Many of you know that I’m building my home.. what some may not know is that I’m doing so while living in it..
While shellacing (what else <G>) my timbers I looked at the furniture in my bedroom.. this is extremely expensive Stickly Mahogany furniture and I was apppaled at how dusty and yes even dirty the finish has gotten.
So it’s time to come clean and polish things up..
So what’s a great wax to use?
Should I use a differant wax on shellac than I use on lacquer? Are any easier to apply and buff or is the trade off ease for quality or durability?
I can’t recall any sort of side by side comparison like they did with the glues.. If so and I missed it and can someone help me find the article?
I do know I’m supposed to avoid Silcones but many of the easiest to apply contain silicones..
Replies
I use Liberon Black Bison Wax for most everything. It's easy to apply, and dries very hard. It says on the label, "Ideal for protecting a lacquer/French polish." It's also silicone-free. It has kind of a strange smell, although that's not noticeable once it's dried. Because it's so hard, I find that buffing it with a brush rather than just a cloth works well.
For stuff that's going to be used with food, I use Town Talk Orange Wax, mostly because it smells so good. I can't get quite as good a finish with it, though.
-Steve
I use Briwax some of the time because it cleans off the old wax well(toluene). But prefer using Butchers Bowling Alley wax not only because it works great but smells great too(like turpentine) and the consistency is nice and creamy and that cuts down on streaking.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Edited 11/8/2007 4:36 pm ET by BruceS
The toluene in Briwax can damage some finishes. I bet shellac is one of them. So watch out for this Frenchy. Briwax also makes a toluene free wax that I would use just to be safe.
Rob A.
Thank you , I was hoping that there was some sort of wax test/ comparison so I wouldn't need to work thru all sorts of opinions on waxs. It's not something that consumer reports would test but that's the sort of unbiased opinion I was looking for..
Before you apply wax, I would recommend that you first clean up the furniture. First, use a mild detergent or Murphy soap. Use a soft brush and then rinse it off. Let it dry and then wipe it down with mineral spirits to get off the gunk that is not soluble in water. Apply with a rag and then wipe it off using rags or non-embossed paper towels. Keep a clean face to the towel or you will be just smearing the gunk around.
Once this is done, you may find that it looks fine.
I try to avoid waxing as once you start, you need to make it a periodic activity. Wax dries out and then collects dust requiring further maintenance. If you do go to wax, use a tinted wax or the pore of the wood (assuming oak)will get filled with a white residue and you'll never get it out. Briwax makes tinted was as do others.
Just my opinion..
I would get a 'soft' brush for your vacuum and just clean up everything that has collected on your 'expensive' furniture. Then care for it as you always have in the past.
I would be careful about changing the product used over long periods of time.
OK, so i'll stick my neck out and say a quality lemon oil.
However I do not have anything that valuable so I would use bees wax or any quality wax. My inlaws had a dining room set. Very expensive when they got it. As I recall the house cost (1920's?) $5,000 (a big house).. The dining set was about $3,000..
They used bees wax always.. My wife (their daughter) put some Pledge on it without thinking.. Things were not to happy around there for years!
WillGeorge,
It goes without saying that I will clean everything well before I rub any sort of wax on it.. I do know a dusting followed with a soft clean dampened rag will remove much of the rest of it.. However when I use water even just a damp rag I want to protect the finish and wax is what I use on my cars.
I know which wax works best on my cars I've read consumer reports and various auto magazines and have a clear idea of which wax to use on my cars.. But furniture isn't a Jaguar or MG
I wouldn't expect the same waxes to work..
But so far no one has been able to point to anything like what they do with glues or saw blades or router bits etc.. another words no one has pointed to a definative test and said here's your data..
Frenchy: I sometimes use S.C. Johnson paste wax. On the can it says to use mild soap & water to remove "old" dirt & then apply. I've used Bri-wax, Fiddes, etc., I think Johnson's is good for what your doing.
James
Waxes were tested in a fairly recent issue of FWW. But the main conclusion is that there is not much to choose between them on furniture. And, it's virtually all about appearance. Wax does almost nothing to protect against the effects of water. It's the finish itself that should do that job.
