It’s hard to imagine a more corrosive environment than the northern California coast, where I live. Rust Free and Boeshield T-9, two products manufactured by PMS Products (boeshield.com), have been working well for me to both remove and protect against rust on vulnerable tools and equipment.
To remove light rust, simply spray on Rust Free, allow the acidic solution to penetrate, then wash it off. Remove heavier rust with multiple applications and abrasive pads. T-9 is a solvent and paraffin-wax formula developed by Boeing to lubricate aircraft components while defending against rust and corrosion. It displaces moisture and dries to a thin film.
I’ve used the two products to remove rust from my thickness planer’s cutterhead, for example, and to keep it rust-free—which used to be a chronic headache. And SawStop just told me over the phone that T-9 is a good choice for protecting the cast-iron surface of its contractor table saw. The products shown cost between $13 and $16, but other containers and sizes are available. —Bruce Greenlaw is a contributing editor to JLC.
