I've had good results in my dry climate using
HTC machine covers.

 

You could use museum wax I have also thought about using the vinyl wrap that is for cars.

 

At least it is a dry climate….

Might go for the tables the way it was shipped with the heavy/greasy Cosmoline that protected it at sea and in storage for months.

You might ask Saw Stop what they recommend.(or have applied at the factory making the equipment)

http://www.cosmolinedirect.com/mil-spec-grease-mil-c-11796c-class-3/
MIL-SPEC Grease (MIL-C-11796C, Class 3) is a medium grade grease/corrosion preventative compound that can prevent rust and corrosion for years, even in the harshest of environments. MIL-C-11796C, Class 3 is commonly used to protect/preserve equipment, machinery, firearms, and any other metal surface when put in long-term storage or while in transit (overseas, road, marine, etc.).

 

This question pops up every couple of months. If you do a search on this site for 'long term storage', you will find a lot of information and discussion on the subject:

Long Term Storage

Cheers,
Brad

 

Cosmoline. I bought a Record lathe that was 22 years old and still had the Cosmoline on it. Just a little light rust on the parts that didn't have a thick coat. Or, just lay on a coat of oil based paint. It'll be tough to get off, but that means that the rust won't be able to get at it.

 

Cosmoline if you can get your hands on it. You need something to keep the moisture out. a couple of heavy coats of linseed oil, but like your dry lube and wax paper it might be difficult to get off after a couple of years.

 

.... And then covering them with old bath towels and canvas drop cloths. ...
- GregD

This is the worst idea ever. Towels will collect moisture and pass it on to the iron. Some tarp from harbor freight will make much better job.

 

Once I looked at a table saw that spent 10 years in an climate uncontrolled storage. It had no protection whatsoever the owner even did not put wax on it. It got some thin film of patina but zero rust. This was however in Southern California, fairly close to the water.

 

My personal experience is that towels, blankets, or sheets on cast iron will cause rust because as Carloz says, they hold moisture. I wouldn't recommend tarps either because they can trap condensation. The only time I would use a covering is is if moisture will be dripping onto the table. And if I were using a covering I would put a frame over the table so it wasn't in contact and air could get underneath.

One option is clean and degrease then put on a coat of polyurethane. Several people have done that with excellent results. Another is wd40 or some type of grease or heavy wax.

 

I would coat with WD40 to remove surface humidity, slather on axle grease and put a piece of 6mil plastic on top of that.

Do NOT use wax or you'll have a real mess in a couple years (how do I know that?)