Having purchased my first iron machine (a General 650) just a few months
ago, and living is South Florida, where looking at metal causes it to rust,
I turned to the net for advice on protection.
There have been many threads (including a recent one) that suggest wax
treatments for tables saws (and other iron). Brands of paste wax most often
mentioned are Johnson's, Minwax, and Butchers. My local BORG only had
Minwax, so that's what I got, and its done a pretty good job of keeping the
table clear of rust.
Apparently, these wax treatments are also supposed to make the table slick,
so that wood kind of floats as you feed it into the blade. This, I did not
find to be true. In fact, even though I had buffed and buffed, the Minwax
left a finish that if anything *resisted* wood being passed over it. I was
perplexed until someone in that recent WRECK thread suggested that the
Minwax people say their product contains a "non-slip" additive. Ah ha!
So, I went on a scouring search for Johnson's. This stuff is not easy to
find, but finally today I was in a no-name hardware shop that happened to
have two tins. I brought one home.
Not only is the Johnson's easier to apply (it is softer, and also seems to
glaze over faster and more consistently), but what a difference it makes to
the feed factor! I mean, its like I have to hold the wood back. I now use
a push stick on the other side of the table to counteract the inertia of the
initial movement toward the blade. Ripping 8ft maple boards feels like
being in a some kind of lost Stanley Kubrick movie about woodworking in
3001.
In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
/rick
RickS writes:
>So, I went on a scouring search for Johnson's. This stuff is not easy to
>find, but finally today I was in a no-name hardware shop that happened to
>have two tins. I brought one home.
>
>Not only is the Johnson's easier to apply (it is softer, and also seems to
>glaze over faster and more consistently), but what a difference it makes to
>the feed factor! I mean, its like I have to hold the wood back. I now use
>a push stick on the other side of the table to counteract the inertia of the
>initial movement toward the blade. Ripping 8ft maple boards feels like
>being in a some kind of lost Stanley Kubrick movie about woodworking in
>3001.
>
>In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
Why is Johnson's hard to find in some areas? Check grocery stores, floor care
products, and you almost always find it fast.
Yes, Johnson's is better for tabletop use. Minwax is designed to reduce
slipping on floors and other surfaces, so is less than ideal for surfaces, such
as your table saw top, where you want wood to glide easily. Quite probably it's
a simple difference, more beeswax in the Minwax and more paraffin wax in the
Johnson's, with about the same amount of carnauba to harden the final result.
Charlie Self
"Inanimate objects are classified scientifically into three major categories -
those that don't work, those that break down and those that get lost." Russell
Baker
>Yes, Johnson's is better for tabletop use. Minwax is designed to reduce
>slipping on floors and other surfaces, so is less than ideal for surfaces,
>such
>as your table saw top, where you want wood to glide easily. Quite probably
>it's
>a simple difference, more beeswax in the Minwax and more paraffin wax in the
>Johnson's, with about the same amount of carnauba to harden the final result.
>
>Charlie Self
Minwax and most other "floor" waxes are required to add anti-slip additives in
order to meet OSHA requirements for commercial usage. Johnson's was
grandfathered out of the regs and can still call their product a floor wax
without the additives. I do not believe that I have seen any other wax that
states it is a floor wax that doesn't have the additive. The bowling alley wax
(Butchers?) may be an exception if it specifies use on the alley and not on
floors you are supposed to walk on. However, any intelligent commercial user
will steer very clear from Johnsons for (non-bowling alley) floor use unless
they like paying legal bills and settlements. The school district I work for
has numerous wood floored gyms and other wood floors. We specifically require
the OSHA regs be met by any floor wax purchased. I have my can of Johnsons at
home though :)
Dave Hall
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Minwax and most other "floor" waxes are required to add anti-slip additives in
> order to meet OSHA requirements for commercial usage. Johnson's was
> grandfathered out of the regs and can still call their product a floor wax
> without the additives. I do not believe that I have seen any other wax that
> states it is a floor wax that doesn't have the additive.
>
Well, unless those regulations are very recent, I can report that Trewax
certainly doesn't seem to have those additives. I don't have the can
handy. but my tablesaw top gets quite slippery when waxed with it.
--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?
>Well, unless those regulations are very recent, I can report that Trewax
>certainly doesn't seem to have those additives. I don't have the can
>handy. but my tablesaw top gets quite slippery when waxed with it.
