Replies

1. 
   Jeff_Jewitt | Jan 08, 2000 09:33pm | #1

   *
   Synthetic wax would be a petroleum wax based on paraffin. One type of this, called microcrystalline, is available as Renaissance wax.
   The sealer coat of shellac is a good idea. It seals the wood - providing a base for the wax. Avoiding oil products is also advised.
   Personally, I see little aesthetic differences between the various brands of wax. What determines the working qualities of a wax is its solvent and its color. Make sure you use a dark colored wax (like Antiquax brown) on Rosewood or the natural, putty-color of the wax will show up in the pores and not be particularly pleasing.

   Jeff Jewitt

1. 
   Kim_Martin_Metzger | Jan 09, 2000 04:19am | #2

   *Thank you Jeff Jewitt for your recommendations. I am also experimenting with a nitrocellulose sealer followed by nitrocellulose lacquer. It looks pretty good on my sample piece. I also tried shellac over the lacquer because I wanted a nice smell on the inside of the showcase cabinet. This also looks OK. Does anybody think I may have a problem later on with shellac over lacquer?

1. 
   Drew_Nyman | Mar 10, 2000 01:09pm | #3

   *Yes you will. But you can use a padding lacquer over to get same results.

1. 
   CStanford_ | Mar 16, 2000 07:06pm | #4

   *Kim, I see that you post a lot of questions about finishing and I would like to kindly suggest that a good "starter" finish (certainly still used by many of the pros) would be three to four coats of Danish oil (last two coats sanded into the wood with wet-dry sandpaper) followed by two coats of 1.5 pound cut shellac (orange or super-blonde) followed by two coats of Briwax or Mylands wax.Frankly, unless you are finishing a tabletop, you could leave off the shellac and simply do the oil and wax. Case pieces do not usually get a lot of surface wear due to the nature of how they are used. Let the finish match the intended use of the project. Danish oil and wax finishes are very flexible and provide more protection than most 'experts' think. You can buy tinted versions of both or tint them yourself. You can have a lot of fun with these types of finishes and never have to worry about goofing up applying them (as long as you wipe and buff the oil thoroughly per can instructions).Lacquer is a beautiful finish, but brushing it on is a challenge and I'm not sure the end result is worth the hassle. Master oil and wax finishes with an occassional shellac job would be my recommendation before moving on to brushing or spraying lacquer.