Another Paste vs T9 thread

[John Sayen]

I'm not sure I understand the differences between Paste Wax and T9 but we now have a bandsaw, table saw, and jointer/planer and feel the need to protect the surfaces.

Is it best to apply johnson paste wax and buff it off, or apply T9 and follow its procedures?

Thank you

John

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

I personally am a fan of Johnson's Paste Wax and have been for many years. Much cheaper than T9 and a can of Johnson's Paste Wax can be picked up at the local big box store for less than 10 bucks. One can should last you a fairly long time.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Go for the Johnson paste wax, I have been using it for over 30 years and still no rust on any of my machines as long as I keep apply it, couple times a year.

[Dick Brown]

Past wax. I have a can of Minwax that I have been using and it seems to work fine. I am sure any good wax similar to Johnsons will do the job equally well.

[Dave Lehnert]

Past wax
But to be fair I never used T9.
Never needed anything better than wax.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I've tried both and don't find the T9 to be any better - just a little easier to apply, perhaps. Not even close to being worth the cost.

[Doug Hepler]

John,

IMO it depends on where your tools are and the climate control in your shop. When I had an unheated & un-cooled shop in St Augustine, FL, a mile from the ocean, I felt that I needed both T9 and paste wax. Without both, it seemed that if I laid a hand on a saw table, the next day there would be a rusty handprint. Somehow, it seemed that T9 sealed the iron from moisture better than the paste wax, while the wax made a slippery surface for saw tables, etc. . I would put on a coat of T9, let it dry an hour and then buff it off by hand. Then I would apply paste wax and buff that off. Then about every 6 months I would repeat the process. I wiped off all of my hand tools with a rag saturated with T9 and paste wax in turpentine. When I lived in Iowa, paste wax was all I needed. Now I live in Colorado and I may not need anything, but I still use my oil pot of paste wax with a spritz of T9 (because I have some T9 left over from Florida.)

Doug

[Von Bickley]

I use Johnsons Paste Wax....

[James Gunning]

I've used both living in Orlando, FL. Didn't test scientifically, but it seemed the T-9 was a bit better than the paste wax. It better be for the cost difference. I've never used both at once, that didn't seem necessary to me. Either works if it is applied frequently enough. I.E. every six months or so. YMMV.

[Van Huskey]

After seeing FWW's objective testing about 5 years ago I switched to CRC 3-36 and have come to the same conclusion they did, it is much better than T-9 or JPW in preventing rust on cast iron. Keep in mind I live in the world of 70% humidity being "low" so if 40% RH is high for you then you may not need the extra protection.

[Mike Ontko]

I live in the Pacific Northwest, less than 5 miles from salt water not to mention that it rains about 8 months out of the year. I've been using Johnson's paste wax by itself as a protective layer for the past 4-5 years with my shop in a 2-car attached garage and haven't seen any signs of oxidation yet. I bought a small can of T-9 a while ago and have been planning to use that as a base layer, with paste wax on top. From what I've read, the T-9 provides resistance against oxidation while the wax topcoat provides added insurance as well as a slick working surface.

[Charles Lent]

My shop is less than 100' from a lake and I have been using Johnsons Paste Wax for years in North Carolina humidity. When doing a new machine or completely re-doing an older machine, I always apply WD-40 first and let it soak in over night, then wipe off the excess and apply 2-3 coats of wax, letting each coat dry to a haze and then buff it off before applying the next coat. When using the machines, I usually apply a new coat about once per week or whenever things don't seem to slide easily. I also lubricate the trunions gears, and other sliding saw parts using a tooth brush and paste wax applied thick. The wax surface dries to keep saw dust from sticking to it, so the trunions and gears stay cleaner. I only oil my table saw where there are rotating parts going through metal or bushings. For these points I like to use a Teflon base oil like Tri-Flow. All of my machinery cast iron parts are treated pretty much the same way. Rust has never been a problem as long as the wax is still on it, but I do get rust if I fail to keep the wax on everything. My DeWalt 788 scroll saw table gets waxed before every use, but If I fail to put a coat on it after a long day of use, the front edge of the table where my hands rub can sometimes rust over night, requiring extra cleaning and waxing the next morning

Charley