Shopsmith Forums

I just recently discovered that my beloved and trusted Johnson Paste Wax has been discontinued. I know there are many choices out there but I thought i would toss it down anyways and see what some have to say. I can’t ever remember NOT having a couple of cans good to go. Any solid recommendations? I used it on my projects and I used it on almost every tool & machine I have owned. Let’s hear it!
Thank You,
Thom Schuck
Portland, Oregon

Thom,

Yeah, I agree with you. I found an online retailer several months back and purchased an additional can to have as a spare. It was an inflated price, but I didn't mind paying it because I just like JPW. There are other alternatives and a good thread discussed this recently so I am going to refer you to the link below:

viewtopic.php?t=31022&hilit=jpw

Search is your friend.
viewtopic.php?t=31022

Renaissance Wax. For both.

If you're using it on your machines, I've had a can of Bowling Alley Wax (Butcher's Wax) for decades and it works just fine. I believe it's pretty similar to JPW. For wood finishing, FWW preferred Renaissance wax, a microcrystaline wax that's quite expensive. In tests, it buffed out well and didn't leave a translucent residue like most of the others they tested.

Renaissance Wax is nice, but boy is it expensive and for such a small container of it too.

RE: Renaissance Wax

6 or 7 years from now when you use it all the time and you still have half a jar, you'll forget how much it cost.

JEFFinCLE wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 8:46 am RE: Renaissance Wax

6 or 7 years from now when you use it all the time and you still have half a jar, you'll forget how much it cost.

Jeff,

I guess it depends on how many tools you have!!! I tried getting JPW or any paste wax at the local Lowes at my MIL's before. My FIL had passed away and all of his tools in his large woodshop needed major TLC. I live across the country so I was trying to help her in preserving the tools and minimize rust until eventually she could sell them or etc. or until I could return on a follow-up trip to maintain them again. I had to get an online (Amazon) option quickly during my trip since there wasn't a local source for ANY paste wax that I could find around town. Bottomline is one cleanup of a standard workshop of tools took about a quarter of a container of Renaissance Wax and that was me going sparingly. Depending on how many cast iron table woodworking tools and hand tools that you have, I would think regular maintenance might use up a container of Renaissance Wax in only 1-2 years. Whereas JPW lasts me a LONG time in comparison. Just my experience.

Regarding microcrystalline wax, I haven't bought Renaissance wax so far, but I got a low-odor microcrystalline product from the pipe enthusiasts people, call Paragon wax. I'm impressed.

The FWW article a few years back was indeed helpful. I like low-VOC options, and from that article I found that Angelus (shoe) wax was pretty mild-smelling.

Another fun thing for wood finishing is to not rely on solvents at all, but rather to hot-melt the wax onto the wood, and then scrape back the excess prior to buffing. There are some articles from Don Williams on this. I guess for smaller objects this can be done effectively by a buffing wheel system as well.

MINWAX Paste Finishing Wax Natural Color UPC 27426 78500