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Tom Banwell
07-03-2007, 11:53 PM
I was watching How Things Are Made on TV and they did a segment on the woodwind instruments recorders. They said that they finished them with wax, not lacquer or varnish. Will this hold up for other woodworking projects, such as a box?

Thanks, Tom

Mark Singer
07-04-2007, 8:38 AM
Wax can be a great natural finish that does not mask the wood...protection is limited though...I used only wax on this cabinet...it was Briwax applied with steel wool and bufed out with a Festool rotex

Scroll down and check the figure of the wood

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/mSinger/z_art/bathCabinet/bathCab7.asp

Jim Becker
07-04-2007, 10:16 AM
I have used just wax a number of times on turnings and small, decorative objects. It's a very nice, satin feel.

Tom Banwell
07-04-2007, 1:29 PM
Thank you both for the responses. Mark, can you please explain why you apply the wax with steel wool? How is that better than just a cloth? On the Rotex, what is the buffing pad made of?
Thanks

Howard Acheson
07-04-2007, 5:29 PM
A couple of things to keep in mind about waxes are that they provide little water or water vapor protection, no abrasion resistance and require frequent reapplication to maintain any appearence.

Wax is fine for small items but not very appropriate for furniture.

Jim Becker
07-04-2007, 5:59 PM
Wax is fine for small items but not very appropriate for furniture.

...although I suspect that Thos Moser (http://www.thosmoser.com) would debate that!

The very first piece of furniture I made was a cherry desk for Professor Dr. SWMBO. It's finished with wax and looks wonderful after over 8 years of use with only two "updates" to the finish; one after we moved here in 1999 and one two years ago when I disassembled it when we were switching which room was to be used as her office.

But I absolutely agree that there are any number of situations that wax wouldn't be the most satisfying type of finish based on how and where something will be used.

Tom Banwell
07-04-2007, 8:11 PM
My project is a small box that holds a sculpture, and is designed to be looked at and not handled. So I'm thinking wax could work. The only other wood finishing I do is spraying lacquer, and I have a tough time getting the sheen to be even. Not to mention the smell. And at 95° F that we're experiencing today, the danged stuff wants to dry before it hits the wood! Powdery and white!

Mark Singer
07-04-2007, 8:38 PM
Thank you both for the responses. Mark, can you please explain why you apply the wax with steel wool? How is that better than just a cloth? On the Rotex, what is the buffing pad made of?
Thanks
The steel wool burnishes the wax with friction and heat. This is like wet sanding an oil finish. The rotex pad I use is simply a terry towel cut slightly bigger than the rotex and held only by the hook and loop against the cotton....results are very good!

Howard Acheson
07-05-2007, 12:17 PM
>> although I suspect that Thos Moser would debate that

Maybe, but the folks who buy Moser furniture are ones who will probably take care of them and not subject them to abuse. As I recall, Moser supplies instructions about periodic care.

Glenn Madsen
07-09-2007, 7:57 PM
It would be better than fussing with the lacquer in a challenging environment.

One of the neat things about wax is reversibility. You can usually remove it with naptha or similar solvents, and start again with something else. Of course, you have to _really_ remove it.

But wax is varied, customizable, flexible and meets this need. And you can get it in colors, generally at the local hardware merchant, and do a pretty good job. Briwax is one of the brands I use, but Liberon and Butcher's do well, too.

Looks really nice on white oak and ash, with a colored base.

Mike Null
07-09-2007, 11:46 PM
I used wax on this leather topped flag box. It is now over 7 years old and looks the same as new. It is not handled much.