top-cote vs wax

[mtobey]

I would like to suggest Renaissance Wax. It has no silicone. It seems expensive, but a little goes a long way. I have around 40 handplanes and many very nice custom and vintage saws. Can't count the chisels. I use this wax on my cast iron conventional table saw as well; it is in my garage and in summer, I rain sweat all over it. It hasn't failed me yet. No hype- just a very good quality product.mt

[a1gutterman]

Sounds like mtobey has a winner too.

[chrispitude]

Are these paste waxes like automotive wax, where I probably won't be too successful if I try to apply them in my cold 35F garage?

Thanks!

- Chris

[charlese]

Are these paste waxes like automotive wax, where I probably won't be too successful if I try to apply them in my cold 35F garage?

Thanks!

- Chris

The can may resemble car wax, but it isn't the same. Car wax is not the right thing to put onto the Mark V. I'll let others tell you why.

To answer your question - I have used Johnson's past wax for years. I try really hard not to work in my shop when it is 35 degrees. (too cold for me) However this past winter there have been quite a few times I started shop work at 40 deg. While the wood, glue, and machine are warming up from my little radiant heater, I have applied wax to the table. It seems to work good at that temperature.

[a1gutterman]

With all this talk about wax, I dug into my SS catalog and discovered that they do not sell Johnson's Paste Wax:eek: . They do sell Minwax Paste Finishing Wax. Checking on the On-line Catalog, I discover in addition to the Minwax http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/sa_minwax.htm, Trewax Clear Paste Wax is offered http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/sa_pastewax.htm. Does anybody here use either of these products? Are they silicon free? Haven't I seen Nick using Johnson's? I am pretty sure that I saw Rick Davis using it. I have been using it since I bought my Mark V in 1995. Here is the Johnson's web site: http://www.scjbrands.com/mailorder/

[Ed in Tampa]

With all this talk about wax, I dug into my SS catalog and discovered that they do not sell Johnson's Paste Wax:eek: . They do sell Minwax Paste Finishing Wax. Checking on the On-line Catalog, I discover in addition to the Minwax http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/sa_minwax.htm, Trewax Clear Paste Wax is offered http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/sa_pastewax.htm. Does anybody here use either of these products? Are they silicon free? Haven't I seen Nick using Johnson's? I am pretty sure that I saw Rick Davis using it. I have been using it since I bought my Mark V in 1995. Here is the Johnson's web site: http://www.scjbrands.com/mailorder/

Tim
From time to time I have tried various other waxes, mostly out of desperation when I couldn't find Johnson's. Of all the waxes I tried I still prefer Johnson's. Perhaps it is nothing more than psychological but I believe it works better. Right now I have a can of Johnson's that I use on my SS equipment and a couple cans of wax from other manufactures that I use for all my other wax needs (wax for wood finish protection, drawer slides and etc).

I like Bri Wax for most of the final coat of most of my projects, a carnuba wax for high luster burnish type finish and I use a cheaper wax to wax drawer slides, and as rub off paint protection. My can of Johnson is designated as for the SS only!
Ed

[reible]

Just a little added information that might add just a little to this posting.

Back in 1976 when I got my shopsmith they offered a free 3-day class, I don't recall if it was standard or if it was a special if you purchased it by such and such a date. BTW I ordered it out of a Popular Science or Popular Mechanics type magazine without ever seeing a live demo.

At the class they held up this can of trewax and said this was the stuff to get to use on the machine. I went out and got a can at a hardware store, and while I can't read the actural list price anymore (might be 1.50 or $1.80) the sale sticker clearly show it was 50 cents.

A few years later after a move I managed to loose my can. I went to a couple of stores only to be told they didn't carry it anymore. At the time they had a shopsmith store in our area, about an hour away depending on traffic which was often bad when I wanted to go so I did not go very often. As it so happened I had a friend who wanted to go so we took an extended lunch hour and made the trip. They didn't have the wax either but when I ask the guy grabbed a can of the butcher's wax and said to use that. I declined and ended up finding my can at home some weeks later.

I had all but forgotten about the butcher's wax until I picked up my used 510 which came with a can of it. It is really a 1980 500 that was upgraded but anyway that is what the owner had been using. I tried it and it seemed to work fine.

I also picked up a can of the Johnson wax some where along the way and I think the one I'm now using is a second can, maybe only 5 or 6 years old. I have used that as well and it seems to work fine... now I'm talking not only on my shopsmith but other power tools I own, some of which have cast iron tops.

Now here is the interesting part of the story, the can of Trewax has a note that says "slip-resistant". However it produces the slickest surface of the three. I can explain how I determined that, and the test I used if someone is interested... I can also say that the Johnson's was second.

[chrispitude]

Now here is the interesting part of the story, the can of Trewax has a note that says "slip-resistant". However it produces the slickest surface of the three. I can explain how I determined that, and the test I used if someone is interested... I can also say that the Johnson's was second.

Hi reible,

I would definitely like to hear more about this.

- Chris

[reible]

Hi reible,

I would definitely like to hear more about this.

- Chris

While this is not a test to end all tests and it does make some assumptions it is about as good as most of the magazine test.

I have three identical floating tables (assumption is they are the same). I waxed each with one of the waxes, all three had been waxed before but again if we are goint to assume that by me waxing each one 3 times the old wax if gone or mixed down as to not being a factor.

I set the tables up with a tubes so both the ends were assumed to be the same. I then made them sit on an incline (read this as a stack of various scraps of wood). The angle of each table was the same as they were all held together, and as the angle changed for one it did for all.

I cut up some scrap blocks of plywood, pine and mdf. I used the same larger piece to make each of the test pieces and made them as close to be the same as the other two as I could. I did not attemp to measure mass or determine how close they were except to stack them and feel the edges... I would say that they were with in a few thousands of an inch in physical size. I labled one set of the three different materials "A" and so on. I added an arrow so I could make sure the same grain was presented and the same surface was used each time.

I set one the same material blocks, that is each of the A, B, and C blocks on the slanted tables. The angle was rather flat so nothing moved. I removed the blocks and reset the angles several times until at one point one of the blocks when set on the table would slid down. I repeated this until all the blocks would slide. I did not record the angle or make any guess as to which would slide faster or anything but the order of then starting to slide.

I repeated this using the remaining blocks/tables until the next one would slide. In each case the order was the same for the three waxes.

Since this was done more in fun more then anything else I did not do several runs and I did not attempt to swap tables and rewax or anything like that.... I also had a feeling as to how the test was going to come out so that may have some bearing on the out come. A double blind test and more controls could prove this wrong but when I wax and use it has always felt the way the tests pointed.

Ed

[chrispitude]

Hi Ed,

Great writeup and great experiment! Let me ask you a different question... How much difference did you see between the waxes? Although they differed in their ordering, would you go with any one of the three if you had one available locally and the others had to be ordered online plus shipping?

- Chris