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Thread: Card Scraper To Remove Wax?

  1. #1
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    Card Scraper To Remove Wax?

    I want to remove wax from a table top so I can refinish it. From what I've read so far, once the wax goes on, forget about refinishing.

    I was wondering if a card scraper would remove the wax. Even of some of the finish comes off, I can live with that. I just want to make sure all the wax is gone. As long as I didn't let the scraper heat up, would this work?
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  2. #2
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    You should be able to wash it off with Alcohol. The scraper will get the bulk off but no matter, will need to be washed off. Rather than risking the damage to the finish I would wash with alcohol & terry cloth and then maybe to 0000 steel wool pads and alcohol. 'Nother story if the base coat is shellac - then I would just sand.

    Others might offer other (better) solutions.
    "... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
    WQJudge

  3. #3
    Julie

    Sorry to disagree with Sam, but wax is not soluble in alcohol. Wax is soluble in mineral spirits, naphtha, etc. Wax per se is a soluble problem in refinishing (pun intended) -- it's silicones that are the real problem that causes fisheye and other adhesion issues. Most surfaces that are old enough to need refinishing have been exposed to silicone-containing furniture polishes. If you will be stripping to bare wood, after you have done that, however you did it, wash the top, at least, with MS and put down a barrier coat of dewaxed shellac. That should take care of any silicone remaining on the wood.

    Doug

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Hepler View Post
    Julie

    Sorry to disagree with Sam, but wax is not soluble in alcohol. Wax is soluble in mineral spirits, naphtha, etc. Wax per se is a soluble problem in refinishing (pun intended) -- it's silicones that are the real problem that causes fisheye and other adhesion issues. Most surfaces that are old enough to need refinishing have been exposed to silicone-containing furniture polishes. If you will be stripping to bare wood, after you have done that, however you did it, wash the top, at least, with MS and put down a barrier coat of dewaxed shellac. That should take care of any silicone remaining on the wood.

    Doug
    I don't dispute what you are saying Doug - especially in regards to stripping silicone furniture polish BUT - My experience is that the answer depends on the kind of wax. Denatured alcohol will remove typically used furniture wax on varnished woodwork. Big downside is that it also removes shellac - very easily. I certainly agree that other products might work better depending on the type of wax. Turpentine and naphtha are also good options. I have not used mineral spirits, as to me, it is too oily to work with. Point is to try some solvents first and be prepared to treat the top (as Doug suggests) prior to applying a new finish.
    "... for when we become in heart completely poor, we at once are the treasurers & disbursers of enormous riches."
    WQJudge

  5. #5
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    I tried alcohol to remove the wax. The wax laughed at it. It's Renaissance Micro-Crystalline wax, a product FWW rated best overall and based on my attempts to remove it, I believe it.

    When I took 4/0 steel wool to it, it did get up some of the wax but also left a more polished surface and to smooth it feels friction-free. Lots of elbow grease to get there though.

    Under the wax is a less than stellar finish. Lots of brush and swirl marks you can see when light reflects off it. I wanted to level that finish. It may be possible to minimize that with more steel wool buffing. I'll have to create a test piece and see how chemicals work first.

    Thanks for the help,

    Julie
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  6. #6
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    As Doug said, MS or Naptha will remove petroleum based waxes, and silicone polishes, too. I've never seen a furniture wax they won't remove and they won't harm the finish underneath.

    John

  7. #7
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    Mineral spirits and a cotton towel. MS makes a great thinner for paste wax (and shoe polish) too if the wax in your can gets dried out.
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  8. #8
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    I usually start with a soap and water wash. Dry with clean towels until towels come up clean. Then move on to MS. Soak it down and wipe until wipes come up clean. Just my $.02

  9. #9
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    After cleaning the wax the best you can and leveling the surface - try a couple of thin wash coats of shellac before finishing the rest of the way. It may not be the most durable finish in the world, but "shellac sticks to anything - and anything sticks to shellac..." I've done this quite a few times and it saved my bacon when nothing else worked...

    TedP

  10. #10
    It sounds like this is a piece you made and now want to refinish... Since you know what's on it - it's less trouble.

    And since you want to take off the finish underneath - a card scraper makes perfect sense. Since there is no solvent - it won't carry wax and old finish deeper into the wood.

    A card scraper is my go-to weapon of choice when I have to strip a varnish or lacquer finish back off of something I made because I messed it up..

    The real challenge is all the nooks and crannies at corners, trim, and decorative details... A professional furniture stripper can be great stuff because it is designed to lift the finish up and off - not dilute it and soak it in deeper...

    Once you get it clean with no old finish remaining - sand and refinish.

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