What do you guys use....

....to protect your saw tables?

I'm talking anything that's steel in a humid environment.

Background: I live in an old old house in Toronto. The basement looks like a bomb shelter from WW I. It's got a partially earthen floor. My shop is being set up on the concrete part. I've noticed that throughout the year, specifically in the summer months, the earth floor is quite damp, as is some of the concrete. I'm grateful that my landlord is allowing me to set up the shop, but I don't want to lose the tool beds to rust.

I've read that Johnson's Paste wax is good, but not readily available in Canada. Anyone use Minwax paste wax? There's no Silicon components in it.

I've got Silica packs in my tool boxes, and that also helps. Just looking for something for the sanding and saw tables.

Cheers!

You might try Renwax. My shop is in my garage, and is heated when I am using it in the winter (Minnesota). In the spring when the frost comes out of the ground, the concrete floor sweats. I use whatever car wax I happen to have on my jointer. After writing this, I'm going to try Renwax.

This is the paste wax I use for all of my woodworking: Blue Label® Paste Wax - Lee Valley Tools It is very high quality IMO. Much better than minwax (for woodworking anyways!).

I just Googled "shop tool rust prevention" and came up with this link "http://www.theruststore.com/Power-Tool-Kit-P29C13.aspx" - a place called The Rust Store. They show a two part kit with a cleaner and a rust preventative for table saws, etc. I never tried them, but it might be worth looking at.

Unfortunately they don't ship outside of the United States. Dang, that product seems to do what he wants and is a decent price too. :(

Why not try some auto wax you have on hand first? No need to get all fancy when you are just trying to seal the table top...you might clean it up a bit with a sanding sponge first, but it wouldn't hurt at all for sure.

I was able to find an ebay seller who shipped Johnson's paste wax to Canada (at a very reasonable price).

We'll give that a whirl and see where it goes. It was the one recommended by many of the woodworking forums that I quickly lurked over.

I was in the same boat... bought a dehumidifier and put a little "rust check" on my tables, so far so good.

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).

I bought the Kit from Woodcraft works good so far and easy as pie to use ... All my saws are not in the driest part of the shop either....

here is a link just follow this one to the kits

Buy T-9 Rust Protectant 12 Ounce Spray at Woodcraft

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.

Quote:

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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).

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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.