[BigDog66]

I have used a product in the past to effectively stop corrosion on all types of iron/steel, it's active ingredient is phosphoric acid and it creats a hard black coating of iron phosphate on the surface of the metal.


Is there any reason that I cannot use this product on my new Tormach's exposed surfaces? (Table top, handles, hold down nuts and bolts, spindle adapters, chucks, etc...)

Thank You

[zephyr9900]

I have used a product in the past to effectively stop corrosion on all types of iron/steel

If you're talking about something like POR, BigDog66, I personally wouldn't use it. Anything that builds a permanent coating onto the surface would be bad where precision fits (tooling onto the table, especially tooling into the spindle) were concerned. I spray down exposed surfaces with Boeshield T-9 which, after the carrier evaporates, leaves behind a waxy coating that I can wipe off when I'm going to clamp something on the surface. But I'm in the benign reasonable-humidity enviornment of inland northern California, so people in less-friendly environments may have better suggestions.

Hold-down clamps etc, go wild on them. My clamp set is Teco, which already has a black oxide coating...

Randy

[dertsap]

phosphoric acid and it creats a hard black coating of iron phosphate on the surface of the metal.

there are a few products out there that use the phosphoric acid , rust mort is the one that i use . for it to work it needs rust
a well oiled machine should be free of rust and if you get rust then there is a problem and deal with it then .

[BigDog66]

I do live in a moist place, 30 miles west of Portland Oregon.

When I treat a piece of metal or tool I have too clean it to bare metal, when applied it turns the metal black but never will rust appear again for quite some time.

I understand that use on working surfaces would not be advised.

Thanks for the quick response.

BigDog66

[Tormachmaster]

All you have to do is use a refractometer to keep your coolant at the right number and it should not rust I have done this for years with no rust at all.

[BigDog66]

All you have to do is use a refractometer to keep your coolant at the right number and it should not rust I have done this for years with no rust at all.

Please tell me more about refractometry and how it is used in this application?

[Don Clement]

Please tell me more about refractometry and how it is used in this application?

I use a refractometer to keep my flood coolant solution at 10% and have had no rust on my Tormach. see: http://www.zebraskimmers.com/oil_ski...ctometers.html
http://www.zebraskimmers.com/oil_ski...rSelection.pdf

[MichaelHenry]

Here's a refractometer that is sold by Enco:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?P...&PARTPG=INLMK3

which should give you an idea of what they look like. You lift a plastic window that covers a glass plate, place a drop of your coolant mix on the glass, close the plastic cover to force a thin film of coolant over the glass and look through the eyepiece. There's a scale visible through the eyepiece that indicates the percentage dilution of your coolant.

They are very simple to use and can usually be found for < $100.

Mike

[Tormachmaster]

Don is right 10 is good. And if kept up will fix your problem just dont forget!

[BlueFin]

I do live in a moist place, 30 miles west of Portland Oregon.
BigDog66

West of Portland, no kidding you need rust control, and moss control too, I was just up there this afternoon (Tillamook), I live in the Grants Pass area.

[justgary]

All you have to do is use a refractometer to keep your coolant at the right number and it should not rust I have done this for years with no rust at all.

Bring your machine to northwest Florida. I don't care what you do, it *will* rust. I promise. If you don't use coolant for a few weeks, the condensation on the metal will eventually dilute the layer of protection enough to allow rust to form.

I have threatened to chemically blacken the table, vise, and spindle nose on my mill several times. I have not yet done it, but I think that I would have a lot fewer problems with rust if I did.

I once blackened my pocket knife blade by cutting into a Tung seed. It was an instant reaction, and so black that I decided to do all three blades. It has lasted for about 20 years (carried daily) so far. It's interesting what will work for blackening metal, but that one was a complete surprise to me.

Regards, and happy new year to all of you,

- Just Gary

[wildwestpat]

Hi Folks

I have a similar problem here in England. I use a single wall garage as a workshop and had condensation rusting problems until I tried putting a dehumidifier under a heavy duty cotton machine cover which is draped over my machines. Until the weather turned cold the compressor type dehumidifier was keeping the RH down to 75&#37; or less (under the blanket) but now that the average temperature at mid day is very low and the humidity is rising to 90% or more. Hope the rust preventative oils work! I have just ordered a desicant type dehumidifier as these work down to a much lower temperature and under that machine blanket should make warm dry environment for machine and tool storage over the winter.

I believe that in the USA you have air-con units that also work as dehumidifiers. In the UK these are very expensive but have started to come down in price. I fancy one that would provide winter heat but need a loto win first!

Regards

Pat