Osmo Polyx testing

[Jamie Buxton]

I was at a talk a few months ago in which a furniture builder said he swears by Osmo Polyx. Osmo says it is a "hardwax-oil finish", and says it is sturdy enough to be used on floors. Osmo also makes a big point about its eco-friendliness, and I had an impending job for customers who'd be interested in that. So I acquired a can to test.

Short conclusion: "No". Longer version follows.

I sanded a test panel of doug fir to 320 grit. I applied one coat one day, and a second coat the next day. I friction-buffed it a bit on the third day. Then I waited two weeks, which they recommend on the web site. At the end of two weeks, the surface was rougher than it had been immediately after I applied the finish. Dunno why that should be. When I resanded with 320, the sandpaper gummed up badly. I soldiered through for the test panel, but this would be an issue for a whole piece of furniture. Then I started on my usual panel of tests. I put a puddle of water on the surface. A finish that is going to be keeper needs to withstand that puddle for at least a day. But after just two hours, the grain under the puddle was furry. And when I looked at a shallow angle I could see the whole area under the puddle had swelled up above the surrounding test panel; it seemed like the area had absorbed water and expanded. So it fails as a finish.

I also am a bit unimpressed about the product's ecofriendliness. Osmo's big headlines say it is made from "natural waxes and oils." But the fine print on the can admits it contains "2-butanonoxime and drying agents". Those don't seem natural. I get grumpy when manufacturers blow smoke.

[Mick Simon]

Hmmm. The stuff's not cheap, either.
My experience with it is different. I bought a 2.5 liter can for finishing my kitchen that we spent the summer remodeling. I did several test pieces before using it. The best results were with very thin coats, with the first couple of coats worked into the surface really well. I lightly denibbed it using 15 micron paper after the second coat. Beautiful, buttery smooth finish after 3 coats.
I suspect that using it on floors would be a different experience.

[Nelson Howe]

I bought a sample to to make test panels for some live edge walnut counters and shelves. I used the slurry grainfill method recommended in FW. I gave it 1, 2, 3 weeks to cure. The look and feel was smooth and beautiful. When I put a wet glass on it, I got watermarks in less than a minute. The sheen changed there and didn't buff right back. It's a NO for me. Also, the floor guy was told that it is very sensitive in application. One drop of sweat while applying, and a whole lot of buffing is required.

Nelson