Shopsmith Forums

I'll resurrect this topic as the current cost of JPW was mentioned in a post on Shopsmith News and Announcements and did not think my post was relevant to that discussion. I found a wax that may be an acceptable alternative to JPW. I have tried it and it works as well as JPW as far as I can tell but it is still early days. The paste wax is designed to wax the floors at bowling alleys and is advertised for that purpose. There are several manufacturers that sell under different names but the one I purchased is from BWC Company simply called Bowling Alley Wax.

https://www.amazon.com/Bowling-Alley-Wa ... 607&sr=8-1

I have tried that bowling alley wax and also found it works very well. It's a little softer than some of the other brands I've tried, so it's a little easier to apply.

I fail to understand the obsession with JPW. SS has not put JPW in the help kit or sold it individually for at leas 35 years. When I bought my 510 new in 1994 the help kit contained Trewax. I have not checked lately but I think it still does.

jsburger wrote: ↑Fri Apr 18, 2025 5:38 pm I fail to understand the obsession with JPW. SS has not put JPW in the help kit or sold it individually for at leas 35 years. When I bought my 510 new in 1994 the help kit contained Trewax. I have not checked lately but I think it still does.

I believe the obsession with JPW is because even though Trewax was what was in the help kit, JPW was what was demonstrated and told by instructors at the classes and the demo's to use even after I got my 510 in 1998.

I’m rich!!!

Shortly after I saw on this forum that JPW had been discontinued, I searched Ace Hardware to see if any was still in stock. Sure enough, their store in Johnstown Ohio still had a few cans.

As luck would have it, the Johnstown store was maybe ten feet out of the way on a weekend nature hike with my wife, so I stopped in and snagged a brand-new can. It won’t be needed in my shop for many years to come. But should street prices ever hit the $1000 per bottle that Pappy van Winkle bourbon commands, it’s definitely for sale or trade.

I’ve had my can of JPW since 1985. Just now seeing the bottom.

BuckeyeDennis wrote: ↑Fri Apr 18, 2025 9:11 pm I’m rich!!!

As luck would have it, the Johnstown store was maybe ten feet out of the way on a weekend nature hike with my wife, so I stopped in and snagged a brand-new can. It won’t be needed in my shop for many years to come. But should street prices ever hit the $1000 per bottle that Pappy van Winkle bourbon commands, it’s definitely for sale or trade.

The $1000 may happen… the price is increasing (I just looked again and it now $225.00) or offer to trade for a bottle of Pappy….

To answer John,

The current ad here on the Shopsmith Website catalog has MinWax in the Help Kit.

I bought a couple cans of JPW after the news of it being discontinued. Maybe should have bought all the cans the store had. I could be rich.

In a couple of years as the "value" increases I could trade them for a Mark 7.

A few weeks ago these were available in my area, 4lb cans and he had 18 cases. Not JPW, but I assume close enough. I was going to buy some when I got back from vacation but they were no longer listed. I guess you snooze you loose.

Furniture waxes have evolved to provide better protection and ease of use. I personally like the Black Bison brand, but also have used Staples, Briwax, Renaissance wax, and another in a blue and white can I don't recall the name of. Generally waxes that are hard to apply and buff off have some carnauba plant based component. Some may even have paraffin as an ingredient.

The easier to apply and buff off have bees wax in them. I think my Black Bison is heavy on the bees wax, and it has a pleasant smell. I usually don't use the Briwax too often as it has a harsher odor due to it's solvent, which I think has some aromatic solvents like toluene, which is a little harsher than the aliphatic solvent such as mineral spirits. As a furniture restorer, I often use a colored wax to cover up scratches.

I do have a can of the Johnson Paste Wax, and when it is gone, will have no reservations or beliefs that it is better than the Staples or Min-Wax paste wax. Just my opinion.