CARBON COATING
The second item on the Great Gear list for this issue is actually a series of products from the company Carbon Method. They provided me with two kits: the prep kit shown above and the carbon coating kit.
 carbon method prep kit |
 carbon coating prep kit |
PREP KIT.
One of our jointers had acquired a spot of rust, which made an excellent example of these kits in action. I began with the prep kit, which is designed to remove rust, stains, and any pitting before moving on to the carbon coating itself. This kit comes with three sets of abrasive pads in varying grits (shown above) and a small bottle of their reconditioning oil.
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| The prep kit is a separate product to be used on rust or pitted spots on your tool’s surface, removing them so the carbon coat can bond. |
The oil goes on first and acts as a lubricant for the abrasive pads. Carbon Method says only that this oil is their own “unique formula,” but there is likely some reactive acid like you’d find in most rust removers. After applying it, you’re instructed to let it sit for a few minutes to let it eat at the rust or stain.
The spot of rust I had was shallow, so I removed it by hand (as you can see in Step 2 below). However, for deeper rust spots or pits, you can cut a section of the abrasive off and attach it to an orbital sander. The rust-removing portion of the oil seemed to work quickly, and it didn’t take me too much elbow grease to clean the spot up.
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| Apply the reconditioning oil to the trouble spot, and allow it to sit for a few minutes before abrading. |
The coarser grit I used for this left some surface marks (you can see them in Figure 3). These can be removed by finishing up with the finer pads, similar to following a basic sanding process.
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| Remove the problem area with the “fine” pads. Work over the surface with the other two sets of pads to remove the marks. |
CARBON CLEANSE.
With the prep kit’s work finished, the carbon cleanse came next. This is the first part of the coating kit, and I used white, disposable towels to wipe down the jointer as I sprayed it on (Step 4). This removes any gunk that might’ve built up on the surface of the tool. The solvent worked well, removing resin left after sanding and polymerized machine oil. It also has a citrus scent — much less headache-inducing than a lot of gunk-removers.
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| After finishing with the prep kit, use the carbon cleanse solvent and a clean rag to clear the surface of any gunk. |
CARBON COATING.
Carbon Method provides comprehensive instructions on how to apply their carbon coating. I won’t get into the details, but you can see a few of the steps in the photos at right below. Basically, I applied the carbon coat using a foam applicator block (Figure 5). This is similar to a sanding block, providing a flat surface and even pressure as I wiped on the coating.
The coating’s key ingredient is graphene. Graphene refers to the individual, hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms — millions of which make up graphite when stacked. When graphene isn’t stacked however (held together by a bonding agent, for example), it is a transparent, highly durable, and low-friction substance.
After applying the carbon coat, the last step was to buff it out (as in Figure 6). This is similar to buffing a wax coat, and it left the table feeling notably smoother than bare metal.
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| A special applicator block is used to spread the coating over the surface. This consists of a fine cloth attached to a beveled foam block. | The final step is to buff the carbon coating with the microfiber cloth, resulting in a smooth, low-friction surface. |
CARBON GLIDE.
The final part of the carbon coating kit was the “Carbon Glide.” This is a substance applied after the carbon coat cures. It has similar properties to wax, but without being temperature-sensitive. This simply gets sprayed on, left to dry for a minute, then wiped off.
RESULTS.
For the steps you see in these photos, I only worked on the infeed side initially. I left the outfeed untouched as a comparison, and there’s definitely a difference. The finished surface feels smoother and slicker than the back end, even just to the finger. In terms of durability, time will ultimately tell. For now, the jointer is rust-free and operating smoothly. Though there are a number of steps, the application process isn’t difficult, and I’m satisfied with the results.
MILWAUKEE FRAMING SQUARE
8" x 12" Square. Among the bevy of layout tools I use, one that I’ve been reaching for recently has been Milwaukee’s framing square. The 8" x 12" model has been a good size for my furniture work. It’s a construction tool, but one I find useful in the woodshop as well. The standout feature is the scribing notches that register a pencil tip. These make the square quick to use (as long as I don’t need to go down to 16ths).
