How to Clean a Table Saw Top?

Keeping a clean workplace helps to improve your safety and overall health. You want to make sure you’re able to work in an environment that will keep you safe and help improve the overall longevity of the tools you work with. However, by now we’re sure that you’ve figured out that one of the best ways to keep a clean space is to not let it get dirty in the first place.

You obviously need to take the time to clean off the dust from the table top after you’re done working and polish up your materials from time to time, but there is one thing that many woodworkers are guilty of doing that can ruin their tools without them even realizing it – and it has to do with your morning routine.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a cup of coffee or a refreshing morning beverage – as long as you take care to put up and away from your table saw. However, the urge to just set the cup down on top of the machine is overwhelming – especially when you take easy reach and convenience into consideration.

However, this can actually prove to be very damaging to your machine. When you set something cool in a warm environment – or a hot drink in a cool environment the drink will begin to perspire and create water rings around the beverage container. These rings can prove to be harmful to your table saw – especially if it’s made out of cast iron. Click here to read our review of the best table saws available this year.

You may think that forgetting to put your cup on a different surface or coaster won’t cause too much harm if it’s just one or two times, but you’d be surprised at how quickly rust can begin to develop on your table top.

So what do you do to clean your table saw top if this does happen to you? Simply get a rust busting agent like liquid wrench product or W2-40 and a piece of sandpaper. Spray the affected area with the rust cleaning agent and then use the sandpaper to rub it into your cast iron surface and sand down any rust that may have formed. Your tabletop will be looking good as new in no time!

So what do you do to avoid this from happening again? Luckily, you can actually find sealing agents that will help to protect your cast iron from these types of issues in the future. Simply spray the sealing agent and let it dry.

Related: Best Portable Table Saws.

Then buff the area with a cloth. The sealing agent will leave behind a lubricant and an area that will be protected against water rings, stains, and rust in the future! Be sure to keep an eye on your countertops and take preventative measures to make sure that you won’t ever have to worry about harming your cast iron surfaces with rust again.