Paste Wax versus Bostik Topcote

[spacebluesonoma]

Well i am finally home, the weather is finally cooperating and i am finally able to get my new shop set up and tackle the rust on my table saw and jointer. Removal is no longer the problem (thanks for all tips and advice). Once its gone it had been recommended to use paste wax. I could not find any Johnsons which is my favorite, so i picked up a can of Butcher's Bowling Alley Clear paste wax which appears to be essientally the same.

A local rockler opened in the 23 mos i was a way and after i discovered it today i stopped in. I found a can of Bostik Topcote that looked promising. The gentlemen at the store said he would recommend this over the paste wax. the can claims to stop rust, reduce friction and hang ups, and not build up even after several applications.

my thought was to treat my saw with one and my jointer with the other and compare the two. problem is it is probably fair to say that the saw will see more use than the jointer.

anyway i have gotten a lot of great advice here, and i come again asking for more of the same

which do you folks prefer? who uses what and why?

thanks for your time

ed

[BadgerDave]

I use TopCote® and really like the way it works but most of all the way it goes on. Spray it on, let it dry and wipe it off. Wax is good but this stuff is easier. What it says on the can is also true.

[Dick B.]

I use Topcoat on my TS, Jointer, OSS, and Planer table. Have had no problems with rust and I live in the Northwest. I find it easy to use. Dick B.

[rmacmec]

Either will do fine. I prefer Topcote over paste simply because it takes very little time to apply (it is a spray-on) so I'm more likely to recote often. I highly recommend it. There is also something called Boeshield T9 which is supposed to be a little thicker. However, the reviews said that the overspray is sticky and hard to get off. T9 is supposed to last longer though.

[gator]

I have never had a problem with Johnson's Paste Wax. In the winter I use the "dreaded" (according to everybody else) vent-free propane heater. I only heat up the shop when I am in there, the rest of the time it is cold. It has rained here the last five days and everything is humid. I have never had rust on any of my cast iron. So far as finding Johnson's, I see it over and over that it can't be found. I see it in Wal-Mart, Ace, the grocery store, Lowes, almost everywhere I go. It is out there and in plentiful supply. It is a lot cheaper than the spray on stuff, a can will last you a life time. It is also useful on wooden jigs, wooden aux fences and the bench top. It makes them slick and glue pops right off.

gator