Thread: What do you guys use....

I worked in a machine shop for a while as a kid doing cleanup. Everything at the end of the day was brushed off with an oily paintbrush.

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

Renaissance was. Do NOT use a paste wax. Auto waxes or carnuba wax will ware off and you will end up with a thin coat of wax on your wood that has to be sanded off before finishing. If not, you will end up with a blotchy finish. The key is crystalline wax, which is what renaissance wax is. It hardens and stays. Make sure you clean your tables before you apply it. Wipe them down with acetone (dries fast and does not leave a residue) the apply 3 coats of the wax being sparing, it does not take much. If you put your sweaty hand on the cast iron, then wax it, you will wax in your hand print and over the next few weeks get an interesting palm print that cannot be removed because it is under the wax. If you have surface rust, sand it with some 400 grit and a finishing sander to clean it, then wipe it down, then apply the wax (with a clean dry towel).

How about this? Conservator's Wax® - Lee Valley Tools

It's the same composition as Ren Wax, and is available to me without shipping (I can drive 10 minutes to Lee Valley).

As long as it is a crystalline wax, you are good to go. I use it on all my wood working equipment. I usually give it a fresh coat(s) twice a year. Spring and Fall. The kit you get from woodcraft is essentially the same thing.

according to the website, it's a microcrystalline wax. so, i think that's the same thing.