Refinish aluminum saw table?

henrya · Oct 25, 2021

I've had this little Swiss made table saw for 30 plus years and its given excellent service. As you can see in the attached photo, the anodized finish is wearing off. I'd like to refinish it.

I suspect that re-anodizing is out of the question given the unknown alloy and old finish to be removed. I wonder about something like Cerakote or some other spray on finish that will make it slick and smooth? Its not too hard to remove the table from the machine.

Your ideas and comments would be welcome.

boslab · Oct 25, 2021

I’d think about adding a sheet of phenolic as a good sliding surface, just a suggestion.
Or possibly get it powder coated?
Mark

Vecair · Oct 25, 2021

We used thin sheet Teflon (PTFE)about .020. They used to make it with peal and stick on one side. Slick and when it degrades easy to replace.

Scruffy887 · Oct 25, 2021

Minwax paste wax is cheap and easy. Or Butchers wax. Do a quick scotch brite hand buff if it has not been used for a few years and is "crusty". Paste wax, let dry, buff with rag. Also try Waxlit? Smells just like paste wax.

rons · Oct 25, 2021

Have no experience with this stuff yet.

Bonderite Alodine 1201 Conversion Coating IDH:594418, 1 gal | RSHughes.com

It's always something. With a cast iron table you would get rust spots.

henrya · Oct 25, 2021

Scruffy887 said:
Minwax paste wax is cheap and easy. Or Butchers wax. Do a quick scotch brite hand buff if it has not been used for a few years and is "crusty". Paste wax, let dry, buff with rag. Also try Waxlit? Smells just like paste wax.

Yes, I've waxed saw tables aplenty.

But I'm looking for something to keep it from going to more bare aluminum so much it wears worse and gets grabby. Now is the time.

I am liking the idea of thin plastic or phenolic self adhesive sheeting.

henrya · Oct 25, 2021

rons said:
Have no experience with this stuff yet.

Bonderite Alodine 1201 Conversion Coating IDH:594418, 1 gal | RSHughes.com

It's always something. With a cast iron table you would get rust spots.

Not a corrosion problem, its just worn through the anodize from use. I appreciate the thought.

henrya · Oct 25, 2021

Vecair said:
We used thin sheet Teflon (PTFE)about .020. They used to make it with peal and stick on one side. Slick and when it degrades easy to replace.

And its not expensive in thin sheets.
Was this too slick for a woodworking machine - or about right?

henrya · Oct 25, 2021

boslab said:
I’d think about adding a sheet of phenolic as a good sliding surface, just a suggestion.
Or possibly get it powder coated?
Mark

Hard to beat a sheet I can put on the main table, wing tables and the bottom of the miter gage slot and have it all done.

52 Ford · Oct 25, 2021

henrya said:
Hard to beat a sheet I can put on the main table, wing tables and the bottom of the miter gage slot and have it all done.

How about a piece of formica? It's thin, so it won't take away from your depth of cut by enough to notice and it's hard plastic... after that, spray it with PTFE dry lube. I use "Blaster Dry Lube with Teflon" on my saws. One of my bandsaws has a bare aluminum and I've resawn a lot of really sticky, sappy wood with it and that dry lube really helps.

Edit: and the dry lube I mentioned doesnt leave any weird stains on the wood. Candle wax works well, too, but it's WAY quicker to spray the table.

Sent by telegraph using - .- .--. .- - .- .-.. -.-

Vecair · Oct 26, 2021

It wasn't quite as slippery as the wood polished steel table on our Delta table but very close. I actually liked it better as sap and such would not stick to it and gum up. It doesn't last forever but it saw pretty hard use here as we cut just about everything including an odd nail or two

Round the corners to keep those stuck better than points. There might be other plastics that would work better as they make some pretty tough and slick stuff but the Teflon sheet was cheap and handy. Cheers from Arizona!

rons · Oct 27, 2021

henrya said:
Not a corrosion problem, its just worn through the anodize from use. I appreciate the thought.

