Johnsons Paste Ingredients...

[saxguy]

As I have said before, living down under (NZ) has its advantages, but boy, when you try to get ‘stuff’, you are either disappointed, else pay through the nose!
I'm wanting to make Bens red, and have managed to get some Bees Wax okay, also some lithium grease (not Red & Tacky mind). However, the Johnsons paste isn't available it seems. So, thought ide take a look at the MSDS sheet for its ingredients. Turns out to be listed as:

Mineral Spirits (Stoddard Solvent) 60-100%
Paraffin & Hydrocarbon Waxes, 10-30%
Carnauba Wax 5-10%
1-2-3 Trimethylbenzene 5-10%
A little vague but a good starting point!
I’m no chemist but Im thinking that the mineral spirit is just a solvent to allow it to be picked up on a cloth, and transferred easily, the Tri-wasimacallit seems to be an anti-lump thingy that they use in Jet fuel (I mean, who wants lumpy jet fuel?), and the carnauba Wax, well that’s what it is, and the other waxes, Paraffin and Hydrocarbon, not sure of what are which, but maybe someone out there can help?
So, not sure where I'm going with this yet, but time will tell!

[wlc]

Not a lube guru by any means, but a similar paste type floor wax may be a usable substitute.

[Wayne Smith]

A paste floor wax that includes carnuba would be the closest.

[captaint]

Man, this is a great website !! Not only do we make our own lube - some of us make our own JPW !!!!! Beat that....

[runfiverun]

just leave it out if you can't get it.
I know you can get carnuba wax down there and I know you can get paraffin.
your gonna cook out the solvents anyway if your gonna make your own.
a 6 to 1 wax to carnuba mix would be close-nuff

the carnuba addition will help in temps over 50-f, so if nothing else just add 3% carnuba to the rest of the ingredients and you'll be fine.

[saxguy]

just leave it out if you can't get it.
I know you can get carnuba wax down there and I know you can get paraffin.
your gonna cook out the solvents anyway if your gonna make your own.
a 6 to 1 wax to carnuba mix would be close-nuff

the carnuba addition will help in temps over 50-f, so if nothing else just add 3% carnuba to the rest of the ingredients and you'll be fine.

That sounds logical. I was thinking along the same lines, but wasnt sure how much would evaporate during the cook off. Thanks.

[Surculus]

I’m no chemist but Im thinking that the mineral spirit is just a solvent to allow it to be picked up on a cloth, and transferred easily, the Tri-wasimacallit seems to be an anti-lump thingy that they use in Jet fuel (I mean, who wants lumpy jet fuel?), and the carnauba Wax, well that’s what it is, and the other waxes, Paraffin and Hydrocarbon, not sure of what are which, but maybe someone out there can help?


The paraffin wax is sold at the grocery store under home-canning supplies [you put it on top of jams & syrups & stuff that have enough sugar content to keep stuff from growing in them, but need something to seal the top surface away from air to keep fungus & what not from growing on them.]

Carnauba wax is the primary ingredient in most automotive paste ["hard"] waxes. It basically is a harder, cheaper vegetable-based wax than beeswax. If you can get beeswax cheaply enough, you don't need to bother w/ the carnauba [or the paraffin wax, which is used as an adulterant & hardener so they don't have to use as much of the relatively more expensive bees' or carnauba waxes...]

[35 shooter]

Can you get tre-wax there? I think it has a higher carnauba content than Johnsons though, but might make a descent substitute. Can't imagine how Ben's Red will turn out without the red n tacky though, but if you can't get it , you can't get it. Good luck with it and hope you come up with something that will work for you! Ben's Red IS a great lube.

[texassako]

Do they carry Minwax products there? I have been using their Paste Finishing Wax in the place of the Johnson since I have it around for woodworking projects. Only problem is they would not even hint at what waxes were in it when I asked, just the solvents from the msds.