Sand and wax your lathe beds

[Stevekir]

I recently saw a Youtube video advocating hand sanding (not with an electric  tooll!) and waxing woodturning lathe beds, to give a smooth movement to the banjo and the tailstock. Might be good.

Any thoughts?

[Dave Atkinson]

I often use some wet and dry with a bit of oil on the bed - mainly to clean. Off bits of sealer and suchlike.

I then wipe off and give a quick speech ray with silicon.  If it'a too smooth and waxing the tail stick tends to slip a bit, so I avoid wax etc.

Cheers Dave

[Les Symonds]

I recently saw a Youtube video ...
Any thoughts?

My immediate thought is 'Beware'....it seems that the world is full of people who post videos onto youtube, extolling the virtues of their way of thinking; which doesn't make their methods right, or wrong; just treat youtube with an open mind.
Cleaning the lathe beds is essential if you turn timber which has a high moisture content. I use a Nyweb pad and a drop of white spirit, or even a spray of WD40. Like Dave....I don't wax the beds.
Les

[GBF]

I use WD40 and fine abrasive,
Using Silicone anywhere near wood can create problems if it gets on wood no polishes or lacquers will work on it as nothing will stick to silicone.

Regards George

[Les Symonds]

I use WD40 and fine abrasive,
Using Silicone anywhere near wood can create problems if it gets on wood no polishes or lacquers will work on it as nothing will stick to silicone.

Regards George

....years ago, George, I had a workshop where I used to make toughened glass cubes for museum displays; we used silicone to stick the glass together. The simple residue in the atmosphere, despite good ventilation, would cause our paint sprayer all manner of problems for weeks afterwards. We ended up putting minute amounts of liquid silicone into the cellulose paints to counteract the atmospheric silicone.

Les

[Bryan Milham]

I clean any drips of oil or other finishes of of my lathe bed with Garryflex 120 grit (http://www.axminster.co.uk/garryflex-abrasive-cleaning-block-ax20009), yes it sound a bit course but it does not seem to leave any scratches.

I then wax with a Silicon Free Wax (http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-machine-wax-ax957553). I also use this on my bandsaw table.

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

A wipe over with white spirit on a cloth was what we used to us eon all of our machinery when I worked in various joinery works. Worked then and works now.I would not advocate applying any abrasive material to bedways as eventually it will affect how true they are.

[edbanger]

Wire wool and wax here

Ed

[fuzzyturns]

320 or 400 grit abranet, a wipe on coat of a 3 component surface oil for engineering machinery. When working with dry wood, this will last for about a week. Much less with wet wood.

[Eric Harvey]

600 grit wipe down then wax here,if the bed gets surface rust the head and tail stocks get difficult to move om my Jet 3520B,and waxing never makes them slip on this lathe that I have once fully tightened down,cheers,

Eric.

[BrianH]

Mr Axminster sent a handy set of instructions with my Powermatic, which were secreted in one of those plastic document sleeves. Not sure how much reading the instructions got but they, still in their sleeve, have been laid across the lathe bed whenever I have been oiling/finishing/painting ever since. Dont know if the instructions mentioned cleaning and its impossible to read them now but no way would I abrade the bed with anything courser than a nylon wash up. I do, however, wax it and have yet to notice any slippage.
Brian

[Derek]

On the bars of my lathe a quick wipe with thinners to clean off any thing that has dropped on them which is not a lot as I lay newspaper across them when applying any sealer or oil and the like. Prevention is better than the cure as they say

[Doug Barratt]

I agree with the comments re silicon affecting finishes & wont even have it in the workshop.
I never use WD40 either it can cause more harm than good http://lifehacker.com/5891936/when-should-i-not-use-wd-40

The only thing I use on the beds of my machines is Supergleit, can't see the point of scrimping considering the money spent on acquiring machines

[Lazurus]

I find liberon lubricating wax excellent for all things lathe related, once applied it dries so it doesn't transfer where its not wanted, great for tools and chucks over the damp winter period. Easy to remove if required.

[Paul Hannaby]

I clean the bed of my lathe with some coarse wire wool when needed and spray on a coat of metalguard. It dries to leave a thin protective film. I do the same with the table on my bandsaw.