How do you wax your iron tops?

[Michael Poller]

(Pardon the pun in the title, couldn't resist, but mods feel free to remove if too risque :D)

So I have searched the forums but found no clear process showing how people wax there steel and iron tool beds.

I am specifically asking about applying paste wax, or butchers wax as some call it, to things like table saw tops, jointer tables and planer tables.

I have tried the hand method, basically the same as waxing a car, and find it cumbersome. I also end up getting to much wax in the miter slots that then needs to be cleaned up making the process even more of a PIA. :mad:

My shop is in the walk-in basement of a raised ranch. I also find that because my basement tends to be cool even on hot days since it is mostly underground without much direct sunlight, the tool tops are cold or cool resulting in difficulty getting the wax to apply and move easily.

My current thought is to do the following:
- Buy a cheap HF buffer/waxer. I am hoping using this will create enough heat to really get the wax on there as well as to get it off.
- Get a few pads for the buffer for wax application, and a few for removal
- Make some filler sticks to sit in the miter slots creating a flat surface. I am hoping this will prevent the wax build up in the slots resulting in less cleanup.

Questions:
- Do you think this is a good way to go? How do you do it?
- With a Dewalt DW735 13" Planer, do you think I will have issues getting the buffer inside the machine to wax the table? (assuming of course I have raised the planer to full height for easier access
- Should I be waxing the table saw t-slot miter slots? How would I go about accomplishing this?

Thanks in advance for any and all opinions and options on this topic.

[Todd Burch]

I buy block paraffin wax - the kind used for canning. Grocery store stuff. One box lasts several years. Comes in blocks. I just block it on and rag it around.

I also block the underside of my jigs - my primary jig being a cross cut sled.

[Michael Poller]

That's a good idea that seems so obvious not that I see it, I'm smacking myself for not thinking of it.

I use Butchers Wax from http://www.bwccompany.com/catalog-butchers.html

Sort of just a holdover as that's what my pops used, so it's what I started using.

My biggest problem stems from how difficult it can be to get enough heat into the wax and the cast iron to get a coat onto the tool top due to how cool my basement stays. Doing it by hand takes a lot of effort and makes my bum shoulder really ache and then i'm down for a day or two until it loosens up enough again to do anything productive w/out pain.

In the deepest of winter it thankfully doesn't go below 40 degrees or so, so nothing freezes, but in the hottest of summer days it barely gets above 65 degrees or so.

[Todd Burch]

They make liquid wax. Watco I think. (or perhaps the age of the can I have is showing my age?) Don't use most car waxes unless you want silicone on your finish.

[Rod Sheridan]

I use Johnsons paste wax and apply it by hand about 4 times per year....Rod.

[Jeff Ranck]

Boeshield sprayed on, let dry, and then paste wax. I live in the pacific NW and so it isn't really that warm most of the year. I don't have any trouble with good old Johnson's paste wax either spreading or buffing. I can do my table saw, jointer, etc. in about 5 min. total start to finish. I just use a rag to spread and buff.

[John Ricci]

I do the same thing as Rod said...JPW about 4 times a year and never a speck of rust on anything.

J.R

[Myk Rian]

Paste wax melted into the surface with a heat gun or hair dryer. Then buff it up.

[Charlie Jones]

Johnson Paste Finishing wax applied with steel wool then buffed by hand. The Finishing wax is softer than the regular.

[glenn bradley]

I guess we can make this as ceremonial and involved as we personally care to. Here's my voodoo method (no real science here):

3 or 4 layers of 4" square cheese cloth laid on top of a 4" square of cotton cloth (old t-shirt, whatever). Drop a blob of JPW on the cheese cloth and fold it up like a shellac pad. Rub the wax on, wait till it just starts to fog and rub it off with paper towels. I do a couple coats a few times a year. Don't forget your TS fence rails and router fence; I always get half cleaned up and then remember. . . Doh!

OK, now that I've told you, I'll have to kill you.

[Tom Hargrove]

I have used bowling alley wax on my machines. It goes on easy, wipes off easy, and protects things nicely in my basement shop.

[Ron Bontz]

Well I always used car wax. But I think I might try the JPW. Sounds like it works well. Since we are on the subject... any good ways to clean up a top to shiny new again?:)

[Jamie Buxton]

Johnson's Paste Wax. Rub it on. Maybe buff, maybe not. Done. Do it any time things don't slide smoothly.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...Rub it on..."

There it is! How hard can it be? How hard does it need to be?

PS No pun or innuendo intended.....

[Bill Houghton]

Well I always used car wax.

Car wax (at least most car wax) has fine abrasives in it - furniture wax is better, in my opinion, for making tool surfaces slippery and rust-resistant.

