Minwax vs. Johnson for your iron

[David Hall]

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

[B a r r y]

When looking for anything involved in finishing, don't forget the independent paint stores.

Barry

[Larry Blanchard]

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.

[George Berlinger]

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.......

[David Hall]

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

[patriarch]

"George Berlinger" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

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

[nospambob]

[Larry Blanchard]

I'll look when I go out to the shop and post later, but I think it does.

[Larry Blanchard]

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 :-).