MARK V - Waxing

Shaving June/July 76 (Revised 7/99)

Hello Woodworkers!

Here are some pointers on waxing your Shopsmith.

An application of wax will keep your machine clean, protect the metal and allow your work to slide with ease across the table surfaces.

It’s best to use a good, hard furniture or floor paste wax. Johnson's Floor Wax or clear Trewax seem to work the best. Do not use liquid wax, auto wax, oil or silicones. Auto and liquid waxes never dry properly, thus making it difficult to polish. Oil and silicone leave a residue which is sticky and has a tendency to collect sawdust and grime.

Before waxing, clean off all of the parts to be waxed with wood alcohol or some form of paint thinner. Never wax your Shopsmith before cleaning it thoroughly. If the wax is applied over a coating of oil or grit, the wax will not "set" properly and will make polishing impossible.

The following are the parts and places of the Shopsmith that should be waxed:

1. Both way tubes and bench tubes.
2. Both saw and extension table tops.
3. Extension table mounting tubes.
4. Saw table mounting tubes.
5. Inside each hole that the extension table tubes fit into.
6. Inside the two carriage holes where the saw table tubes fit.

After applying the wax, make sure it dries thoroughly to provide a hard finish. When the wax is dry, buff all of the waxed parts vigorously.