Sanding Metal--Which Sandpaper to use?

[Mikegtr]

Your expertise welcome.

I have a few rusty tools. (Pillar drill bed / Bobin bed / Hand tools).To eradicate the rust I want to sandpaper. Which type of sandpaper to use?
a) Aluminium Oxide?
b) Silicon Carbide?
c)Grit?
d) Paper or Cloth backing?
e) Wet or dry sandpaper?
d) If wet sandpaper what lubricant to use?--oil or water?

 

[heronviewer]

I would use steel wool.

 

[MARK.B.]

If just light rust then try using a green scouring pad or fine wire wool
A more gentle approach to start with before you get round to emery cloth or your chosen abrasive, those big scratches from coarse grit will take a while and a lot of elbow grease to get out by going through the various grits.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Get rid of the rust with a wire wheel first, otherwise you'll just clog sheet after sheet of abrasive. Try electrolysis?

 

[baldkev]

I would use wire wool or a wire wheel on a drill.
More importantly is rust prevention when its rust free. Some members here helped me ages ago suggesting things.... the one i went with is to warm up the metal with a hear gun and wax it. Worked well for me......

 

[TheTiddles]

That abranet disk you tore and now can’t use on wood… rips through rust at a phenomenal rate and doesn’t clog

 

[Sideways]

Used abranet is good.
Renovating machines, my usual go tos are grades of scotchbrite (grey, maroon, green from coarse to fine). I'd use dry at first so that the bulk of the rust can be hoovered up, and WD40 with the finer grades.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Incidentally. Toolstation do rolls of Abranet at a reasonable price. It helps make up the £25 for free delivery.

 

[baldkev]

Incidentally. Toolstation do rolls of Abranet at a reasonable price. It helps make up the £25 for free delivery.

Interesting! Thanks!
Ive had a couple of abranet belts that got ripped, so i repurposed them as 1/3 sheets for my sander

 

[cowtown_eric]

If light rust, it doesn't need anything more that 1 maybe 2 sheets if 320 on the ROS
I have used this many times to rehab planer and jointer tables as well. Quite cost effective.

I just finished putting a brushed metal finish on 3pc 2'square cold rolled iron and had to cut through the mill scale...

Normal sandpaper was an immediate failure.

SiC belts were quite a bit better, but still ineffective and slow

Tried flapper wheels on disc grinder, but left scalloped marks which were unattractive.

Invested about 140 CDN$ in a "restorer, which is essentially a drum sander for which you can get REALLY coarse scotchbrite drums for-a tad on the expensive side

Then went chemical... opting for an overnight soak in household vinegar to remove the vesitges of the milll scale, and a finish grind with 80 grit normal sanding belt...


Not perfect, but it's gonna be on the flor under a table!, hopefully to approximate this
..
Hopefully to approximate this existing boardroom table

The "restorer was a new tool to me, maybe to u as well.
https://www.amazon.ca/Handheld-Burn...ocphy=9001329&hvtargid=pla-983760329249&psc=1
I would have loved to try the stainless steel brush, but stock was not available locally within the time frame needed.

Eric


.

 

[Sandyn]

I sometimes use nylon filament abrasive brushes. Available from different manufacturers in different grades. They are not quite as aggressive as wire wheels and almost no sparks. Also wire hand brushes, flap wheels, Abranet, Wet and dry, electrolysis, wire wool, stainless steel pot scrubbers, T Cut (fine Brasso), degreaser. Depends what I'm cleaning. Coarse wire wool and degreaser works well on cast iron which has 50 years of muck on it, then a blast with a high pressure hose. That works well on non machined casting surface with lots of pits in it.

 

[eribaMotters]

400 grit aluminium oxide or flour paper, with a drop of white spirit.Wipe clean with a rag and more white spirit. When dry a light coat of furniture wax and buff off when dry. I did recently hear a tip about applying the wax with a piece of foam so you get a light and easy to polish application.

Colin

 

[Mikegtr]

Many thanks for all your replies--very helpful.

 

[Sideways]

If you are straying into territory where you need to remove rust but it isn't essential to maintain the flatness of a machined surface like the tables of a saw or planer:
Norton orange, blue and black disks for the angle grinder are very effective. Called blaze, vortex and something else, these variously remove paint, rust, blend welds and polish metal to a very bright finish if used with a delicate touch. Well worth trying out.

 

[Fergie 307]

I have used these for years in car restoration. Will remove paint, filler, rust etc very easily but have little effect on the underlying metal, other than leaving it Spotlessly clean. Just search paint removal discs for angle grinder. You can buy them at screwfix, Amazon etc. They come backed like those pictured, or you can get one's with no back that you use with an arbour. Brilliant on machined surfaces too.

 

[Fergie 307]

For cleaning chucks and machined surfaces like bedways or the pillar of a pillar drill, where you need something more flexible than a disc then I use a cup type wire brush in the angle grinder. You MUST take the edge of the wires first to avoid scratching the surface. I just give it some welly on the side of an anvil, but any old but if sturdy steel will do. Once you have blunted the bristles then use a lubricant, I use diesel. Just wipe the surface occasionally with an old rag or brush to keep the surface moist as you go and light pressure. Messy but gives a lovely finish without damaging the metal.

 

[TomGW]

Reading with interest as I have a few pieces to clean too, including the tables of my SIP 01332 saw. Whenever I get them cleaned is there any good reason why I shouldn’t spray them with a clear lacquer to seal them?

 

[TheTiddles]

Reading with interest as I have a few pieces to clean too, including the tables of my SIP 01332 saw. Whenever I get them cleaned is there any good reason why I shouldn’t spray them with a clear lacquer to seal them?

Depends if you are ever going to use said saw? If so, adding something that can peel off, stick to workpieces and add thickness isn’t a great plan. Machinery wax however, works lovely