Hullo all,
I just finished building an oak cabinet. I stained it and was ready to put on a protective coating. I normally use clear coat but decided to try wax after reading a recent Taunton article. I used Howard’s feed-n-wax.
So I put down the layer of wax today – as I was rubbing the wax on, the cloth turned brown (the color of the stain). Then when I wiped the wax off (after 20 min) and polished it – the residue that came off was also the color of the stain.
The cabinet now seems a little lighter than when I began due to the loss of stain.
My question – is this normal? Bear in mind that I gave the staining 24 hours to dry before I did the wax and it felt dry to touch. I was thinking of putting more wax down but am now afraid that it will remove more stain. I am also wondering if anytime people touch it, is there risk of stain coming off?
Any thoughts or suggestions as to what I do next?
Cheers!
Replies
C,
Thank you for your question.
After you stained the oak, did you wipe it down to make sure there was no buildup left? You should wipe it down at this stage until the cloth is left clean.
If you feel like your project is too light, you can remove the wax with mineral spirits and then restain. Then wipe it down and apply two thin coats of wax.
Wax is protective and finger touching shouldn't be problematic.
Please let us know if this helps.
Sincerely,
Gerald La Starza
Fine Woodworking
Hi Gerald,
Thanks for your reply!In terms of wiping it down, I'm not sure what you mean. There were 2 "wipings." The first time was just after I applied the stain. I followed the instructions, and wiped the stain off five minutes after the application. I did not wipe it aggressively though. Was I supposed to? The second "wiping" was the next day (24 hours later). I wiped the cabinet down right before I put the wax on. I did not though make sure that ZERO stain was coming off before I put the wax on it. Was that the mistake? One other thing I should point out that I did not mention in my original question is that the cabinet is oak plywood with solid oak trim. I've now been told that wax is probably not the best option for plywood as it could mess with the glue. Cheers!
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