for almost all TS and router applications (mostly to ward off splinters).

2) Put the TopCote on FIRST, followed by the wax. If your description is right, you're putting the rust inhibitor over the wax, which makes it about useless for the cast iron. As someone else noted, paste wax by itself isn't very effective for rust prevention.

Now, with that said, I also get "fingerprint rust" discolorations around my throat plate. I clean it off about twice a month. From the point I notice it to the point I clean it, I've never noticed it get any worse for waiting.

[Jacked Up]

Thanks for the helpful advice. It sounds like I'm doing what I'm suppose to be doing, just bass ackwards!

[Gofor]

I use penetrol on the CI, then coat with paste wax. The penetrol will last for about 1000 linear feet of wood pushed past the blade before I need to recoat, and it handles the rest of the saw (as well as numerous other steel tools) for months.

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