wax after waterlox

I've built cherry face-framed kitchen cabs finished with 3 coats of waterlox finisher/sealer. I would like to add a coat of wax. The guy at woodcraft suggested a hard wax (which they were out of at the time). I don't know nothin' 'bout hard waxing no babies.

What is the upside/downside of using hardwax instead of a paste wax?

difficult to apply but will give me an additional degree of protection.

My current thought is to go ahead with a hardwax and then to use a paste wax for periodic maint. Comments on this approach are requested.

Also recommendations for brands of hard and/or paste wax would be appreciated.

~ Wyatt

whoops - meant to add this before sending...

But I tend to overdo things. Should I just go with Briwax and quit over-engineering?

I'd put on a couple more coats of Waterlox for the kitchen, Wyatt. And make sure the insides are done, too. Humidity in there is a killer.

Hard wax (like straight carnauba, right?) is a lot tougher to put on and buff. Are you wanting this for a deglossing or what? Waterlox is plenty tough enough to handle anything thrown at it all by itself, and it needs no waxing. It's nice to work with, isn't it?

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Hi Larry,

I just posted that and was hoping for a response by tomorrow :)

The carcasses are UV prefinished maple ply so I think they are plenty protected. I applied three coats of waterlox on the face frames before attaching with pocket screws to the carcasses. The cabs are installed, but he doors and drawer fronts are not done yet, so I should be able to apply a couple more coats.

The finisher/sealer gave the level of sheen that I liked. I want the wax for additional protection and a final coat that is easy to mantain. You think I'm better off with two more coats of waterlox instead of wax? What do you recommend for maintenance of waterlox over cherry in a kitchen? Lemon oil/ Murphy's oil soap/...?

~Wyatt

That's good. I wipe it on, so my coats are very thin. For a glossy finish, 4-6 coats should do ya, no more frequently than one a day. If weather permits, stack them outside in the heat to cure more quickly and lose any smell. I MUCH prefer the smell of Waterlox over Watco.

Absolutely. The varnish (if not the tung oil) is a better final coat than wax. I use Jwax and 0000 steel wool to degloss my medium sheen Original Waterlox; the wax just fills in the small scratches. AFAIC, wax is not a functional finish, especially for a humid, greasy, heavily-handled place like a kitchen cabinet door/drawer.

I used lemon oil on my cabinets in the old house about twice a year. I'd rub it on in the evening, let it sit overnight, and wipe if off in the morning. If you use standard liquid kitchen cleaners (PineSol, Lysol, Murphy's Oil Soap), that might be all you need. Remind your SO that things such as Ajax and ScotchBrite pads shouldn't be used on the finish.

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"Wyatt" wrote in news:1121634754.709817.131040 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

installed,

mantain.

Before you open that can of Briwax, you'll want to let the Waterlox cure. At least a week, maybe longer. Heck, wait until after Labor Day.

The solvent & cleaner in Briwax, and many others, btw, will dissolve a bit of that Waterlox you just worked so hard to apply.

I use this stuff regularly, and love it. But one of the hardest parts for me is to be sufficiently patient with the finishing (mostly the curing) schedule.

Pros use finishes that cure wuickly, but they have the tools and expertise to get them right, and the booths to deal with the outgassing and overspray. With simpler finishes, the cost is in time.

Patriarch

As the rest of the responders have said, another coat or two of waterlox should be great. I use wax to adjust the sheen of my finish (or to create a slicker finish) but quite frankly, wax is not going to add much if any, protection to your finish. Cheers, cc