Removing Wax from Table?

[Ann]

Greets, all!

In reading a few previous posts from new scrollers, I learned it is unwise to put car paste wax/polish on the table of the saw. I put Renaissance wax on mine in the beginning because it was all I had (have used it on musical instruments, and it's non-silicone but expensive). After Christmas scrolling, I re-waxed the table, but with Turtle wax for cars!

I am not sure where to find Johnson Floor Paste Wax, but would appreciate advice on how to safely get any Turtle wax residue off my saw table. Then I'll rewax it with Johnson Paste or, if I can't find Johnson, another application of Renaissance Wax.

Many thanks!

Ann

[harrisg]

Hi Ann, Check out your local Big Scarey Store (Walmart). They have Johnson's Paste Wax where they keep the floor waxes.

The experts will probably chime in but try mineral spirits. It removes oil and grease from the scroll saw tables. It will probably take off your Turtle Wax too.

Harris

[SSG Johnson]

If it where me I would try straight alcohol the rubbing kind. I know that if I strip a pair of boots that is what I will use. I wax the same way I shine my boots as well by putting layers on until I the pours start to fill. Alcohol should work but then again Im new to scrolling so dont take my advice....>LOL

[SharonW0111]

I don't wax my table because I have brown board over it to make the top bigger --but I have had to clean glue off of it before I learned better- I got the glue off with mineral spirits then I sanded the top with fine sandpaper till it shined like a new one .. seems if you put tacky glue on a saw top it seems to rust --ughhh-- hope this helps you some
Sharon

[jttheclockman]

I like to use acetone to do any cleaning but mineral spirits will do it. If you have one of those nonabrasive pads use that also. Make sure you do not get it into the motor so do not pour it on. You can use any floor or wood wax Minwax for wood is another as is Butcher's wax. You can get them at any home center such as Home Depot in the paint aisles where they have the stains.

[Ann]

Thanks, friends,

I'll go with the mineral spirits I have on hand and whichever I find first from the suggestions of Johnson's Floor Paste Wax, Minwax Wood Wax, or Butcher's Wax.

Really appreciate your time and suggestions!

Ann

[William Young (SE BC)]

Ann;
You got some good responses on this but that silicone gets right through the paint when using it as a car polish and gets into the metal. That is how much it affects metal .
A bodyshop friend told me that acetone and mineral spirits will not remove it when they are sanding off the paint and preparing the new metal for a new paint job. They would like to use the cheaper products like mentioned above but they won't trust it and still wind up with fisheyes in a new sprayed finish.
So they use an expensive chemical (i have forgotten the name of it ) to wash the metal of all traces of silicone before either priming or painting.
For the tiny amount you need for a scrollsaw table you could take a little jar to a body shop and explain what you want a a couple ounces of their product for and they will probably give you some out of a gallon can.
Best to be safe than sorry.
W.Y.

[Ann]

Thanks all for the advice.

Yikes -- William, your post is scaring me! I'll indeed go to a body repair shop near me and see about that stuff you're referring to.

I put Turtle Wax ONCE on my scroll saw, about 3-4 weeks ago. The can says nothing about silicone. It just says "Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell" wax on it, and it's for cars.

Does anyone know for sure if this wax has silicone in it?

Thanks!

Ann

[jttheclockman]

Ann

Don't be scared. If you have either lacquer thinner, acetone, or mineral spirits and a scouring pad you know the ones but not the steel wool type. Scrub the top off and you will be just fine. Remember not to get this on the rest of the saw for it will take paint off and do not get any in the motor or controls. Rewax with one of the waxes mentioned before. Guarentee you will not have a finishing problem. Now remember this applys to all tools that come in contact with wood. Tablesaws, drill presses, bandsaws, planers, and such. Good luck and enjoy.

[William Young (SE BC)]

Didn't mean to scare you at all Ann but it is true facts according to many paint shops. But paint shops use Nitrocelulose type paints for spraying automobiles and therefore have to use the necessary steps to prevent problems.

I do agree that if you want to just use thinners or acetone you will probably be just fine after the wax job.
But getting back to silicone traces on either metal or wood, , , if you are using water base finishes or oil base polyurethane as finishes you should not have a problem if tiny traces remain. . But if you ever intend to use nitrocelulose type solvent based lacquer for finishing then you can't be carefull enough about preparation regardeless if the silicone is on the metal table or on the wood itself.. I have learned this over many years of spraying NC lacquers and have seen the consequences of fisheyes in the finish and had to strip down and start over.. Silicone can be a nasty product in any woodworking shop.
I professionaly re-finished a LOT of both acoustic and electric guitars in my spray booth in another life when I was in the music business. I did a lot of complete restorations on some vintage Martin, Fender, Gibson and other big name makes for professional musicians that would not accept anything less than a factory quality finish. Many of those guitars had been accidentally waxed with silicone based waxes by ones that didn't know the difference. That is where I would never have taken a chance of using acetone or mineral spirits after all the painstaking work of removing the original finish and sanding to a glass smooth finish before spraying the color pigmented or clear lacquer on them. I used a product that would neutralize any trace of silicone in the wood. I was taught that by a Martin guitar factory trained technician that did all the refinishing in the Martin factory authorized service depot in Toronto Ontario.
I visited him often and learned much from him.

So then plan B is always there for you or anyone else and was only intended for educational purposes.

W.Y.

[BobD (Archive)]

I stepped in again--let's keep the direct personal comments out of these posts! Smilies and joking aside--if someone asks me to remove a direct comment about them in a post, I will remove it.
Bob

[NC Scroller]

Just a word of warning. I have worked in the manufacturing sector and used a lot of solvents. ACETONE has a very high flash point. I understand it is worse then gas. I would not use it to wipe down down your tabel if you have any like of open flame heat source in your shop.....Scott

[Ann]

Thanks very much, friends, for all the kind and helpful advice.

What I've done is carefully wipe down the top with mineral spirits, using terry cloth. Then wiped it again with mineral spirits using very soft old t-shirt pieces.

My Dremel 1680 has a very fine "grain" in the steel which runs the length of the table; again, it's very fine. Is it wise to take some 0000 steel wool and very lightly rub the table down, "with the grain", to polish it up and be sure all traces of everything are removed, then wipe it real good with a cloth, then apply the wax?

Thanks Scott for the flash caution -- being in drought-stricken Oklahoma with all the fires we've had lately, I can just imagine the headlines: "Scroll-Sawing Lunatic Woman Jailed for Burning Oklahoma Down!" I also had to chuckle at your reference to my "shop"... I'm in a little 2-bedroom apartment, with the second bedroom, complete with carpet I've covered with tent tarp, and two twin beds all covered with lightweight plastic drop cloths... that's my "shop"!

So far no one seems to hear me; I'm on the end of the building and the "shop" faces the parking lot. My landlord lives above me, and I can see if his car is in the parking lot, so I only do noisy things when his car's gone. No one else can hear anything. I asked him if he ever heard my scroll saw or Dremel tool, and he said no and laughed at my ventures. (Good-naturedly -- we get along great!)

Thanks again, everyone; I really appreciate all the help!

Ann

[CanadianScroller]

once before I suggested steel wool but other users with more experience in that area gave several good reasons why not to use steel wool. So with that in mind, I would suggest emery cloth. I have used emerycloth on my Delta's table with no ill effects.

[Ann]

Emery cloth it will be! I have to go to Home Depot today and will pick some up!

Thanks!

Ann