Minwax vs. Johnson for your iron

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

Reply to
RickS
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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

Reply to
Charlie Self

The wheel reinvented.

Floor wax is indeed different from furniture wax.

Maintenance supply places are where I get what I want. Fingers walk.

Reply to
George

Reply to
nospambob

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

Reply to
Frank Ketchum

"Frank Ketchum" wrote in news:BT2Tc.20984$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net:

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

Reply to
Casey Stamper

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

Reply to
Wanker

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).

Reply to
RickS

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:

Reply to
David

Lowes has it.

David

Frank Ketchum wrote:

Reply to
David

You can always get it directly from the source:

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Latcha - at home in Redford, MI

Reply to
Michael Latcha

I don't let anyone's johnson touch my iron.

Reply to
Fly-by-Night CC

Reply to
nospambob

Owen Lowe states, shortly:

I'm not gonna touch that.

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

Reply to
Charlie Self

I got mine at the local Ace Hardware, in the cleaning supply aisle.

Chad

Reply to
Chad Bender

That's 'cause you don't live in Jersey.

Reply to
Fly-by-Night CC

Owen Lowe responds:

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

Reply to
Charlie Self

Don't look at me, I live in NY.

Bernie

Reply to
Bernie Hunt

"RickS" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

And also, score one for the independent hardware store. Keep those guys in business!

Patriarch

Reply to
patriarch

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:53:23 -0700, Fly-by-Night CC calmly ranted:

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.

  1. The official state bird is now the swallow.

  2. The State baseball team, the Trenton Thunder will now consist exclusively of switch hitters.

  1. All access to state buildings shall be exclusively through the rear entrance.

  2. An announcement will be forthcoming as to the official state fruit.

More to follow

-snip-

------------------------------ Gator: The other white meat! ------------------------------

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

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