The suggestion is for a spot repair fix. And it will not look like the same color.

henrya · Oct 27, 2021

Not much worried about looks, more about a 100% functional working finish. Mottled or off-color is of no concern.

richard newman · Oct 27, 2021

Looks to me like formica is the simplest and least costly solution for this. Re-anodizing would be a nice restoration, but way more expensive and time consuming, and no more functional, IMHO.

wp6529 · Oct 27, 2021

richard newman said:
Looks to me like formica is the simplest and least costly solution for this. Re-anodizing would be a nice restoration, but way more expensive and time consuming, and no more functional, IMHO.

My vote for inexpensive laminate, and in particular one with a textured pebble-ish finish which will provide a nicer sliding surface than perfectly smooth laminate.

I have a 4x6 work table with a laminate top I made specifically to be cheap and easy to replace when it gets beat up enough. I even weld on it and the odd burn spot doesn't harm it's work table functionality much. When finally damaged enough, replacement should cost about $25 and an hour of work to peel, re-glue and edge route.

rons · Oct 27, 2021

You should get a slab of Corian for the top and route out a few holes for drink holders. :drink:

PeteM · Oct 27, 2021

Recognize that the miter gage and fence will have to come up a bit if you add any significant thickness. May or may not be an easy fix for your Swiss saw?

I use the self-adhesive Teflon sheets for microscope stages - up to .060 thickness - and don't think they'll hold up as well as a phenolic laminate on a table saw. At least if you abuse yours as much as mine (cuts metals now and then, has jigs riding on the top, periodically becomes a work bench . . .).

Another option instead of laminate might be stainless steel if you have a means (plasma cutter?) of cutting out the spot for blade changes etc. A local supplier came into a bonanza of the stuff (cheaper than Formica) and it makes a great surface for workbenches. Lays as flat as the surface under it, won't rust, and is near indestructible.

henrya · Oct 28, 2021

Yep, material goes into bottom of miter gage slot too. Rip fence has enough adjustment to work. Found some G10 sheet .005 and .01” thick that looks like a good solution. Prob about $65.00 delivered.

mike44 · Oct 28, 2021

You do not to fill the miter gauge slot. Makes no difference if the gap is .015 or .125 . I would probably install a piece of FRP ( fiberglass resilent panel). Used for wall panels , back splashes etc in commercial kitchens. One side has a pebble finish and the other is smooth. The panel is about 1/16" thick andcan be adhered with a panel adhesive , hide glue etc. I gave a piece to a friend that wanted to renew a bandsaw table that had been left outside to rust. He was actually paid to remove the saw. The table was not worth fixing. Rust had pitted it very deep.
I also gave him hot hide glue to adhere the panel to the table. This was 10 years ago and the saw table is still in good shape. I actually did the glue up. The hot hide glue was spread on the table and left to cool. Took about 15/20 minutes. Then the FRP was installed, spring clamp in two corners and a heat gun was used on the panel to reheat the glue. The panel was then rolled with a laminate roller from the center to the edges.
Easy job, when the glue cooled the saw was ready to be used.
mike

52 Ford · Oct 28, 2021

mike44 said:
You do not to fill the miter gauge slot. Makes no difference if the gap is .015 or .125 . I would probably install a piece of FRP ( fiberglass resilent panel). Used for wall panels , back splashes etc in commercial kitchens. One side has a pebble finish and the other is smooth. The panel is about 1/16" thick andcan be adhered with a panel adhesive , hide glue etc. I gave a piece to a friend that wanted to renew a bandsaw table that had been left outside to rust. He was actually paid to remove the saw. The table was not worth fixing. Rust had pitted it very deep.
I also gave him hot hide glue to adhere the panel to the table. This was 10 years ago and the saw table is still in good shape. I actually did the glue up. The hot hide glue was spread on the table and left to cool. Took about 15/20 minutes. Then the FRP was installed, spring clamp in two corners and a heat gun was used on the panel to reheat the glue. The panel was then rolled with a laminate roller from the center to the edges.
Easy job, when the glue cooled the saw was ready to be used.
mike

That's along the lines of what I suggested. Wonder what would be better - FRP or formica? Guess it depends on the price.

I can't recall every messing with FRP... I know formica makes a good work surface. Rough cut it, put in on the table and finish fit it with a flush trim bit (edit: flush trim ROUTER bit). Gotta drill a hole and take off the blade insert and blade to get that part.

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