Final Finishing Alternative to Wax?

I'm near my last coat for a kitchen table refinishing job. I'm using semi-gloss polycrylic (water-based minwax product) and of course I want a nice clear smooth finish. SWMBO doesn't want anything remotely "toxic" on the table top (like wax) because she's doesn't want it coming off on our food. Being I don't want to use a wax product for the final stage, is it better not to sand at all or is there a way I can do a super fine sand and somehow buff out to a wax-like final shine? If so, what kind of sand paper, steel wool, or wet/dry paper should I use for best results. I think I saw a 1500 wet/dry paper somewhere.... And what do I use to buff-out at the end, if that becomes necessary.

Thanks for the advice.

Reply to
mydeadpresidents
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how about not laying your food directly on the table? I've never heard of a case of "waxed table syndrome", so I think your wife's concern is way overblown. :) Seriously.

Dave

Reply to
David

I agree - I know it will be hard to convince your wife of this, but wax isn't toxic to begin with, and after it hardens (if it's carnuba wax or something else that hardens) there isn't anything at all coming off. In fact, carnuba wax is used to make the shiny coating on apples, it is an ingredient of lipstick, and it is used to coat pills in the pharmaceutical industry. Personally, I'd rather eat off a wax-coated table than a polycrylic table. If it is a carnuba-based wax, it came from a palm tree, rather than a synthetic chemical lab somewhere. Good luck and let us know what you decide, Andy

Reply to
Andy

Just use 0000 steel wool lightly. It would be better with wax. If she is worried about the solvents in commercial wax you can get just plain wax vs furniture wax which usually contains Naptha.

Try

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Reply to
SonomaProducts.com

Plates.

Reply to
B a r r y

But wax will mark instantly with every wet glass placed on it.

Reply to
Battleax

On Tue, 06 Sep 2005 17:54:50 GMT, the blithe spirit B a r r y clearly indicated:

And knives, sporks, foons, placemats, or tablecloth.

MDP, try Waterlox on the table after thoroughly cleaning it with a good set of solvents. 6 or 7 rubbed-on coats should do it nicely. I used Watco on my a dining table in '98 and AFAIK, it's still going strong. Mom sold it after Dad died and she moved to NorCal 2 years ago. No, I didn't fill the pores and didn't wet-sand at all. Waterlox would have worked even better and the varnish + tung oil seal it nice and watertight. ------------------------------- Iguana: The other green meat! -------------------------------

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

Thanks everyone for the advice. I admit the wax concern is a little over-sensitive, but there's the MBO part.. (she doesn't like the wax on the apples either) and we do have a todler so that can make for over reacting.

I'll check out Watrlox and some of the other wax suggestions. You'd think they make some kind of 100% non-toxic furniture wax. Isn't there some way to buff out a shine without wax or is that just not possible?

Reply to
mydeadpresidents

I guess I missed something. Why didn't you use gloss if you wanted a shine?

Jois

Reply to
Jois

Of course it's possible, done all the time. One rubs out by hand with a felt pad, abrasives such as rottenstone and a lubricant. You can use auto body rubbing compound too. You can also use a wool pad on a drill to do the polishing but it is easy to cut through.

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

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Reply to
dadiOH

The finish is semi-gloss. It's not so much that I want shine but that I don't want it too look dull and scuffed. I guess I could just not do anything to the final coat and hope their aren't any brush marks.

Reply to
mydeadpresidents

Okay, maybe I'll do some experimenting.

Thanks for the help.

Reply to
mydeadpresidents

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1126065505.164762.108030 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

Waterlox is a varnish, and not what you want to be using over the Polycrylic. It would almost certainly peel off. I believe Larry was suggesting it as the primary finish, for which it is quite well suited.

Patriarch, deviously thinking that some waxes are labeled as 'polish'...

Reply to
Patriarch

On Wed, 07 Sep 2005 10:07:13 -0500, the blithe spirit Patriarch clearly indicated:

Your assumption was correct, Glenn. I must have jumped in late and had

-no idea- he had previously "wrapped it in Saran." There's seldom a fix for that 'cept more poly. Maybe, if he roughed it up enough, a clear epoxy finish would stick to it.

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

Larry Jaques wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

24 grit? Or maybe 36? I LOVE the sanding adapter for the 4.5" low angle grinder. ;-)
Reply to
Patriarch

On Wed, 07 Sep 2005 15:14:30 -0500, the blithe spirit Patriarch clearly indicated:

OK, Saran comes off with 24 grit taking 1/4" of meat off the top. I'll give you that. ;)

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

Easy: Remove the polycrylic, melt beeswax )non-toxic, you find it in many foodstuffs and pills), mix in linseed oil (the pure kind from the salad aisle), brush onto table top, wait a few minutes, rub off exess. Repeat after one day, for several days.

Reply to
Juergen Hannappel

On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 11:14:22 +0200, the blithe spirit Juergen Hannappel clearly indicated:

Easy: Remove the grease from the paper towel,

Easy: Remove the brazing from the repaired cast iron,

Easy: Remove the nail from the tire,

The problem, Juergen, is that the damage has already been done.

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Reply to
Larry Jaques

Well, there's the additional problem that Juergen responded to a request for "alternative to wax" with "how to do wax". Sheesh.

Lee

Reply to
Lee DeRaud

I hope you didn't find the responses here too depressing! These guys may complain that they like the woodworking but not the finishing and then go in for the most elaborate, fancy, or classic, or difficult finishes (well, some of them) and just plain old polycrylic or polyurethane works perfectly. I use both/either and dumb old white china bristle brushes and Minwax brand in the lowest gloss I can find. I like three coats on surface that get a lot of hard use, never wax, and follow most of the directions on the cans. I've done stairs, table tops, kitchen island tops, toys, benches, and most of my arms and legs this way, looks great.

Put on the third coat and let the table rest for a week and then use it.

Josie

Reply to
Jois

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