Can't say I have ever seen a can of Trewax. Does it state on the can that it is
a floor wax like Johnsons and Minwax do?
Dave Hall
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> >Well, unless those regulations are very recent, I can report that Trewax
> >certainly doesn't seem to have those additives. I don't have the can
> >handy. but my tablesaw top gets quite slippery when waxed with it.
>
> Can't say I have ever seen a can of Trewax. Does it state on the can that it is
> a floor wax like Johnsons and Minwax do?
>
I'll look when I go out to the shop and post later, but I think it does.
--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > Can't say I have ever seen a can of Trewax. Does it state on the can that it is
> > a floor wax like Johnsons and Minwax do?
> >
> I'll look when I go out to the shop and post later, but I think it does.
>
OK, I looked. It does indeed state that it is floor wax, but it also
says, in fine print on the back, that it has anti-slip additives. So in
fact I was wrong.
In the real world, however, I just waxed my workbench in preparation for
a glue-up, and if that's non-slip I'd hate to use the slick stuff :-).
So I'll continue to use the Trewax as long as I can find it. The
partial can I've got is probably good for another year. It just seems
to work so well for me - they claim a high carnuba content and maybe
that's the difference.
Our high humidity is in the winter. When it gets really cold (high for
the day below freezing) I don't work in the shop. So I seldom wax in
the winter. And I've never had any rust on any of the cast iron tables.
OK, there was the time I left a load of green lumber sit on the tablesaw
over the weekend :-).
--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?
Several suggest either for same use so equivalent for them. Johnsons
or Trewax.
On 15 Aug 2004 00:36:28 GMT, [email protected] (David Hall) wrote:
>>Well, unless those regulations are very recent, I can report that Trewax
>>certainly doesn't seem to have those additives. I don't have the can
>>handy. but my tablesaw top gets quite slippery when waxed with it.
>
>Can't say I have ever seen a can of Trewax. Does it state on the can that it is
>a floor wax like Johnsons and Minwax do?
>
>Dave Hall
HD & Lowes doesn't and visiting relatives 250 miles away the local Ace
had Johnsons and Trewax on same shelf. NOW new Do It Right has
Johnsons but boxes don't. Same with Zinssers Seal Coat, boxes don't
carry but Do It Right does.
On 13 Aug 2004 08:32:10 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
wrote:
>Why is Johnson's hard to find in some areas? Check grocery stores, floor care
>products, and you almost always find it fast.
On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 01:59:26 GMT, patriarch
<<patriarch>[email protected]> wrote:
>And also, score one for the independent hardware store. Keep those guys in
>business!
When looking for anything involved in finishing, don't forget the
independent paint stores.
Barry
The wheel reinvented.
Floor wax is indeed different from furniture wax.
Maintenance supply places are where I get what I want. Fingers walk.
"RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Having purchased my first iron machine (a General 650) just a few months
> ago, and living is South Florida, where looking at metal causes it to
rust,
> I turned to the net for advice on protection.
>
> There have been many threads (including a recent one) that suggest wax
> treatments for tables saws (and other iron). Brands of paste wax most
often
> mentioned are Johnson's, Minwax, and Butchers. My local BORG only had
> Minwax, so that's what I got, and its done a pretty good job of keeping
the
> table clear of rust.
>
> Apparently, these wax treatments are also supposed to make the table
slick,
> so that wood kind of floats as you feed it into the blade. This, I did
not
> find to be true. In fact, even though I had buffed and buffed, the Minwax
> left a finish that if anything *resisted* wood being passed over it. I
was
> perplexed until someone in that recent WRECK thread suggested that the
> Minwax people say their product contains a "non-slip" additive. Ah ha!
>
I,ve been looking for Johnson`s floor wax for quite some time here in
Michigan....gave up and was different products; wife found some at
Walmart......works better n is cheaper to buy. High humidty causes rust,
once cleaned, wax it up and we are in business, wood glides along easily.
Thought it was a joke at first, but you guys know what your talking
about..ok.......
"B a r r y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 01:59:26 GMT, patriarch
> <<patriarch>[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> >And also, score one for the independent hardware store. Keep those guys
in
> >business!
>
> When looking for anything involved in finishing, don't forget the
> independent paint stores.
>
> Barry
"Charlie Self" <[email protected]> wrote ...
>
> Why is Johnson's hard to find in some areas? Check grocery stores, floor
care
> products, and you almost always find it fast.
I think it depends where you are.
