# Cleaned up the table on my Bridgeport



## Tmate (Aug 9, 2021)

After cleaning other metalwork on my mill the other day, I tried my hand at sprucing up the table.  Again I use strips of Scotch-brite pads with a small piece of 2x4 behind it.  I applied WD-40 Degreaser to the pad before using it.

Photo 1 was when I bought the mill earlier this year.  Photo 2 was this morning.


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## benmychree (Aug 9, 2021)

Nice prep job for rust!


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## Tmate (Aug 9, 2021)

benmychree said:


> Nice prep job for rust!



Duh!  That's what way oil is for!


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## benmychree (Aug 9, 2021)

Gosh, stupid me, I thought it was for machine way lubrication!  Seriously 'tho, of course I use it for rust protection, but still it is not fully effective for rust protection.


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## Boswell (Aug 9, 2021)

benmychree said:


> but still it is not fully effective for rust protection.


Location, location, location.

I can give my mill table a light spray with wd-40 and it will stay rust free. Or if I just use it , it gets enough oil on it to keep it free from rust. Of course I live in central Texas AND have a climate controlled shop.


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## Dabbler (Aug 9, 2021)

Any rust protection is better than none...


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## benmychree (Aug 9, 2021)

Boswell said:


> Location, location, location.
> 
> I can give my mill table a light spray with wd-40 and it will stay rust free. Or if I just use it , it gets enough oil on it to keep it free from rust. Of course I live in central Texas AND have a climate controlled shop.


My shop is controlled by the climate!


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## talvare (Aug 9, 2021)

That mill looks to be in really nice condition. Shortly after I got my mill and got it cleaned up I installed some neoprene rubber covers over the front and back ways on the knee. I really think it was money well spent as there is virtually never chips on the ways. Just some food for thought. You can see the covers in the attached photo.


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## Tmate (Aug 9, 2021)

talvare said:


> That mill looks to be in really nice condition. Shortly after I got my mill and got it cleaned up I installed some neoprene rubber covers over the front and back ways on the knee. I really think it was money well spent as there is virtually never chips on the ways. Just some food for thought. You can see the covers in the attached photo.



Great minds work alike!


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## C-Bag (Aug 9, 2021)

talvare said:


> That mill looks to be in really nice condition. Shortly after I got my mill and got it cleaned up I installed some neoprene rubber covers over the front and back ways on the knee. I really think it was money well spent as there is virtually never chips on the ways. Just some food for thought. You can see the covers in the attached photo.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here something like that would be so rusty underneath it would be far worse than without. I use a cloth cover when my mill is not in use. And never any rust. Here if you don't have something that breathes the condensation will eat it alive. I have to laugh when I see somebody with a plastic tarp over their car because they will be in for a big shock when they uncover it.


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## Tmate (Aug 9, 2021)

I put the covers on only when cutting.  Agree with you about leaving them on.  Can't speak for talvare.


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## talvare (Aug 10, 2021)

Tmate said:


> I put the covers on only when cutting.  Agree with you about leaving them on.  Can't speak for talvare.



My covers stay on all of the time. There is little concern for rusting in my climate plus my ways are well oiled via an automatic Bijur oiler. C-Bag lives very close to the Pacific Ocean, hence the issues he encounters with rusting.

Ted


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## Papa Charlie (Aug 10, 2021)

I use WD40 for my lathe. It is in storage here in the PNW and subject to high humidity. Not a touch of rust after several years. I do check it regularily and will spritz it ever so often.


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## Suzuki4evr (Aug 10, 2021)

benmychree said:


> Nice prep job for rust!


I can actualy see Tmates baloon deflateing


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## C-Bag (Aug 10, 2021)

All my life in the Central Valley of CA where humidity is like desert levels I seldom had to worry about rust if the stuff was inside. Until I had to store stuff in my FIL's shop that was a converted hydroponics shed. The old fertilizer even under the cement floor caused rust and was dependent on how far away from the floor the steel was. I had rust on the bottom of my roll away from it. WD40 was all I knew of and was and completely ineffectual as it evaporates. Things got way worse when we moved to the coast so I'd moved on to Boeshield and their related products. Much better than WD but not great. Then I got on to Fluid Film from a machine restorer from back east. Never heard of it. Guessed if it was good enough for the Navy it was good enough for my stuff. It has been outstanding. Just got to make sure I have a good coating and don't wipe it off until I go to use it. Best of all it's lanolin based so stays put and it not toxic.


