Shopsmith Forums

Here's a picture from the SS web site

ARCretired wrote:

JPG wrote:Paste floor wax(original 'slippery'), not 'finishing' wax.

Are you thinking of another wax? The SS website and my can of wax (I went and looked at it) says "MinWax Paste Finishing Wax".... Part No. 522454

Yes I am thinking of "Johnson's original Paste Wax" which has been 'de rigor' for over a half century. "Trewax" has been a frequent substitute.

I have not tried Min-wax finishing wax. It may be equivalent, I simply do not know.

I am somewhat leery though. It would not be the first time a well intentioned but uninformed decision was made up in Dayton. I hope I am wrong!

I’ve been using the Minwax version for a while. It definitely lubricates and doesn’t seem to collect dust as long as is polished with a rag. It is fairly soft, so i’m Guessing a can might last five years if I use it on the SS and major attachments. I believe I had a can of the Johnson wax many years ago and used it on my old SS. The can dried out, probably didn’t seal it completely, when there was about 1/3 left. I actually forgot about the Johnson version. The minwax seems softer and greasier than what I remember about the other wax.

ARCretired wrote:I’ve been using the Minwax version for a while. It definitely lubricates and doesn’t seem to collect dust as long as is polished with a rag. It is fairly soft, so i’m Guessing a can might last five years if I use it on the SS and major attachments. I believe I had a can of the Johnson wax many years ago and used it on my old SS. The can dried out, probably didn’t seal it completely, when there was about 1/3 left. I actually forgot about the Johnson version. The minwax seems softer and greasier than what I remember about the other wax.

So also does the 'current' JPW.

I just wonder why they (Shopsmith) doesn't stick with what has been proven for this application (Johnson ORIGINAL).

dusty wrote:I just wonder why they (Shopsmith) doesn't stick with what has been proven for this application (Johnson ORIGINAL).

Because they are all basically the same. Look at the MSD's for each product. Johnson's Paste wax is a hydrocarbon solvent, paraffin wax and Carnauba wax. Minwax Finishing Paste Wax is a hydrocarbon solvent and paraffin wax. The MSDS for Trewax just says petroleum distillates and does not disclose percentages citing trade secrets.

I don't believe Trewax and Minwax have been dis-proven to work. SS has been selling all three over the years. My brand new 510 bought from Woodcraft in 1994 came with a can of Trewax. SS has probably gotten better deals for the different brands from their suppliers over the years.

jsburger wrote:

dusty wrote:I just wonder why they (Shopsmith) doesn't stick with what has been proven for this application (Johnson ORIGINAL).

Because they are all basically the same. Look at the MSD's for each product. Johnson's Paste wax is a hydrocarbon solvent, paraffin wax and Carnauba wax. Minwax Finishing Paste Wax is a hydrocarbon solvent and paraffin wax. The MSDS for Trewax just says petroleum distillates and does not disclose percentages citing trade secrets.

I don't believe Trewax and Minwax have been dis-proven to work. SS has been selling all three over the years. My brand new 510 bought from Woodcraft in 1994 came with a can of Trewax. SS has probably gotten better deals for the different brands from their suppliers over the years.

From my point of view (and the only point of view upon which I make a recommendation) Johnson Original is proven. All others are "untested".

You can use and/or recommend whatever you want. For me, I'll stick with Johnsons for as long as I can get it. There is little chance that I will ever need more than the two cans I have.

dusty wrote:

jsburger wrote:

dusty wrote:I just wonder why they (Shopsmith) doesn't stick with what has been proven for this application (Johnson ORIGINAL).

Because they are all basically the same. Look at the MSD's for each product. Johnson's Paste wax is a hydrocarbon solvent, paraffin wax and Carnauba wax. Minwax Finishing Paste Wax is a hydrocarbon solvent and paraffin wax. The MSDS for Trewax just says petroleum distillates and does not disclose percentages citing trade secrets.

I don't believe Trewax and Minwax have been dis-proven to work. SS has been selling all three over the years. My brand new 510 bought from Woodcraft in 1994 came with a can of Trewax. SS has probably gotten better deals for the different brands from their suppliers over the years.

From my point of view (and the only point of view upon which I make a recommendation) Johnson Original is proven. All others are "untested".

You can use and/or recommend whatever you want. For me, I'll stick with Johnsons for as long as I can get it. There is little chance that I will ever need more than the two cans I have.

First of all I am not recommending anything. I am using what SHOPSMITH supplied with with my brand new machine. All I am doing is stating that all three brands that SS has sold over the years are basically the same. That is why SS has sold them.

"All others are "untested"." What in the world does that mean? I have been using the can of Trewax that SS supplied with my new machine for 33 years. Is that enough "testing"?

FWIW, ARCretired posted a picture of the SS web site with Minwax Finishing Paste wax. There were questions about that but it is the same. If you look today they are back to Trewax and it is a different can. It says it has Carnauba wax the same as Johnson's. That is a disclosure that was not on the MSDS that I looked at.

ARCretired wrote:

JPG wrote:Paste floor wax(original 'slippery'), not 'finishing' wax.

Are you thinking of another wax? The SS website and my can of wax (I went and looked at it) says "MinWax Paste Finishing Wax".... Part No. 522454

Years ago the word was "use Johnson Wax (Original) because it was different than common floor wax.

This discussion brings about the very reason why I will continue to use Johnson Wax (Original).

The fact that Shoposmith is now peddling MinWax or TreeWax or anything else other than what I was weaned on will not change my mind. If you feel that wax is wax...use it. If there is a problem with it later or if there is not, tell us and we will all be smarter for it.

BTW, do the catalogs that advertise these three waxes all carry the same part number (522454) for all three brands. I don't know that would prove anything but I am curious.

The 'absence' of carnuba wax in the min-wax finishing wax creates concern re its effectiveness. I assume parafin will leave a harder coat however.