When I lived up North, I remember seeing Johnson's in grocery stores. It
was something I noticed because my mother used it years ago, and the tin is
distinctive.
Here, down South, the grocery stores don't seem to have it -- I checked 4 or
5 (from different chains). The BORGS don't have it, and one or two hardware
stores I checked don't have it. I was about to try and order it off the
web, when I happened by a small hardware shop and thought "what the heck",
and went in to find it stocked.
/rick (from Plantation, FL).
"RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
>
Rick,
Thanks for posting this. I have had the same experience with Minwax and I
just figured it was my fault somehow. Looks like I need to locate some
Johnson's wax!
Frank
I use SCJohnson's Wax on the cast surfaces of my shop
equipment too. BUT, I enhance the slipperiness further by
spraying a light coat of Ez-Glide, available at the Borg.
It's a non-silicone dry lubricant and makes for an awesomely
slippery surface. It doesn't contaminate the wood. I buff
it off a few seconds after application. It evaporates in a
couple of seconds.
David
RickS wrote:
> Having purchased my first iron machine (a General 650) just a few months
> ago, and living is South Florida, where looking at metal causes it to rust,
> I turned to the net for advice on protection.
>
> There have been many threads (including a recent one) that suggest wax
> treatments for tables saws (and other iron). Brands of paste wax most often
> mentioned are Johnson's, Minwax, and Butchers. My local BORG only had
> Minwax, so that's what I got, and its done a pretty good job of keeping the
> table clear of rust.
>
> Apparently, these wax treatments are also supposed to make the table slick,
> so that wood kind of floats as you feed it into the blade. This, I did not
> find to be true. In fact, even though I had buffed and buffed, the Minwax
> left a finish that if anything *resisted* wood being passed over it. I was
> perplexed until someone in that recent WRECK thread suggested that the
> Minwax people say their product contains a "non-slip" additive. Ah ha!
>
> So, I went on a scouring search for Johnson's. This stuff is not easy to
> find, but finally today I was in a no-name hardware shop that happened to
> have two tins. I brought one home.
>
> Not only is the Johnson's easier to apply (it is softer, and also seems to
> glaze over faster and more consistently), but what a difference it makes to
> the feed factor! I mean, its like I have to hold the wood back. I now use
> a push stick on the other side of the table to counteract the inertia of the
> initial movement toward the blade. Ripping 8ft maple boards feels like
> being in a some kind of lost Stanley Kubrick movie about woodworking in
> 3001.
>
> In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
>
> /rick
>
>
>
Lowes has it.
David
Frank Ketchum wrote:
> "RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
>>
>
>
> Rick,
>
> Thanks for posting this. I have had the same experience with Minwax and I
> just figured it was my fault somehow. Looks like I need to locate some
> Johnson's wax!
>
> Frank
>
>
"Frank Ketchum" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
> "RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
>>
>
> Rick,
>
> Thanks for posting this. I have had the same experience with Minwax
> and I just figured it was my fault somehow. Looks like I need to
> locate some Johnson's wax!
>
> Frank
>
>
I found some a while back at one of the BORGs (I don't remember which
one). It wasn't on the shelf - I actually had to ask somebody to look in
the back to see if they had any.
Casey
_____________________________________
delete the nospam to email me
"RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
<snip>
>
> So, I went on a scouring search for Johnson's. This stuff is not easy
> to find, but finally today I was in a no-name hardware shop that
> happened to have two tins. I brought one home.
>
<snip>
> In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
>
And also, score one for the independent hardware store. Keep those guys in
business!
Patriarch
"George Berlinger" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> I,ve been looking for Johnson`s floor wax for quite some time here in
> Michigan....gave up and was different products; wife found some at
> Walmart......works better n is cheaper to buy. High humidty causes
> rust, once cleaned, wax it up and we are in business, wood glides
> along easily. Thought it was a joke at first, but you guys know what
> your talking about..ok.......
Some of us. Occaisionally. On some topics. When the moon is in the right
phase. If your lucky.
It is still USENET. Take advice with a grain of salt.
But in this case....
Patriarch
"RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So, I went on a scouring search for Johnson's. This stuff is not easy to
> find, but finally today I was in a no-name hardware shop that happened to
> have two tins. I brought one home.
You can always get it directly from the source:
http://www.scjbrands.com/mailorder/
Michael Latcha - at home in Redford, MI
Having lived near the ocean in new england and having several cast machines
i found that a "Hot Wax" treatment was best.