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## WobblyHand (Aug 10, 2021)

C-Bag said:


> All my life in the Central Valley of CA where humidity is like desert levels I seldom had to worry about rust if the stuff was inside. Until I had to store stuff in my FIL's shop that was a converted hydroponics shed. The old fertilizer even under the cement floor caused rust and was dependent on how far away from the floor the steel was. I had rust on the bottom of my roll away from it. WD40 was all I knew of and was and completely ineffectual as it evaporates. Things got way worse when we moved to the coast so I'd moved on to Boeshield and their related products. Much better than WD but not great. Then I got on to Fluid Film from a machine restorer from back east. Never heard of it. Guessed if it was good enough for the Navy it was good enough for my stuff. It has been outstanding. Just got to make sure I have a good coating and don't wipe it off until I go to use it. Best of all it's lanolin based so stays put and it not toxic.


Which version of Fluid Film do you use?  There seems to be many kinds for sale.


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## C-Bag (Aug 10, 2021)

WobblyHand said:


> Which version of Fluid Film do you use?  There seems to be many kinds for sale.


wow, I'd never seen just the stuff I use. That's all they have in the local auto parts.


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## WobblyHand (Aug 10, 2021)

Seems it is like BoeShield.  When you go to buy some, there's a bewildering array of different kinds.


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## C-Bag (Aug 10, 2021)

I think that's only back east where it's used as an undercoating. Out here all I've ever seen is the stuff in the cans I posted. For machine tool preservation it's all I need. It's also very economical as I mostly use it for preserving. Some uses are pretty amazing though. 

Like I was trying to spray some Awesome on my solar panels as a pre spray to get rid of humming bird poo. Yeah, that's right, they leave these little yellow gold dots all over. And regular soap and water doesn't even phase it. But Awesome loosens and dissolves it. But the spray bottle pump was sticking. Tried WD, and other stuff, no bueno. As a last ditch before I tossed the spray bottle I used Fluid Film, and I'll be dipped it freed it up and it's still working perfect. Whoda thunk?


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## Firstram (Aug 10, 2021)

I absolutely love fluid film for rust prevention. In the humid south east nothing else seems to work as well or for as long.


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## Janderso (Aug 10, 2021)

talvare said:


> My covers stay on all of the time. There is little concern for rusting in my climate plus my ways are well oiled via an automatic Bijur oiler. C-Bag lives very close to the Pacific Ocean, hence the issues he encounters with rusting.
> 
> Ted


The only guys having a rust problem in the Sacramento North Valley, are those that have shops open to the environment.
This is my experience.
I hear about you guys in the humid belts that have lots of rust problems.


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## Aukai (Aug 11, 2021)

PFFFT, that ain't rust, this is rust....Then, and now


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## brino (Aug 11, 2021)

C-Bag said:


> Then I got on to Fluid Film from a machine restorer from back east. Never heard of it. Guessed if it was good enough for the Navy it was good enough for my stuff. It has been outstanding. Just got to make sure I have a good coating and don't wipe it off until I go to use it. Best of all it's lanolin based so stays put and it not toxic.



I keep one can in the shop, and one can in each shed. Anything that's going into storage gets a good coat.
When I retrieve it it gets wiped off and looks great.

It is the best product I've found too.

-brino


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## hman (Aug 11, 2021)

I use and like Fluid Film.  But sometimes I need it in a liquid (paintable) form.  So I've bought pure lanolin.  I soften/melt it with gentle heat, then mix with kerosene, turpentine or WD-40.






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## Gaffer (Aug 11, 2021)

hman said:


> I use and like Fluid Film.  But sometimes I need it in a liquid (paintable) form.  So I've bought pure lanolin.  I soften/melt it with gentle heat, then mix with kerosene, turpentine or WD-40.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A 12:1 ratio of 99% alcohol and lanolin makes a great homemade case lube!


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## Shotgun (Aug 12, 2021)

talvare said:


> That mill looks to be in really nice condition. Shortly after I got my mill and got it cleaned up I installed some neoprene rubber covers over the front and back ways on the knee. I really think it was money well spent as there is virtually never chips on the ways. Just some food for thought. You can see the covers in the attached photo.



If you're too cheap for neoprene, like I am, a piece of that walking belt from the treadmill you pulled the motor from that powers the mill will do the same thing.


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## FOMOGO (Aug 12, 2021)

That's me. The tread mill belting has been on my BP for years and has held up very well. The rear one is off at the moment, as I need to repair the broken way felt retainer. Mike 



Shotgun said:


> If you're too cheap for neoprene, like I am, a piece of that walking belt from the treadmill you pulled the motor from that powers the mill will do the same thing.


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