Do you have a favorite furniture wax?

[James Spillman]

I have just finished some shaker oval boxes for the grandchildren. They are clear cherry coated with shellac. I'm thinking of using wax on top of the shellac. Of the many waxes available do you have a favorite? I don't know what the kids will put in their boxes, so I want a wax that is food safe. Thanks.

[Jim Becker]

Honestly....I rarely use wax, but when I do, it's typically a beeswax type product. I don't recall the brand and it's buried somewhere in my finishing cabinet. You can make your own by melting some beeswax with some mineral oil so you can mix it up. That prep is "more ideal" for bare wood, but can certainly be used over shellac if it's mostly wax. Do the heating in a water bath, not directly over a flame/electric heat source.

[Mel Fulks]

I seldom use wax. But when I do ...its Johnsons Paste Wax. New old stuff gets a coat. The thing I like about it is it looks
waxy ,not like a shiny finish.

[Gordon Stump]

I like Williamsville. I recently made some cheese boards with the Schitts Creek guys face carved in. My granddaughters love him. The Williamsville is just beeswax and lemon oil so I felt comfortable it was not toxic.

[Bud Brinkley]

On lighter colored woods I use shellac followed with MinWax applied with 000 steel wool and then buffed to a soft sheen with a cloth. The steel wool cuts down the nits and roughness of the shellac and it leaves a very smooth finish. I like to pre-finish my parts as much as possible before assembly and this system works really good for me.

[Mike Null]

I use Johnson's paste wax for the small boxes I make. For good furniture, of which I have little, Renaissance is the best I've found and a little goes a long way. It is pricy.