How often do you wax your TS top?

[Bobby O'Neal]

I feel like I wax mine more often than "normal" but I really have nothing to base that on. I ususally do it between projects. So that may be every 5-10 hours of use, I'm guessing. Also I wonder if waxing mine so frequently is useful to me because it masks some of the inferiority of my saw, which is a 20 year old Craftsman contractor. Don't get me wrong, its a decent saw for me but I have a feeling that a fresh coat of wax really covers up some of the sticky spots that are just part of this saw.

[del schisler]

I feel like I wax mine more often than "normal" but I really have nothing to base that on. I ususally do it between projects. So that may be every 5-10 hours of use, I'm guessing. Also I wonder if waxing mine so frequently is useful to me because it masks some of the inferiority of my saw, which is a 20 year old Craftsman contractor. Don't get me wrong, its a decent saw for me but I have a feeling that a fresh coat of wax really covers up some of the sticky spots that are just part of this saw.

I wouldn't wax the top. If wax get's on the wood and stay's their after sanding the finish will not adhear to it ??? Why don't you use T9 and you will only use it maybe a couple time's a month. Depends on use that is what i use and find it very good. Talk about slick onnce you use it I won't use nothing else .Here is the link I belive sear's has it now. I don't buy tool's at sear's but T9 and rust off is ok the link http://boeshield.com/

[Derek Stockley]

usually spring and fall. I make it part of a bigger cleaning and maintenance day and I check the alignments, look for loose nuts and bolts, inspect the belt and the blade, and put a straight edge across the extension wings.

[Bill Huber]

I use only Johnson's wax on my table saw, band saw, router table and sander. I redo it as needed, for me the table saw gets the most use and it will get rewaxed every month or two. The router table is next and it will get a wax job maybe 4 times a year.

I also use Johnson's wax on my router bases and my skill saw, it helps there also. About once a year I do a clamp cleaning and then give them a good coat of wax.

I am not sure why Del stated not to wax the top if the saw, I have never had a problem with getting wax on anything. I put the wax on let is dry just a little and then buff it off.

[Dave Wagner]

Ditto on what Bill says, I use Johnsons paste wax after every 2-3 times use....put on, then wipe off...

[Charles Lent]

I use Johnson's Paste Wax on my cast iron tops, on the gears and trunion ways of my Unisaw, on my router bases, hand saws, circular saw base, and on my clamps. I've never had a finishing problem on wood that has come into contact with it. I usually do everything about twice a year at tune-up time or whenever things don't slide like they should. I've tried other products including Boeshield and always came back to Johnson's Paste Wax.

Charley

[glenn bradley]

I also do what Bill does (probably learned it from him ;)). I do my tops when I notice one is not as slippery as I like or if I detect any hint of a shadow trying to show up in the iron. A pretty good hint is if you are having to 'heave' your material through the cut, it should slide through like 'buttah'. In SoCal the interval boils down to a few times a year.

I have never had a finish problem from wax transferring to the material. Granted, the types of things I make never go from the machine to the finish without a lot of hand activity in between. I spray my blades with T-9 after cleaning but find T-9 takes more effort than I care to put out to make it slippery on machine tops (I do love their Rust-Free product). Wax on, wax off :).

[Kent A Bathurst]

I use the Johnsons, but not nearly often enough. When I get around to a general cleaning, I'll do it, and also when I am getting prepared for a major project. Don't forget to wax the TS fence and jointer fence - that makes a huge difference in my experience.

[Rick Lizek]

http://www.slipit.com/prodsfsc.html
We keep a can of paste wax, Sprayway SP-295 or Slip It near the machines and keep the jointer tables, planer beds, router bases, tables saw fences...faces and tracks regularly waxed as much as necessary to keep the tables slick. Whenever the surfaces seem to get grabby it gets waxed. On a jointer it might get waxed every hour or so. I have been doing this practice for 40 years in commercial shops and have never had any finishing issues whatsoever.
All the other shops I know do the same thing!

