Rusting Ways (long)

8/31/04, 1:12 AM #1

Mike Foster
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Rusting Ways (long)

Mike Foster

>I have just recently started doing some turning after a long year and a half spent mostly on a major renovation of our house. Much of the turning I have done in the past was on dry, or semi-dry wood (I do a lot of segmented work). As I just moved to our new home in Vermont with 100 acres of wooded land I felt like I struck a bonanza. I've got some good wood off the property, and have been given wood by loggers and tree surgeons. I'm considering doing limited bowl production and have recently roughed out a few bowls. The first were of some great curly ash I scored. I noticed that any cast iron the ash sat on rusted almost immediately. I thought that may have been due to tannins in the wood, but I just turned a wet maple bowl and found that the ways of the lathe were completely rusted by the time I was done (maybe 2-3 hours, I'm slow and was actually turning it to completion short of sanding). Anyone else experience this? Any solutions/prevention?

Re: Rusting Ways (long)

8/31/04, 1:31 AM #2

JamieDonaldson
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Re: Rusting Ways (long)

JamieDonaldson

>Both the moisture and a variety of woods are caustic to cast iron- just keep the ways as clean and dry as possible, and a coat of WD-40 applied with ScotchBrite pad works wonders.

Re: Rusting Ways (long)

8/31/04, 1:53 AM #3

MP Wall
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Re: Rusting Ways (long)

MP Wall

>Wet wood rusts all steel and cast iron. After you are done turning for the day, wipe down with a rag that has either wd40 or a paste wax on it. This will help keep the rusting down. Its a big trade off, easy turning with great big curls of shaving and rust or dry wood with dust and no wait for the piece to dry. Have fun turning lots of bowls from wet wood. MP Wall

Re: Rusting Ways (long)

8/31/04, 10:19 AM #4

Richard Allen
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Re: Rusting Ways (long)

Richard Allen

>Hi Mike

I like to wax my lathe before turning any green wood. I generally use Renaissance wax as I like the thin coat I can apply with it. In the past I have used floor wax, Briwax. I started this process of waxing before, because of some green red oak I roughed out. The ways were rusted in less than an hour of turning. Took me nearly an hour to get the ways right again. The waxing takes about 3 minutes. So it is a much quicker solution for me.

Good Luck

Richard

- - -

I have been turning wood for about 12 years now. I consume about 20 hours a week in front of the lathe making primarly bowls and platters. I keep thinking about making other "stuff" on the lathe, and ocasionaly I even get beyond the thinking part. But I take the most pleasure in bowls and platters. I have most every tool availble for the lathe but I am always looking for a new tool. More than looking for a new tool I am looking for a new hunk of wood. While a corner woodworker (sometimes called flat woodworker) can never have enough clamps, I find most woodturners can never have enough turning stock. The woodturning club I belong to has a Christmas party each year and part of that party is a "grab bag". We bring in a turning, that is judged by the people who come to the party. The people who make the top three turnings get prizes (like sandpaper or a tool). The real prize though is the exchange of turnings that comes from this colection of turnings. Some of my most cherished turned objects are the ones I have recieved from these grab bags.

Re: Rusting Ways (long)

9/1/04, 11:27 AM #5

Mike Foster
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wax helped

Mike Foster

>I usually use WD40 on the bed to keep the tool rest sliding smoothly, and sprayed the bed before turning but the results were what I posted above. I roughed out 2 bowls yesterday and tried waxing with Renaisance first. Got a little rust, but not nearly as bad as with the WD40. I'll stick with the wax. Thanks.

Rusting Ways (long)

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