Finishing the finish-rubbing out with wax?

[Tony Sade]

I about to try Keith's tip on rubbing out a finish with wax using abrasive pads on a ROS on a small qswo mission style table. Doing the top sounds like a piece of cake, but I'm wondering what approach to use on the rest of the table. Given the rather small area of some of the surfaces, especially the spindles/slats, I'm worried about rubbing through on the edges. Should I just settle for rubbing out the top and leave the finish (several coats of a wiped on 50/50 gloss poly/ms blend) on the rest of the piece alone? I'm worried that the difference between the top and the rest of the piece will be too noticeable. If I decide to rub out the rest, should I just use the same abrasive pads and wax and rub out by hand? Use the abrasive pads over some small blocks? Any tips for rubbing into tight areas-corners, etc.? Also, if done by hand, should rubbing only be with the grain? All suggestions much appreciated.

Thanks,

[Dave Avery]

Tony,

I'd just rub out the top. The light will reflect off the top in a different manner than the rest of the table anyway. So even if you treat all parts the same, the top will likely appear glossier. In my opinion, you usually want to show off the top of a piece, so having a rubbed out finish on the top only actually makes perfect sense. Dave.

[Jim Hill 2]

Tony, I'm just approaching the finishing stage on a coffee table and have been contemplating the same question. Will you post the finished product and what you ended up doing when your done? I am in the last stages of a Coffee Table that has a half round beading around the drawers and the bottom of the aprons. Rubbing that down with steel wool would be a nightmare. Good luck with your project!

Jim