Shopsmith Forums

What kind of Wax are they using to wax the bars and the table tops?

Is there something like a "complete idiot's guide" to using that stuff? I waxed my table saw, hand held circular saw, and hand held jigsaw with it this past weekend and I didn't really notice any difference. I followed the directions on the can. My table saw is almost a year old. The circular saw and jigsaw are about 9 years old. Maybe my expectations weren't realistic? I was expecting that really slick smooth feeling like when you wax a car. But the before and after didn't feel any different. So I guess I'm a complete idiot and need some kind of guide!

It would be my guess that both the table saw and hand held unit soaked up the wax. If I remember correctly, SS recommends a couple of coats on a bare/new table in order to achieve a waxed surface. Maybe if the tables have not been waxed for quite a while, it's about the same thing as never being waxed.

Chuck's right with this one. In additon, if the table is cast iron, which may be the case with your jigsaw, more than one coat is needed. One thing I noticed is that the wax really needs to be buffed out to get that slick feeling you're after.
BPR

ryanbp01 wrote:Chuck's right with this one. In additon, if the table is cast iron, which may be the case with your jigsaw, more than one coat is needed. One thing I noticed is that the wax really needs to be buffed out to get that slick feeling you're after.
BPR

Giving it time to have the solvent 'dry/evaporate' helps. If buffed too soon, you are removing rather than polishing. Also if the table is like the strip sander table(roughly ground aluminum surface) One coat does not come even close!

None of them had been waxed before. The table saw table is aluminum (a small Hitachi 10" saw I got for Father's Day last year before discovering the wonders and joy of the Shopsmith). The jigsaw is one of the small handheld things and has the same kind of surface as the circular saw (powdercoated steel, maybe?).

So they probably did soak the wax up and need another coat or three. I thought I let it dry long enough. But everything I know about waxing, I learned from Mr. Miyagi. "Wax on. Wax off."

Important after you apply the wax to buff it completely off whatever you are putting it on. AFter waxing tubes, only wiping it off will leave residue and not feel glass-smooth. Easy to see as you are buffing as the shine really picks up once the wax is buffed off.

Also don't apply too much. Just makes it harder to buff. I have been using the same can of wax for 10 years and I am about half way through the can.

cincinnati wrote:Also don't apply too much. Just makes it harder to buff. I have been using the same can of wax for 10 years and I am about half way through the can.

I guess that would mean the extra can I have is probably another "life time supply". I too have wax left in my first can which was given to me by the guy, at the Dallas Fair, who sold me my Mark V and SPT.