Favourite wax-type finishes for cherry carving?
paul_bouchard
| Posted in Finishing on
I’ve made a couple carved cherry furniture legs for a museum display and want to give them a clear, not-too-shiny finish. On previous carvings I used shellac with an oil top coat and hate the way the end grain surfaces darkened. Wax was suggested and I’m wondering if anyone has a specific recommendation.
I want to avoid polyurethanes or anything that might require a spray booth.
Replies
My favorite finish is Osmo oil-hard wax. It's very easy to apply using a wrag followed by a good rubbing with one of the non woven (white) abrasive pads. it's available in satin or gloss.
The issue with wax is that you'd have to buff it out after. Depending on how deep the carving is, you may have trouble doing that. There is also minimal protection.
I don't think I've ever seen a finish that doesn't darken end grain. It's just wood's nature.
I'd use the shellac, and wait. The sun will pretty quickly darken the rest of the cherry, and the colors will all even out. Leave the piece in direct sun, outside, if you can, and it will happen faster.
Thanks. After shipping it's going straight into a display case, so only very light handling. I'm more hoping that the finish will even out some subtle inconsistencies in the surfaces. I'm staying away from shellac on this one because I've found that shellac needs to be rubbed down with fine steel wood to get the even, dull sheen I'm after. There's deep incisions into flat, smooth surfaces that steel wool particles are liable to get stuck into and end up making it look grubby.
The wax joeblade recommends is hella expensive but I'll probably give it a shot.
As one of the wise men here once said... cherry's gonna cherry. Pretty much any finish will darken end grain, and UV will darken the rest over time. You can balance the color a bit with a tinted wax, think of it as shoe polish for furniture. Use a brush to buff into the depths of the carvings... a shoe shine brush works great.
Look up the Osmo before you buy... it's not really a wax, more like a poly film finish product.
Was just reading up on Osmo and people are talking about week+ cure times. I’m on a short deadline and don’t want to run the risk of it reacting with the packing material. Looks like I’ll go with something like Clapham's beeswax/carnuba wax and try to leave it out in the sun a day before shipping. Thanks.
I love Viking Linseed Oil Wax. It doesn't raise the grain, and needs very little buffing out after applying. It gives a nice, subtle sheen. Better protection that just wax, but not as good as a film finish. It gives the wood a wonderful feel. Seems to cure in a day.
https://www.earthandflax.com/product-page/viking-purified-linseed-oil-wax
I use BriWax.