Applying wax with wool?

[Tenson Ashton]

Hi,

I have read in places that its good to use fine grade wire wool to apply wax. However my concern is that the wire wool will leave dust behind in the wax and make it look poor and gritty. Is this not the case? Certainly when I have used wire wool to get a smooth finish on wood it leave lots of metal dust behind!

I have also head of people using sandpaper. My same concern applies here where the fine dust/grit from the paper may end up in the wax.

I just wanted to know what you guys thought of this, or if it is really not a problem at all?

I was also wondering if this might be a better product to use to apply wax. I've got some of the 360Grit stuff. - http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Hermes-Webrax-Hand-Pad-23609.htm

[Joe Cunningham]

I use Liberon 0000 steel wool with Liberon Black Bison wax (neutral usually). I've only used it on a film finish (varnish or shellac), and usually only after it has cured for a few days. I rub it on, let it sit maybe 20 minutes, then take a clean cloth and buff the wax off. Once the cloth no longer 'bites' and moves smoothly across the surface, I know I am finished.

I've never used wax and wool on bare wood, if that is what you are asking.

If you are worried, you can always apply the wax with a cotton cloth. I usually use very glossy finishes and then take down the gloss to a nice semi-gloss with the steel wool & wax.

The website you posted has it. The Liberon wool is nice because it doesn't have any oil treatment. I'm not familiar with the product you posted.

[Howard Acheson]

Depends what type of gloss or sheen you want to end up with. When you apply a wax with steel wool or a non-woven Scotchbrite pad, you will dull the surface ending up with a semi-gloss or satin sheen.

If you don't want to affect the sheen of the existing finish, just apply the wax with a soft rag.

[Prashun Patel]

Steel wool CAN leave behind tiny threads, but it's not an issue with wax, because those fibers will eventually be dusted off the surface. If yr really paranoid, you can use a papernapkin covered magnet to get all the final dust.

I like to use 4x0 steel wool and wax on shellac because it's a one-step way to de-nib, degloss, level and polish the surface.

A good alternative to steel wool is the Norton synthetic nonwoven abrasive pads. You can get these @ HD in the painting section. White abrasive pads are also fantastic for this purpose. They're typically found in cleaning supply sections of grocery stores. Tip: If yr HD has a tool rental section, you can purchase a 16" round piece of this for about $5 by the floor polishers.

[Matt Meiser]

When I use wipe-on poly, I use standard hardware store 0000 steel wool to apply wax a day or so after the last coat. It leaves a silky smooth finish and any bits left in the wax get buffed off.

[Lee Schierer]

When I use wipe-on poly, I use standard hardware store 0000 steel wool to apply wax a day or so after the last coat. It leaves a silky smooth finish and any bits left in the wax get buffed off.

The basis for applying wax with steel wool is to remove any dust nibs that might be on the surface of the final coat of finish. The steel wool will take them off without removing a lot of finish. Since the pores are already sealed by the layers of finish, none of the stell wool will remain on the surface after the wax is buffed. You just want to apply the wax, not scrub the surface for an hour with the 0000 steel wool.