Wax On, Wax off......

[Todd Burch]

Or really, just wax on. (Am I dating myself with a line from Karate Kid?)

A few years ago I was watching a NORM episode and he was in England looking at new "antiques", where this particular shop was taking old pieces and old wood and making fake, but very nice, antique pine cupboards, hutchs, amoires, entertainment centers, buffets, tables, etc.

One of the "secrets" that the innkeeper shared was using wax to color the "fresh" end of the saw cuts so they weren't white whereas the rest of the non-cut (or slightly planed) surfaces still had a nice patina.

What waxes are used for coloring? How would one apply it? Keith Outten's post a while back about using a random orbit sander got me interested in wax. Also, I've been working with a flooring company and they use a significant amount of wax to "protect" their floors and bring them to a high gloss.

This confuses me, as "Understanding Wood Finishes", by Bob Flexner, goes into a lot of prose about wax being a fairly poor protectant.

So, what's the skinny on "wax finishes": 1) coloring and 2) depth? Yeah, I've used some wax myself, but I'm starting to think that there might be other ways to use it for different effect. Typically, I will rag it on (with #0000 steel wool or an abrasive pad), let it haze and wipe it off. Sometimes (most times) I've done this, and while it does take dust nibs off, when done, the result is lacking in what I think it ought to have in depth or gloss.

I've used Johnsons, Minwax regular, Minwax dark and butcher's wax too. I've used Hut wax on turnings (several years ago, mind you) and the finish was much different (better) than what I can produce, for instance, on a drawer front, mouldings or a table top.

So, who's a wax expert? (or wexpert??)

Todd

[Ralph Laughton]

Todd, I’m no expert on wax but we use affair bit of it. When I say we, I mean Sue. The point you make about using wax on old boards is fine on end grain, it tends to soak it up and get closer to the colour on the aged (darker) areas. However if the board has been riped, the wax will not do much at all on the long grain. Here we, er..., I mean Sue, will use spirit dye and what we call ‘White Spirit’ (is that Napfer s.p.?) to thin it and tint the wood first.

Hope this helps

Ralph

[Mark Singer]

Todd,
For years I would use Duraseal and their wax Durafinish...These are basically floor finishing products. They are durable and do have color in both the seal and in the wax. What is nice is it is not as opaque as most stains and allows the character of the wood to come thru. I really prefer not changing the color of the wood and using an oil / wax treatment of some kind. UV light will change the natural beauty of the wood and this should really not be masked with color. So if I want a dark piece of furniture I choose a dark wood ...a light piece, a light wood...never fool mother nature

[Dennis Peacock]

Now you got me to thinkin'......

I you "thin" wax...well some waxes.....with MS....then why can't you thin it and mix with an oil based finish.? Won't work? Will Work?

Inquiring minds are curious these days. :D

[Howard Acheson]

The wax used on that show was a "restorer's wax". It's a fairly common thing in the UK and comes in a number of colors. Buy choosing the correct color, you can match the existing finish color. It is generally used on country furniture that had only a linseed oil or wax finish.

You can get the same thing buy buying BriWax. It too, comes in colors. Just avoid using it on newly finished work. Unless you get the new formulation, the wax uses toluene as it's solvent. The toluene works as a cleaner but may damage finishes that are less than a year old. BriWax is primarily a restorer's wax.

As you have learned from Flexner, wax is a poor finish. It is the only treatment that is less protective is a pure oil like linseed oil or tung oil. Neither inhibits water or water vapor nor do they provide any long term abrasion resistance. They also required frequent maintenence to maintain their appearence.

With today's finishes, there is little reason to use either wax or a pure oil as a finish in my opinion. However, pure oils are very useful as colorants and can be overcoated with other finishes to provide protection and durability.

[Robert Goodwin]

The wax used on that show was a "restorer's wax". It's a fairly common thing in the UK and comes in a number of colors. Buy choosing the correct color, you can match the existing finish color. It is generally used on country furniture that had only a linseed oil or wax finish.

You can get the same thing buy buying BriWax. It too, comes in colors. Just avoid using it on newly finished work. Unless you get the new formulation, the wax uses toluene as it's solvent. The toluene works as a cleaner but may damage finishes that are less than a year old. BriWax is primarily a restorer's wax.

As you have learned from Flexner, wax is a poor finish. It is the only treatment that is less protective is a pure oil like linseed oil or tung oil. Neither inhibits water or water vapor nor do they provide any long term abrasion resistance. They also required frequent maintenence to maintain their appearence.

With today's finishes, there is little reason to use either wax or a pure oil as a finish in my opinion. However, pure oils are very useful as colorants and can be overcoated with other finishes to provide protection and durability.


I agree with not using BriWax on newly finished pieces. My first project I spent a couple of weeks getting a shellac finish just the way I wanted it and then proceeded to strip most of it off during the waxing stage.

I should have tested it on a piece first. You would have thought the strong solvent fumes from the can would have givin me an indication that this was not "just" wax.