Waxing table saws - Why?

[Bill_de]

I do not wax my table whatsoever, but I do apply rust preventative like the T9, after a surface treatment with the WD40.



Simon

You don't wax but use T9 and it is considered (by the manufacturer) to be a lubricant so you still get the benefit that waxing does.  If you use T9, as you know, no need to Wax

T9 is a combination of solvent and paraffin wax. So if you use T9 you do wax your table. You just don't do it intentionally.

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[fredhargis]

Thanks to all for the great responses.  Very informative.  

While doing a bit more surfing for information, I found a fair amount of discussion about lanolin as a protectant against rust, for which it seems to be excellent.  I am not sure how good it is for reducing friction.

Has anyone here used lanolin for this purpose?

BTW, we can't get Johnson's wax in Australia, so I would need to find an equivalent.

I have not and I don't think I want to. There are several brands of paste wax comparable to Johnsons. Look for Bri-wax, Tre-wax, maybe even the Min Wax Paste wax would be suitable.

[kdouglaslee]

It’s not Johnson’s wax, and I could not find anything on the label or online about the water content of the particular brand. Instead I was just googling the water content of floor waxes in general. What I found online matched up with what the guy from Sherwin-Williams was telling me. I’ve always been disappointed with the floor wax, it does not seem to inhibit rust for very long, I don’t know if the water content has anything to do with it but I think I am going to try to Minwax paste wax and see if it lasts longer

[Rob Young]

It’s not Johnson’s wax,  and I could not find anything on the label or online about the water content of the particular brand. Instead I was just googling the water content of floor waxes  in general. What I found online matched up with what the guy from Sherwin-Williams was telling me.   I’ve always been disappointed with the floor wax, it does not seem to inhibit rust for very long, I don’t know if the water content has anything to do with it but I think I am going to try to Minwax paste wax and see if it lasts longer

I wonder if they add the water to floor wax as a way of "automating" a spit-shine? You can use a sprinkle of water and a rag to buff up regular waxes (beeswax based, parafin based, blends) to a higher shine. Ask your friendly neighborhood Marine for details.

[Rob Young]

Thanks to all for the great responses.  Very informative.  

While doing a bit more surfing for information, I found a fair amount of discussion about lanolin as a protectant against rust, for which it seems to be excellent.  I am not sure how good it is for reducing friction.

Has anyone here used lanolin for this purpose?

BTW, we can't get Johnson's wax in Australia, so I would need to find an equivalent.

Quick look at Timbecon's web site and I see "Cabinetmaker's Wax" GS-70404 which says it is beeswax and carnuba. Probably suitable, but interesting that I didn't see BriWax listed.  Good luck with your search.

[Roly]

I use a combination of Bioshied t9 first and buffed out for rust protection, then add a coat of Johnsons paste wax to make it slicker than the Bioshield.  When the saw is not in use I clean the saw dust off and cover it with a cloth.   Seems to work and it is 3 or 4 months before I recoat.   Roly

[Handplanesandmore]

I have NEVER had an issue with paste wax “attracting dust”. The process is to rub on the wax, let it dry, then buff it. The wax layer left behind is pretty much unmeasurable. And dust simply blows off.

Ralph,
The humidity in my shop last Wed. was 72% (could be higher if I checked it earlier in the day), 28% in my house!!! I am pretty sure wax wouldn't work for me as a rust preventative. Not only machines, but hand tools get rust spots if I am not diligent. Unfortunately, my shop has no room for a dehumidifier.

Simon

[MichaelMouse]

Ralph,
The humidity in my shop last Wed. was 72% (could be higher if I checked it earlier in the day), 28% in my house!!! I am pretty sure wax wouldn't work for me as a rust preventative. Not only machines, but hand tools get rust spots if I am not diligent. Unfortunately, my shop has no room for a dehumidifier.

Simon

So the wood could be 14 percent in the shop and 6 in the house?  Better build tight, or things might shrink enough to rattle.

I have to build loose in the winter with 4-5 percent wood by December.

[Handplanesandmore]

So the wood could be 14 percent in the shop and 6 in the house?  Better build tight, or things might shrink enough to rattle.

I have to build loose in the winter with 4-5 percent wood by December.

Unless plywood is used, I use moisture content and wood species to find out the expansion/contraction information for many of my projects. I store wood in the shop as well as in the shed, and that also affects the wood I use and the need for acclimation.

Simon

[Reverb]

I live about a mile east of the Chesapeake and about 5 miles west of the Atlantic, where we get heavy, heavy dew (your boots will get completely soaked just walking across the lawn) pretty much every morning from ~ March to November, and the only thing I've found that protects the cast iron tables in my shop from rusting overnight is a coating of 50-50 drain oil and kerosene, squirted on and then leveled with a rag. 

Each night I put it on, and the next day I use the machine, I wipe it off with rags or wood chips/sawdust. 

I've tried paste wax and various sprays, pastes and goos, and this is the only thing that works reliably. 

Sometimes after squirting the oil/kero on, I shake some baby powder talc on top before wiping. This supposedly fills the pits in the CI and helps reduce surface area (fewer places for water vapor to condense) and rusting.