Clean the table up real good and dress it out with fine wet/dry using
kerosene or such solvent to lift out any rust etc.
Clean surface well with denatured alchohol.
Put the solvents away and dispose of any rags etc,,,
Heat the table up with a torch or heat gun and melt the wax onto the
surface, then use a sharp scraper to remove the excess. IIRC i used beeswax.
Vin
"RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Having purchased my first iron machine (a General 650) just a few months
> ago, and living is South Florida, where looking at metal causes it to
rust,
> I turned to the net for advice on protection.
>
> There have been many threads (including a recent one) that suggest wax
> treatments for tables saws (and other iron). Brands of paste wax most
often
> mentioned are Johnson's, Minwax, and Butchers. My local BORG only had
> Minwax, so that's what I got, and its done a pretty good job of keeping
the
> table clear of rust.
>
> Apparently, these wax treatments are also supposed to make the table
slick,
> so that wood kind of floats as you feed it into the blade. This, I did
not
> find to be true. In fact, even though I had buffed and buffed, the Minwax
> left a finish that if anything *resisted* wood being passed over it. I
was
> perplexed until someone in that recent WRECK thread suggested that the
> Minwax people say their product contains a "non-slip" additive. Ah ha!
>
> So, I went on a scouring search for Johnson's. This stuff is not easy to
> find, but finally today I was in a no-name hardware shop that happened to
> have two tins. I brought one home.
>
> Not only is the Johnson's easier to apply (it is softer, and also seems to
> glaze over faster and more consistently), but what a difference it makes
to
> the feed factor! I mean, its like I have to hold the wood back. I now
use
> a push stick on the other side of the table to counteract the inertia of
the
> initial movement toward the blade. Ripping 8ft maple boards feels like
> being in a some kind of lost Stanley Kubrick movie about woodworking in
> 3001.
>
> In short, Johnson's 1, Minwax 0.
>
> /rick
>
>
>
Make that Do It Best.
On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 08:28:19 -0400, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>NOW new Do It Right has Johnsons but boxes don't.
In article <[email protected]>,
"RickS" <rick --dot-- s --at-- comcast.net> wrote:
> Having purchased my first iron machine (a General 650) just a few months
> ago, and living is South Florida, where looking at metal causes it to rust,
> I turned to the net for advice on protection.
I don't let anyone's johnson touch my iron.
--
Owen Lowe and his Fly-by-Night Copper Company
--
"Osama WHO?" asked *.
On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:53:23 -0700, Fly-by-Night CC
<[email protected]> calmly ranted:
>In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote:
>
>> >I don't let anyone's johnson touch my iron.
>>
>> I'm not gonna touch that.
>
>That's 'cause you don't live in Jersey. <s>
Speakin' o' Joisey, this just hit my inbox:
-snip-
Now the jokes start
Lord knows where it will end..............
With today's announcement by Governor McGreevy of his resignation due
to his affir with a man, the New Jersey legislate has announced the
following proclamations,
1. The official state song is now God Save the Queen.
2. The official state bird is now the swallow.
3. The State baseball team, the Trenton Thunder will now consist
exclusively of switch hitters.
5. All access to state buildings shall be exclusively through the
rear entrance.
6. An announcement will be forthcoming as to the official state
fruit.
More to follow
-snip-
------------------------------
Gator: The other white meat!
------------------------------
http://www.diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development
Don't look at me, I live in NY.
Bernie
"Fly-by-Night CC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote:
>
> > >I don't let anyone's johnson touch my iron.
> >
> > I'm not gonna touch that.
>
> That's 'cause you don't live in Jersey. <s>
>
> --
> Owen Lowe and his Fly-by-Night Copper Company
> --
>
> "Osama WHO?" asked *.
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote:
> >I don't let anyone's johnson touch my iron.
>
> I'm not gonna touch that.
That's 'cause you don't live in Jersey. <s>
--
Owen Lowe and his Fly-by-Night Copper Company
--
"Osama WHO?" asked *.
Owen Lowe responds:
>In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote:
>
>> >I don't let anyone's johnson touch my iron.
>>
>> I'm not gonna touch that.
>
>That's 'cause you don't live in Jersey.
I absolutely KNEW there was something really good about my life. I lived in
Josey for a couple months, once, but that was over 40 years ago, and has purty
much wore off by now.
Charlie Self
"Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen." Ambrose Bierce, The
Devil's Dictionary