Remove protective coating from jointer bed

[gp-clipper]

Hi Everyone,

I've got a Craftsman jointer that has been in storage for some time. Never been used and now I've finally given up on finding a place to put it because my workspace is too small. The problem is that it still has the protective coating on it and I don't have the kerosene they recommend to remove it.

What is the best way to remove this coating outside of purchasing kerosene? I'd like to clean it up and wax it so I can get some good photos of the jointer to place on craigslist.

It's a Craftsman 6 1/8" professional jointer. If you are in the Milwaukee area and are interested, let me know.

Thanks for the help,
Gary

[Kristofor]

Mineral spirits, naptha, diesel fuel. etc. Pick your hydrocarbon solvent of choice Or none of the above and a lot more elbow grease.

Still, being covered in cosmoline might not be a big negative for some buyers (though it would be for others of course)... Since you're only trying to sell one, you could float a trial ad first without cleaning it up and see if you get any takers at your hoped for price. If not, then put in the cleanup effort. Nothing to lose...

[gp-clipper]

According to the manual, you're not suppose to use mineral spirits, but it doesn't say why. I was hesitant because I didn't want to screw the thing up.

I did have it posted on the local craiglist. The only bite was someone who thought the thing was full of rust when I sent a picture, even though I stated it still had the coating on. So, I figure make it look nice and maybe someone will appreciate the effort.

[Mr__Bill]

You could always stop at the gas station for 10¢ of diesel fuel.


Bill

[Richard in Smithville]

When I bought my drill press, the instructions suggested oven cleaner to remove the machine oil.

[Uncle Cracker]

WD-40 should do the trick... Spray it on, leave it sit for a few minutes, and wipe it off. Repeat if necessary.

[LCHIEN]

WD-40 should do the trick... Spray it on, leave it sit for a few minutes, and wipe it off. Repeat if necessary.

Thats what i was thinking.

[iceman61]

Thats what i was thinking.

Same here, although my Dad would opt for Naptha.

[Chris_B]

I've used WD-40 for this (probably from a recommendation here) on several cast iron tools with the "lovely" coating.

It works great, and I used a lot less than I expected.

[eezlock]

remove protective coating from jointer bed

Another idea for coating removal...do what I did to mine. I used some spray
disc brake cleaner or spray carb cleaner from the auto parts store...be sure and have good ventilation when using it, the fumes can get strong if in a confined area. Spray it on, let it sit for a minute or two and start rubbing it off with
a good shop rag works every time! I use this cleaner, for a lot of metal parts clean up when working on mechanical things in my shop.

[Daryl]

Simple Green and hot water will remove it without the fuel hauler smell and a shop full of flameable vapors

[Bruce Cohen]

I was told (Owner's Manual) that acetone was the way to go in removing the stuff. This was from a Rigid 6" Jointer.

They did mention that you had to remove the stuff with mineral spirits ASAP, as acetone and cast iron don't play well with each other.

Except for the odor, worked great, just don't light a smoke until the fumes clear.

Bruce

[LCHIEN]

just a point of perspective. When trying to dissolve unwanted stuff from an object i usually find it most appealing to start with the least aggressive solvents before proceeding to more agressive ones. The reason for this is of course to protect finishes, plastics, paint and of course your health, plus avoiding fire hazards with very flammable stuff.

Given that approach i'd start on any general problem where there's a sticky coating to be removed:
water,
warm water and soap
alcohol
WD40
simple green
before moving to more aggressive stuff like:
Mineral spirits
kerosene
naptha
lighter fluid
gasoline
diesel
(note also the flammability and therefore safety is going down)
oven cleaners,
brake cleaners
carb cleaners
acetone, benzene, MEK etc. (all real good solvents but very flammable and possibly carcinogenic)

I think for cosmoline (the coating often used on cast iron tools for shipping and storage) you ought to be able to get it easily with somewhere between WD-40 and kerosene among the above items on my list... anything below those would be overkill and subjecting healt and fire danger elements.

WD-40 I consider pretty tame stuff.

I may not have gotten the ranking in order of aggressiveness just right but I think on the whole that's how I 'd approach it. I don't keep stuff much more agressive than mineral spirits at my house, FWIW.

[natausch]

Another vote for WD-40, it may require a little more elbow grease but it is very tame chemically and if you don't already have some laying around; it's time to get some more because you ran out.

[SARGE..g-47]

I had the distinct pleasure of cleaning the cosmoline off of 42 WW machines in 2007 for a tool manufacturer at the International WW Fair in Atlanta getting ready for the show. Took 3 of us about 6 hours. WD-40 is standard for doing that with manufacturers who take machines to Shows.

A few tips.. if the cosmoline is heavy coated spray with WD-40 then use a plastic paint scraper to scrape off the main coat. A credit card or even a small.. thin block of sanded scrap will work also. Once the heavy is removed just a matter of wiping the remaining off with WD-40 and paper towel. Don't spare the WD-40 or paper towel as both are cheap.

I have cleaned them with Kerosene.. mineral spirits and naptha. The manufacturer's don't reccomend the mineral spirits or naptha for liability as it could react with the new paint on the painted parts. I have never had a problem personally as long as you get it on and off but... probably better safe than sorry.

Good luck.. it's really a snap to clean one even though a bit messy. haha