[Kevin Groenke]

Johnson's seems soft to me, I prefer Minwax, Butchers or Trewax - all of which seem more durable than Johnson's. Trewax smells the best.

http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6995906.jpghttp://www.apccork.com/images/butchers_wax.jpghttp://images.orgill.com/200x200/6584064.jpg

If I'm just doing a couple of surfaces, I just rub on/rub off, but if I'm doing workbenches or a bunch of machine tables, I'll chuck a buffing brush into a drill to save a bit of wear on the shoulders. Brushes of this type seem hard to find but it works great and it would be well worth tracking one down.

http://www.briwax-trg.com/images/drumbrush.jpg

[Andy Bardowell]

Bostik Top Cote

[phil harold]

I use paste wax, White Diamond Bowling Alley Paste Wax, Johnson Paste Wax, or Minwax Paste Finishing Wax (someone just gave me 2 cans of this, that should hold me for 15-20 years)
Cut a a scotch brite bad that fits the round can.
Keep it in the can the scotch brite will help clean up crud that accumulates on surfaces
apply thin coat wide of with rag / papertowel

I apply at my convience every month or two or just before milling a lot of wood

I have also used Slip It, Sil-Free Sliding Compound Gel with good results (even use it on my guns)

[J.R. Rutter]

Mr.Miyagi says:

Wax on left hand clockwise
Wax off right hand counterclockwise

Then you can paint the fence (both sides) and sand the decks.

We just watched Karate Kid the other night, so I am really up to speed on this.

[Cary Falk]

Spray on Boeshield T9 then wipe off. Wait for it to dry and then Minwax paste wax. Wait for it to dry then buff off.

[Mike Armstrong]

Something new I learned recently (and, of course, didn't believe at first) - regular baby powder! Sprinkle generously and rub in with Scotch/3M scrub sponge. Follow with wax if you're inclined to.

My trial on a jointer table and table saw have held up for over 6 mos. I live about 4 mi. from the ocean, so this has been the best and cheapest thing so far.

Mike

[Brian Penning]

Another vote for Topcote.
That being said, I've always wondered if using some wax products would transfer onto the wood, thereby affecting the finishing stage.

[Lee Mitchell]

Well I always used car wax. But I think I might try the JPW. Sounds like it works well. Since we are on the subject... any good ways to clean up a top to shiny new again?:)

Ron, I also use JPW. I keep a wad of t-shirt in the can so it's quick and easy to do a touch up or a full re-do. Oh, a piece of waxed paper is good for a quick make-do till I have more time to devote to the trouble spot.

As to "shiny new again", I don't know of anything short of grinding down to new metal. Wear and tear takes it toll on the surface - everything from drops of sweat to visitor's beverage cans. In time oxidation for one reason or another is just gonna happen. FWIW, I consider those dark spots in the same way I hope folks consider my wrinkles. :)

Seriously, I'd rather the top be a little darker. There's a lot of glare on a shiny new top. Especially when the sun is at just the right angle to hit a top.

Just my 2-cents this morn.
Lee in NC

[Pete Shermet]

Well I always used car wax. But I think I might try the JPW. Sounds like it works well. Since we are on the subject... any good ways to clean up a top to shiny new again?:)
Ron,
Have you ever experienced problems with finishing like fisheye? many automotive waxes use silicone which will give you no end of problems.
That's why many wwr's like JPW. or any non silicone wax for that matter.
Best Regards
Pete

[David DeCristoforo]

"Wax on.....Wax off..."

Brilliant! (Leftacircle, rightacircle...)

Thanx for the chuckle.....

[Michael Poller]

If I'm just doing a couple of surfaces, I just rub on/rub off, but if I'm doing workbenches or a bunch of machine tables, I'll chuck a buffing brush into a drill to save a bit of wear on the shoulders. Brushes of this type seem hard to find but it works great and it would be well worth tracking one down.

http://www.briwax-trg.com/images/drumbrush.jpg


Kevin,

That is what I have been looking for over the last few months but was never able to find!!

That is the reason I have been considering a buffer because I couldn't find something like that.

Does anyone know where to get a good brush or buffer attachement for a drill to accomplish the same goal as using a buffer? Something like seen in the picture? Makes more sense to me to buy an attachement like that for the drill I already own than a new buffer that I'll never use anywhere else.


Thanks,
Mike

[Myk Rian]

Well I always used car wax. But I think I might try the JPW. Sounds like it works well. Since we are on the subject... any good ways to clean up a top to shiny new again?:)
I don't allow silicone in the shop.
I have heard some say that using a fine alum.oxide paper in a straight line sander works. You want to sand front to back, not side to side.

[Brian Kincaid]

Renaissance wax (~$30 per can at Woodcraft :eek:) same as I use on my handplanes.

(impending flames)
:eek:
::Runs away::
Brian

[Rob Diz]

Boeshield, then periodic applications of Briwax. The stuff is soft - at least before all of the Cancer causing Touline dries up. Very easy to apply, no heating, easy to find (Ace or antique furniture store).

4 years and not a speck of rusk on any of my arn, which is kept in my garagemahal - which is heated to 55 in the winter, but not really cooled in the very humid summers.

[Kevin Groenke]

Kevin,

That is what I have been looking for over the last few months but was never able to find!!

That is the reason I have been considering a buffer because I couldn't find something like that.

Does anyone know where to get a good brush or buffer attachement for a drill to accomplish the same goal as using a buffer? Something like seen in the picture? Makes more sense to me to buy an attachement like that for the drill I already own than a new buffer that I'll never use anywhere else.


