Dark wax for dark wood...

[Fred Miller]

Some time ago a friend mentioned that he used a dark colored wax as a final finishing touch on dark wood, like walnut. Duh...why didn't I think of this!? I bought a can of dark wax, called "Natural Bee's Wax Furniture Polish" made by Mother Of Pearl & Sons Trading Pty LTD. This stuff has a pretty hard consistency direct from the can, but I tried it on a small walnut box--and it gave an incredible shine. I applied it with a soft cloth and rubbed it out with an old white T-shirt, and the rub-out was really very difficult--this stuff just didn't want to come off!

Later, on a walnut chest top, I thinned it down with a bit of mineral spirits, and tried to apply an especially light coat, while still attempting to get good coverage. It applied a bit easier, but the rub-out was just as difficult as before. Buffing this stuff out is like trying to use a Kleenex to peel an orange. Once buffed out, the effect is beautiful, so I want to perfect the process so it's less pain.

Should I try to thin the wax a bit more? OR, should I begin the buffing process with a white scotch pad (or somethng more coarse than a T-shirt)?

Anyone else have an experience like this? :confused:

[Mike Null]

Don't laugh--I begin buffing with a good quality shoe brush and finish with the old t-shirt.

[Steve Schoene]

Wax is purely an aesthetic choice--it doesn't do much as far as protection. I like Antiquax which come in both natural and dark. One place to find it is www.homesteadfinishing.com (http://www.homesteadfinishing.com) it's gloss is mellow, not car like, and as important as anything is that it smells nice.

[Mark Singer]

I have used wax on small cabinets etc. and had good results. Briwax works well. I put it on with 0000 steelwool and take it off with a terry cloth on my Festool Rotex spinning slowly. One trick is rub it out immediately , don't let it dry. Then it is hard to buff

scroll down to evening pics

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

[Steve Schoene]

One caveat about Briwax, or at least Briwax original. It contains toluene which caqn damage less than fully cured oil based or waterborne finishes. It's best saved for cleaning and waxing older pieces. Briwax 2000 doesn't have this potential problem.

[Mark Singer]

One caveat about Briwax, or at least Briwax original. It contains toluene which caqn damage less than fully cured oil based or waterborne finishes. It's best saved for cleaning and waxing older pieces. Briwax 2000 doesn't have this potential problem.

It is best used directly on the wood as a primary finish and renewed occasionally

[Fred Miller]

Thanks Guys!

Maybe I was a little thrifty with my description of the finish I'm using...which, for walnut, is a first coat of BLO, then umpteen coats of hand-applied poly until I like the result. After a few days of drying, then I add the wax as a protectant against fingerprints and dust. I'm certainly not using Briwax, because I don't like the smell.

I'll try to continue thinning my dark beeswax with mineral spirits, and then start the buffing process before it's fully dry.

[Sam Yerardi]

Fred,

I too use beeswax. I mix it with mineral spirits and color it if need be to match the coloring of the surface I'm going to use it on. I rub it out with steel wool or 3M abrasives, etc. and the buff with clean cotton rags. I've even used a buffer but you have to be careful that you don't overheat the durface. I do a lot of period furniture, and I love it. I want to get carnauba and try some mixture with it to get a harder wax surface as the beeswax is softer. I have also used different car paste waxes for polishing as well.

[Fred Miller]

Sam,

Thanks for the comments. Most of what I make is period furniture, like you, and I think a nice final coat of wax is a nice touch. I'll keep adding mineral spirits until I get a consistency like shoe polish.

...please clarify for me----> how do you color your wax? What is the color agent, and how do you add it?

[Sam Yerardi]

Fred,

You can also use turpentine instead of mineral spirits. As far as coloring it, I've used artist's oil paint but usually I'll just add a very small bit of an oil-based stain, in a color that tends to match the background color of the wood coloring. Just a few drops to maybe 1/8 of a teaspoon for perhaps a golf-ball size of wax/solvent mixture. You could use something darker but that's just what I have used. Since period furniture is my focus, I tend to work mainly with varnish, shellac, and lacquer so I haven't trying any of the water-borne stuff yet. A lot of the guys here use them and I've been wanting to try them but so far I have just been trying to get better with the materials I've been using. I thiink I posted a oicture of a lowboy on one of my first postings here. I finished it up with the wax and rubbed it out with 0000 steel wool.