Wax

Dennis Allen

Member
Messages
10
Hello All,

Ok, I unpacked my new saw today to get it ready to assemble tomorrow.
I waxed every powder coated part inside and out of the saw with the best automotive wax I could get a hold of.
(Thinking that sawdust will be cleared from the surface easily, at least for awhile.)
Now my question is what am I do put on this beautiful cast iron table to preserve it's current state?
Is there something you all use, PAM?, a mineral oil?, wax? Maybe a coat of clear something? Laquer?
Or nothing at all, I just want to do it right and not have a rusty stained mess in 6 months. I live in the Northeast and it gets quite humid here sometimes.
I know it can't be WD-40 as that is silicone based and could cause problems with wood finishing.

Thank you for any help, advice, or criticism you may offer!

Ron
 
Keep the car wax away from the top!!! Use a good furniture/floor paste wax like Johnson's. There are a couple others that are the same type of stuff. Personally, I use the Boeshield top coat and that after it has dried for a good 24 hours and buffed I then use the Johnson's wax on top of that. Jim.
 
I wax mine every once in awhile with Johnson Paste Wax. I don't do it often enough but I live in an arid climate and rust is not a big problem. Some people have other favorites, for sure and I am sure they will chime in. This subject is discussed every once in a while. I know it can be a real chore in humid climates.
 
Your preference may depend on your climate. I am in So Cal and have used Johnson's Paste Wax on all my bare cast iron about twice a year for years and years; still looks good.

TS-Wax-Job-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
So far good luck with Johnsons here as well - although I'm also in pretty dry climate.

If you go the wax route, rub in some talc (aka baby powder) in with the first couple of coats. It will fill in any small gaps in the cast iron and really does appear (to me - not saying its not all in my head) to smooth out the surface a little better than just wax alone.
 
Another vote for paste furniture wax, like Johnson's. When the cast iron is new, it is pretty absorbent so you may need to rewax it in a day or two, then in a week, then in a month, etc. until it becomes once or twice per year.

Auto wax often contains silicone, so I would keep it away from your woodworking equipment.
 
Keep the car wax away from the top!!! Use a good furniture/floor paste wax like Johnson's. There are a couple others that are the same type of stuff. Personally, I use the Boeshield top coat and that after it has dried for a good 24 hours and buffed I then use the Johnson's wax on top of that. Jim.

No one has mentioned it....

The REASON you keep car wax away from the top (and all other wood touching surfaces) is that many car waxes contain silicone. Silicone resists most products we use to color and protect wood (stains, lacquer, urethane, etc) so any transfer from the tool to the wood is bad. While it hasn't been proven this will happen, most people (myself included) think this is a "better safe than sorry" situation. Use a non-silicone product.

Personally, I just use Johnson's Paste Wax (located in the flooring section of your local BORG). $8 tin lasts for a couple years and gets used on all my cast iron (table saw, drill press, vises, hand planes) and also goes on my handsaws so they slide easy through cuts.
 
Last edited:
Another Johnson's wax user here. Another reason is lack of friction. Did this in a class a number of years ago. Sprinkled a little sawdust on the saw top on either side of the blade after applying car wax on one side and furniture paste wax on the other. We placed a small block of wood on the table and blew it off. Used our mouths, not an air compressor. The block on the furniture wax side slid right off. The same block on the car wax side sort of 'stuck'. Conclusion: furniture wax is slipperier. Don't want any sort of binding when passing wood through the blade. Not a major issue but every little bit helps, and they all add up.

FWIW.
 
I don't use wax for anything in the shop, not on machinery or tools, or even on woodworking. Topcote works well on saw tables.


MikesMasterLogo2.gif

movingplane1.gif

.
 
Top