replacement for Rennisance wax for TS top?

[Will Blick]

I have been the Rennisance wax on my Cast Iron tops, it works great, but the odor gives me a whopper of a headache.... is there an alternative past wax anyone can suggest that does not have such heavy amounts of petroleum based thinners? I use a mask, but it smells for so long as the thinner dries, the entire shop smells for 24 hrs.... tired of battling this.

I was thinking of some "spray on" car waxes....ones without silicone? TYIA

[Cliff Holmes]

I tried Renaissance, but also didn't care for the odor and how it left the cast iron looking. After trying bunches of stuff, right now I'm at a toss-up between TopSaver and Top-Cote. Both are really easy to apply.

[Bill Huber]

I just use Johnson's Paste wax and have had no rust.

I does have an odor to it but its not very strong.

[Cliff Holmes]

I does have an odor to it but its not very strong.

I have to respectfully disagree on that one. I used to use JPW, but after a while the odor started making me nauseous.

It's also a real pain to buff out.

p.s. I think you meant "It" has a strong odor

[george wilson]

The only ODORLESS wax I can think of is to rub a block of paraffin on it to make the wood slide easier. Is your aim to have 100% coverage,or just to lubricate the wood?

Actually,I recall GODDARD'S furniture wax. Years ago the conservators in Williamsburg used it,and I am pretty sure it had a pleasant odor,though I may be not recalling properly.

I tell you,Minwax stain can give me either a sharp stomach ache,or headache.

[Neil Brooks]

p.s. I think you meant "it" has a strong odor

rotfl !!!!

:d

[Andrew Nemeth]

[QUOTE=Will Blick;1467127]
I was thinking of some "spray on" car waxes....ones without silicone? TYIA[/

IIRC someone had issues with rusting CI on here recently and the issue of automotive waxes and spray waxes came up. I believe someone stated that some automotive waxes contain some moisture that may actually cause rust on bare CI.

I use minwax paste wax and do not personally find it offensive and I don't recall ever being able to smell it 24hours after application. It's funny how we all perceive smells differently. I am usually pretty sensitive to solvent fumes, they give me pretty bad headaches as well.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on JPW.

[Will Blick]

Cliff, I think I have some Top coat, I will try it....

BTW, I once tried Boshield T9, surface was not slick enough vs. the Solvent waxes....

http://www.boeshield.com/


George my goal is to prevent rust on the my shiny tops... but also keep the surface slick..... Parafin would not spread on easy.... I want something that can be put on a reg. basis. I searched for Goddard, and came up with this...looks like a good candidate, maybe the lemon oil keeps the wax in paste form...

http://www.kilianhardware.com/godcabmakwax.html

I just ordered it....



Then, this one...





Here is the info on it...

Howard's Orange Oil

Howard's Orange Oil Cleaner and Furniture Polish is a moisturizing polish that works great on any type of wood or finish. It uses the cleaning power of real orange oil to break down dirt and grime build-up, while enhancing the depth, luster, and natural beauty of the wood grain. It doesn't contain silicone or wax so it won't build up on the wood finish.
Howard's Orange Oil Cleaner and Furniture Polish is a natural cleaner that works great on antiques, kitchen tables, end tables, coffee tables, countertops, cabinets, bathrooms, etc. You can also use it to remove the gummy residue left from price tags, tape, etc.. It smells delicious! (like a freshly peeled orange).

• <LI class=list-item>Cleans and shines
  <LI class=list-item>Won't build-up
  <LI class=list-item>Finish friendly
  <LI class=list-item>16 oz. size has a convenient trigger sprayer
  <LI class=list-item>Available in large sizes
• Smells like fresh oranges!

Seems like this is worth a try? It's cheap too.... no wax, but maybe the orange oil will stay on long enough to work?


From the best I can tell, the minwax paste has solvents in it...

Glad I am not the only one who suffers... I often put-off waxing my tops cause of the odor, so I am on a mission to find something that works well that I can apply often.... I hate getting solvent headaches....I marvel some people can sniff this stuff and never suffer any consequences...

Keep the suggestions coming...

[Will Blick]

A great read on paste waxes....

http://antiquerestorers.com/Articles/SAL/pastewax.htm

It appears most all the modern paste waxes use toulene or paint thinner to keep them in paste form.... both give me terrible headaches...

Lemon and orange oils seem to be the only alternatives.... should be interesting.

After googlin around, you can make your own, assuming one finds a thinner they can tolerate the smell of.... I know thin-x makes an odor free thinner, but not sure if it will still give me a headache.

BTW, when I say it smells for 24hrs, it seems there is always a rag or some overflow somewhere, which keeps the odor around....often minimal, but its time to avoid it completely..

[Russ Hauser]

I've always used Minwax and it's worked for me in a damp basement in northern Ohio, and down here in the Florida humidity in my garage. I haven't noticed any objectionable odor, but that's just me.

Russ

[Matt Kestenbaum]

I use Trewax ...I think i picked it up at Woodcraft. Has very little odor (IMHO). I know people who swear by Butcher's brand too.

[Carpenter Mark]

I use Butchers White Diamond paste wax. It does have an odor somewhat like turpentine but not really strong and it dissapates quickly. The wax itself is really slick and lasts quite a while.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Renaissance wax is a rip off. There's no way one can convince me that museum surators want to slather mineral spirits all over the things they are trying to protect.
http://cool.conservation-us.org/cool...35-01-001.html

There is not one reason to prefer it over any cheap paste wax.

[george wilson]

Cliff,Call the Department of Collections,who I associated with for 39 years. My toolmaker's shop adjoined theirs. 1-757-229-1000. Ask for collections. They can answer your questions directly. Otherwise stop being an
uninformed judge. You weren't there.

I read the article you refer to. It is old news in the conservation World. Williamsburg has been using Incralac on metal objects for MANY,MANY years,not this wax. You need to get better informed before you go dismissing the wax for any and all uses. When they use micro crystalline wax,this is the one they use,but they don't use the same products indiscriminately on EVERYTHING. That would be silly. Refined mineral spirits(Goddard's solvent AKA dry cleaning fluid) is appropriate for use on various things. The conservation arts are complicated and varied,though,and I don't feel like going into a treatise right now. Call them,and ask yourself.

I haven't had a problem using it on my saw for the past 30 years. My saw isn't an ancient African relic,though,is it?

Will,the Goddard's wax shown isn't the same stuff at all. I certainly wouldn't put citrus stuff on iron I wanted to not rust.