3M Scotch Brite Pads Advice

[Mikegtr]

New to 3M Scotch Brite Pads. Advice wanted for first time use for cleaning off light rust on woodworking machinery.

a) If light rust how many times can you use each pad?
b) What lubricant would you use on the pad to eradicate the rust?
c) What to use to wipe down after each use?
d) After use can they be cleaned to be used again?
e) Would you use the Maroon--7477 / Gray--7448 and to finish White--7441? (in that order)

Any other tips?

Many thanks.

 

[D_W]

for anything needing more than gray, I'd use wet and dry or draw filing, but it's up to you (or even a power sander, but you need to have a good power sanding setup - so put that out as most light and mid weight stuff doesn't really tension a belt).

a) you'll be able to tell when the pad stops working well enough
b) anything light. I like WD40, but I'm sure kerosene or something that doesn't evaporate immediately would work well
c) a rag with WD40, and then apply wax with a discard rag
d) they can be, but you can also just leave them dirty and use them for filthy work the next time
e) oh - first answer above

If you have light rust, think fairly hard about whether or not you want to try to remove every single mark that you can find. If you want to, a block with wet and dry and thin lubricant will work nicer so that you can get a uniform fresh surface.

 

[D_W]

(white has no abrasive that I can tell - you'll have no use for it on metal surfaces. It's an OK idea sometimes to burnish a wood surface that's not finished or knock nibs off of sprayed finishes).

 

[Sideways]

Yes, white are non abrasive pads. One potential use for those is applying osmo or treatex wax oil to wood.
Grey scotchbrite is effective but quite costly. I make it last as long as possible. Maroon medium and Green fine are my most used. Branded 3M is a little better but dearer than copycat products. Either will do. I prefer the real thing if I get it at a good price.

Look at the active thread on this forum about the overhaul of an SCM minimax S45 bandsaw. You can see Scotchbrite in use with WD40 lubricant for cleaning a cast iron machine table. The photos should answer some of your questions.
I think I used maroon, twice over, just one small square 2x2 inches. It washes out and dries, or just sits in a pot and gets used on something else a few times. Generally they fall apart after a while when used on especially rough or edgy components. As the abrasive breaks down in use, I don't often go through the grits. Just pick one based on the starting condition of the piece and use it until it's dead or the job is done.

 

[mikej460]

A small amount of acf50 on your tools and table surfaces will protect them. On table surfaces I wipe it on then wipe off any excess then buff with Axminster machine wax - no rust after months since the first application. Before I did this I was plagued with light rust.

 

[Fergie 307]

The problem with any light abrasive is it will not necessarily remove all the rust, as it tends to skate over any pits in the surface. Fine for very light surface corrosion. If you have any worse than that then you really need to use a chemical. I tend to use either Phosphoric or Citric acid. You need to clean the surface thoroughly with alcohol or acetone to remove any grease or oil. Beware that acetone will also likely remove paint, so alcohol if it's painted. Then brush on your acid, or you can soak a piece of kitchen roll or similar and lay that on the surface, good for awkward shapes or to stop it dropping into things you don't want it on. This will remove every trace of rust. Clean the acid from the surface using alcohol again, then you can use your pads to put a final finish on it. Lubricate them with a light oil, I personally use diesel and a green pad. What you treat it with afterwards depends on the conditions in your shop, ie is it damp, and what you intend to use it for. Wax or light oil is good. I would avoid anything containing silicon, and beware of the likes of WD40 as the solvent in it evaporates over time and leaves behind a hard residue. My stuff is mostly metalworking so I tend to just wipe surfaces over with way oil. For woodworking machines you don't probably want anything wet. I have used good quality traditional wax car polish and it works well. For protecting the other bare metal parts, ACF50 or Waxoyl are good. They both dry sufficiently to not attract too much muck, but keep a sort of waxy consistency to protect the surfaces, although ACF takes several days to dry in my experience. I use both products to protect the underside of cars from corrosion and they work very well. You can also buy spray on wax coatings for preserving tools, I am sure I have a tin of stuff made by Rocol? Somewhere.

 

[pgrbff]

The grade I use depends on the severity of the corrosion. On larger surfase I lubricate with felder protective oil, Metal Protect | Felder Shop
On smaller tools I use Balistol gun oil. I have an old biscuit tin with a rag and an extra fine pad which I use regularly, both slightly oily. Whenever I use a tool, be it router or chisel, when finished I give parts at risk a wipe.
Although the climate here is far kinder to tools my workshop has a stone/dirt floor and it can be quite damp in winter.

 

[Keith 66]

Red scotchbrite & parafin, cheaper than lots of wd40! grey for finishing fine tools or gun parts

 

[wallace]

All I use is the maroon stuff, got a sack of offcuts given about 3 years ago. I use clutch cleaner and spray the pad then scrub and wipe off with a rag. For a finished affect I use it dry.

 

[Mikegtr]

Many thanks everybody for your replies. Very helpful.

 

[pe2dave]

. My stuff is mostly metalworking so I tend to just wipe surfaces over with way oil.

This caught my eye, what's 'way oil' please @Fergie 307 ?