SteveSchoene,
Do you remember which one had the article? God, I hope it's not one I gave away!
If you have access go to Skills And Techniques and search using wax.265 items poped up to read...
frenchy,
Peter Gedrys. Don't remember which issue but he's in the Experts area. Pop him a message as he's real good about getting back to you.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 11/9/2007 3:05 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
The article is in FWW #191 (June 2007). It's not a review per se, so it just briefly discusses the different brands and formulations.
-Steve
I like Antiquax, with the principle reason being that it smells nice to me. I think that with the various waxes that's a sufficient reason to like one over another, except that one should avoid the original BriWax (with toulene) for finishes under a year or so old (to be on the safe side.)
I prefer to stay away from toluene completely, given its volatility and the high toxicity of its metabolites.
-Steve
I certainly wouldn't argue with that. With a combination of a little soap and water and ordinary mineral spirits just about any reasonable degree of cleaning can be done. No need to combine cleaning with waxing.
Steve,
About waxes.
I looked up the Wisshack article on Rejuvinating with wax, and found that the author said "I have been happy with Antiquax's clear paste wax polish, Renaissance Wax, and Liberon's clear professional wax, which is higher in carnuba content than their Black Bison line."Teri Masachi's article on maintaining a finish, said "If you have an antique to care for, you'll need to use a man-made wax to avoid the acids in natural waxes. Known as a micro-crystalline wax, the brand used by most curators is Renaissance Wax." She also said: "Good choices for furniture include: Staples, Liberon's Black Bison,Briwax and Antiquax. All waxes contain solvents to keep them smooth and workable. Some of those, such as toluene, are fairly strong and toxic. Also, never wax a brand new finish because the solvents will erode the finish."I used Renaissance wax recently on an old piece which I first cleaned with mineral spirits. It is wonderful stuff. I don't use wax much, except in cleaning up an old piece that needs more than a cleaning.
Hope this helps.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I hear you.. I guess that is why I mentioned Lemon Oil or Bees wax.. Or just caring for the prized furniture as you have in the past.No harm to wood as far as I know. I always wax every project I make and I usually use Minwax paste finishing wax or SC Johnson Paste Wax.
They are both easy to use and have never caused a problem.Nothing priceless but I did use SC Johnson Paste Wax to clean and restore? the finish on several 1920/1930 Art-Deco? pieces that my brother picked up at a estate sale. As far as I could tell, it was all hardwood with ALOT of veneering held on with hide/brown glue.My brother wanted it cleaned so I cleaned it the best I could with a vacuum and natural bristle brushes. I then used mineral spirits (not directly on the wood surface) and dampened (not soaked) a lot of clean cotton rags.After cleaning I applied Tung oil I obtained at a Marine supplier. I forget what brand, but it at least claimed it was a true Tung oil (expensive). I cut the tung about 20% with turpentine. As I recall, more dirt seem to come out onto the rags. I would assume that the turpentine loosened the dirt in the pores and maybe I should have cleaned all the surfaces just using turpentine and not mineral spirits. Who knows? I applied several coats of the tung/turps mixture until the rags remained 'clean' and then applied a coat of 'straight' tung oil. I let the 'oil' dry about a week and then applied SC Johnson Paste Wax.Turned out great and no apparent damage to veneering or the glue holding it. At least nothing 'popped' up or 'wrinkled!Now, would I recommend that you do this on your expensive furniture?
Not for all the tea in China! But it worked for me....
Tung oil over a sealed surface is not a good idea. Pure tung oil should never be left as a film on top of the wood. In that context it will be quite soft and even gummy. When used on an unsealed surface, it should be applied, allowed to penetrate for something like 15 minutes and then be wiped off as much as possible. Over time, left as a film on the surface, it will just collect more dirt that will be harder to remove.
it should be applied, allowed to penetrate for something like 15 minutes and then be wiped off as much as possible..I agree fully.. I apply a very light coat.. Wipe off, buff out is better word for what I do.. I guess I left out the details. Sorry..
butchers bowling alley wax is fantastic. Started using it on gunstocks after reading a comparison test, that rated it #1. The results surprised me.
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