Bosch 1617 base

[zlatanv]

I have a Bosch 1617 evs, works great, but the router housing seems to get gummed up or oxidized sort of, it feels tacky and turns dark. This happened all the time. I tried to clean it with mineral spirits but didn't work, about the only thing that gets it off is steel wool or a wire brush in my drill makes it really shine up again. The base also does the same thing on the raised parts on the inside that make contact with the housing. I tried using T9 Beoshield but no help.

I met a guy who worked for Bosch and he took it to replace the housing but ended up giving me a new one. After a while it started again. I live in Dallas and have a shop in my garage, I keep it in a drawer in a router table. Not a lot of humidity I don't think. Recently I tried putting it in a plastic bag seems to work and keep it from getting dark and tacky. What to do? to stop this from happening?

[LCHIEN]

They're magnesium, I imagine the dark stuff is magnesium oxides. I have cleaned mine with WD40 and polished it up lightly with fine sandpaper when it gets rough and stiff to move.

[SARGE..g-47]

Ditto Loring... the newer bases and housing have been replaced with aluminum to eliminate the problem Bosch is well aware those magnesium ones have. I clean mine and use bee's wax or Renaissance Wax on it.

About all you can do as you're not going to out-smart mother nature except in short burst.