There's also Sprayway SP-295 and you can do table tops and router bearings. I buy it by the case and it costs $4 for a 12 oz spray can.
http://www.emisupply.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=9617

[Gary Hodgin]

Bobby,
I use furniture wax (normally miniwax, johnson's, or briwax) similarly to the way you do. I like for my tables (table saw, jointer, planer, band saw, router) to be slick. I've never had a finishing problem due to waxing my tables, knock on wood. I use T-9 when I know I'm not going to be using stuff for at least a couple of days.
Gary

[Bill Huber]

To add to this here in Texas we have this saying in the shop. If it moves shoot it, if it doesn't wax it.....:D

[Bobby O'Neal]

To add, I am using Johnson's as well. I suppose its all preference. As often as I do it, I've found that it only takes one coat. I hit the saw top, fence and rails, and miter gauge and the whole process takes maybe 15 minutes. Leaves it very slick and a joy to work on.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Oh, and also to add, I've not had any finish issues either. This one puzzles me, though it doesn't take much to acomplish that. Isn't wax used in many finishing techniques?

[Matt Kestenbaum]

I wax the surfaces in my shop depending on use, shop humidity, and anytime things don't seem to slide with ease. In the winter once or twice over the season will do just fine, but in the summer it is a lot more frequent as my basement shop in central NJ can get very humid. My preference is to spray with Boeshield T-9, let it set for 10-15 minutes and then buff out with a dry cotton cloth. I will then wipe on a coating of Trewax and after it hazes, buff it out too.

[Cody Colston]

I use Johnson Paste Wax. About once a month I'll re-wax the cast iron table tops in my shop. I use it on the TS trunnions, too. I've never had it interfere with the finish and have never heard of it happening, either.

[Myk Rian]

I wax mine a couple times a year. I use a heat gun to melt it into the surface, then buff it.

[Randy Dutkiewicz]

To add to this here in Texas we have this saying in the shop. If it moves shoot it, if it doesn't wax it.....:D

LOL!!! I love it!!!

[Randy Dutkiewicz]

I apply a coat of Johnson's paste wax once I complete a project. If I go a month of no woodworking (yes, it has happened:() then I re-coat all my CI surfaces. As a matter of fact, I just applied a new coat this afternoon to everything. Like Glenn said, once I see that "shadow" on the iron, I re-apply.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I use paraffin on my cast iron. I use a grater (don't let SWMBO find out about using it) and grate some paraffin, which I dissolve in deoderized mineral spirits. I put this mixture into a spray bottle from HD ($0.99). Spray top and let MS evaporate, and then buff top. In cold weather, paraffin hardens, so I place spray bottle in a pan of warm water. I usually do tops about twice a year.

[shane lyall]

On a jointer it might get waxed every hour
Glad I'm not the only one! I wax the jointer every few days at least and thought I was over doing it. I like the board to feel like it floats across the knifes.

[Russell Johnson]

I wax mine when it feels like I need it. My table is aluminum so I don't need to do it to protect from rust but I find with some wax everything just works better.

[Jerome Hanby]

I bet he was thinking auto wax (the stuff with silicon in it). I also use Johnson's. I don't have any particular schedule. I re-wax when I notice things are not sliding across the table as smoothly as they once did.


I use only Johnson's wax on my table saw, band saw, router table and sander. I redo it as needed, for me the table saw gets the most use and it will get rewaxed every month or two. The router table is next and it will get a wax job maybe 4 times a year.

I also use Johnson's wax on my router bases and my skill saw, it helps there also. About once a year I do a clamp cleaning and then give them a good coat of wax.

I am not sure why Del stated not to wax the top if the saw, I have never had a problem with getting wax on anything. I put the wax on let is dry just a little and then buff it off.

[Cary Falk]

I T9 and wax my tools 2-3 times a year.

[Brian Deakin]

I live in the United Kingdom and it was suggested to me to use PTFE. spray

Does anyone have any thoughts on the merits of using this product

regards Brian