Thanks,
Mike

HAH!!! Finally found it, just where I originally thought it was:
http://www.vandykes.com/product/sb130030/european-waxing-brush-3-1-2-

http://www.vandykes.com/images/cache/variation/02005457250_229_.jpg


BriWax sells one though they don't list a price.
http://www.briwax-trg.com/brushes.htm#BRUSH

Here's one that's ridiculously expensive:
http://www.thefurnitureconnoisseur.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=667

[chris beserra]

elbow grease :)

[Howard Acheson]

Basically, Boeshield T9 is a wax with some other protecturants in it. Standard BriWax uses toluene as it's thinner/softener which is a quite aggressive chemical. It will immediately dissolve the Boeshield and leave you with just a BriWax finish. BriWax is intended for restoration work and the toluene is a more effective cleaner than the mineral spirits type thinner/solvents used in other furniture paste waxes.

Better is to use the non-toluene formulation of BriWax (BriWax 2000) or use a standard furniture paste wax. These waxes use a mineral spirits type thinner/solvent.

When using the two step approach (Boeshield T9 then a paste wax), be careful not to be too aggressive wiping on the paste wax. The solvents, while less aggressive than toluene, will still want to dissolve the Boeshield. Just apply lightly, then buff.

[Bob Genovesi]

For all my cast iron work surfaces I use a 3M Scotch-Brite pad and Slipit Lubricant. it's specifically designed for woodworking and won't contaminate the wood.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/BobbyG53/slipit.jpg

For everything else I use either a light oil or grease, both synthetic. I've been an advocate of synthetic greases and oils for 30 years. They protect better, last longer and wont break down like conventional petroleum products.

As with all lubricants only a light film is needed so don't overdue it. Folks have a tendency to over lubricate which does more harm then good. Too much lubricant attracts dirt and debris and this acts like lapping compound increasing wear rather than protecting the component.

[David Winer]

For all my cast iron work surfaces I use a 3M Scotch-Brite pad and Slipit Lubricant. it's specifically designed for woodworking and won't contaminate the wood.


I had never heard of this product and did a bit of googling. This interesting review of Slipit is in the Woodworker's Gazette website, here (http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive98/8_7mattslipit1.html). I'm staying with wax.

[Chris Konikowski]

I don't allow silicone in the shop.

Guess my ex wouldn't be allowed in the shop... :D

[Bob Genovesi]

I had never heard of this product and did a bit of googling. This interesting review of Slipit is in the Woodworker's Gazette website, here (http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive98/8_7mattslipit1.html). I'm staying with wax.

Dave,

That's fine and to each his own.

I can only relate to you my personal experiences. I do take exception to an article that intentionally tries to discredit a product by misusing it.

With Slipit, you really aren't sure how much to leave behind. Do you buff it out like wax or leave it a little 'wet'? It doesn't harden like wax but it will give your saw the look of three coats of glossy lacquer - I liked it!

If it looks like three coats of glossy lacquer then it's wet. Would you spray the top of your table saw with WD40 then run your wood through it, of course not.

After leaving what I thought was a thin film I fired up the saw. Feeding a few scraps through the saw left me the impression that Slipit wasn't quite as slippery as a fresh coat of wax but for some reason the pushing seemed more purposeful and deliberate and maybe, more durable. I did notice where my unflat wood had contacted the saw top there were blotches of Slipit accumulating on the wood surface.


Slipit is a great product as long as it's used as its intended.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s225/BobbyG53/instr.jpg

The author of the article intentionally left what appears to be a significant amount of the product on the cast iron surface then ran the wood through it... Have him do the same test and apply a liberal coat of his favorite wax then run a few piece of wood through it and lets just see how it affects the application of a finish such as lacquer.

If you would apply wax then buff the hell out of it why would you treat any other coating product differently? It says; "Wipe off any excess"...

How long does it last?

After about 35 passes through the planer, neither board had begun to grab and I was almost prepared to call the contest a draw. I really didn't want to plane the boards past 3/4" and I was getting tired.This was hard work! Around pass number 42, the Slipit side started to hang.

He almost gave up trying to make it fail but around pass 42 it seems he got his wish.

[Don Orr]

...Wax on, Wax off. Easy.:D

[Myk Rian]

Guess my ex wouldn't be allowed in the shop... :D
:D:D That's terrible. :D:D

[Todd Burch]

Guess my ex wouldn't be allowed in the shop... :D

I see you are fairly new to the forums. Welcome. And, to repeat the most important SMC Mantra... Pictures. We need pictures.

[phil harold]

slipit does not dry hard when left on thick, wipes right off

that article says to coat your saw with wax and not buff it off in-between uses

how much work is it to remove dried, hard, crusty wax off a saw before using it?

that article is skewed...

[Chris Konikowski]

I see you are fairly new to the forums. Welcome. And, to repeat the most important SMC Mantra... Pictures. We need pictures.

LMAO. I had some. They mysteriously disapeared when we got a divorce. :(