I have an old can - 25-30 years old - of White Diamond Butcher's Paste Wax. Old enough that it's changed names and companies. The wax in the can is hard and breaks into chunks, very difficult to apply. Once upon a time it was much softer and easily applied but it's dried out and most of the solvents are gone. The can says cleanup is with turpentine or mineral spirits. I'm thinking that if I add a small amount of solvent, I can soften the wax back up and make it easier to use. Alternately, I could try to melt it in the can with a heat gun, very gently. Which do you suggest I try?
Also, when I do manage to get a coat on the metal, it's nearly impossible to buff out because it's so sticky. I have just been using an old t-shirt and hand pressure, but it's not working great. My concern is that if I buff it out mechanically, there are a couple machines such as my planer bed, I cant get a mechanical buffer in there so it will have to be done by hand. Any ideas?
Finally I am wondering if I should just skip the wax and continue using Boeshield T9, which I started using many years ago instead of the wax. Seems to work OK for the short term but wears off very quickly. It's slick but short-lived.
It's been so many years since I actually waxed machinery tables, I forgot what to do.