Wax only finish?

[Rich Stern]

I've been experimenting with finishes on basswood; not an easy task.

Pretty much every oil based stain I've tried leaves the wood blotchy, even with careful prestaining treatment. Minwax's wipe on poly gives a nice but somewhat plain look to the wood. Zinser's amber shellac produces a deep yellow tone, but again, fairly plain.

This afternoon, I was experimenting with wax only over bare wood. Johnson's paste wax darkens the wood a bit, but not much. Howard's Feed-n-Wax actually gives the wood a very nice, honey-pine tone, and brings out the grain in the wood without blotching. By fair, the nicest finish I've been able to get. I'll leave it overnight after a few coats, to see how much it lightens.

My question: Is using wax only as a finish commonly done? This is for a display cabinet that will bed handled often. Will the wax finish need to be reapplied too often to make such a finish practical?

Thanks in advance for experience and thoughts.

[Frank McVey]

Hi, Rich,

For centuries, wax and linseed were the only finishes! You can certainly build up a good shine with wax, and a tinted wax will deepen the colour. However, wax attracts dust and grubby handprints, so it will get dirty in time. Not a problem if you can live with stripping off the old wax every couple of years or so with white spirit (mineral spirit) and rewaxing. If I were you I'd experiment with plain teak, tung or danish oil on scrap. Give it a few coats, then try your tinted wax. At least the oil will give a protective barrier and prevent the dirt becoming ingrained.

If you do opt to keep the wax, then, after you've given it the two or 3 initial coats that it will probably need, don't wax it too often. A dust over is all it should need, with a another waxing once or twice a year.

Cheers

Frank

[Mike G]

Now or a couple of centuries ago?

With very little effort a glance at just about any piece of woodworking literature would reveal the fact that wax provides only a tad more protection for wood then no finish at all would would. Hence it is used as a finish only in special cases. Turnings come to mind. Wax will, however, serve nicely to protect other finishes from minor day to day damage.

Interestingly enough the properties of many available finishes can also be found with the same ease.

[Rich Stern]

The question is present tense.

I have a dozen or more woodworking books. None address this specifically. A newsgroup search revealed very little about this, particularly as it pertains to basswood.

How is it that wax has protective properties for finishes, but not for wood?

Perhaps, but basswood does present special challenges, and that's why I hope to get some experienced opinion.

Thanks for your time.

[Mike G]

Wax on a finish, especially a surface finish, lubricates the finish which slows the development of dulling micro scratches cause by dust and grit being scraped across the surface as an object is moved around on it. It will also, for a short period of time, isolate the surface from spills and keep sticky things from sticking to the surface. Say, grape jelly for instance.

I might add that I find it extremely hard to believe that any comprehensive book on woodworking does not contain some form of comparisons for common woodworking finishes.

[Rich Stern]

Of course they do. But that wasn't the question. None of them specifically address wax directly on the wood as a finish. And there is very little info on finishing basswood. Hence, the original post and the details I provided.

And, we also have the specifics of Howard's Feed-N-Wax, which is a combination of beeswax, carnuba, and orange oil. I offered that info because I was hoping someone would give me feedback on that product applied to directly to basswood, or any wood. Longshot, but certainly more likely here than in a woodworking book.

There isn't a huge base of knowledge on finishing basswood beyond shellac. Many folks seem to stay away from basswood (carvers aside), because of how poorly it stains. The standard answer from carvers who work in basswood is shellac. And that's fine. But I'm experimenting, and the Howard's Feed-N-Wax produced a respectable looking finish on a test piece. I am wanting to know the ups and downs of going this route.

FWIW, from looking at endgrain of my test piece, there is no question that the Howard's product is penetrating the wood. Perhaps that's the orange oil, or whatever petroleum distilate they use to make this stuff. I may just go this route on this product, in order to report back to the group in a year or two whether the finish is holding up. It may be a viable technique for those who like to work in basswood.

Thanks again for the additional info your provided.

[Charlie Self]

Rich Stern asks:

Because it does not protect from abrasion. Wax protects from moisture, primarily, and provides a sheen, so that it serves as a polish. The actual finish protects, at least minimally, from abrasion, and the wax then protects it from damp and dust, while it provides a nice glow to the overall piece of wood.

Charlie Self "All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure." Mark Twain

[Charlie Self]

Rich Stern states:

Well, yeah. But those same books also do not provide any information on the use of bacon grease as a finish. It is almost as suitable as wax.

Charlie Self "All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure." Mark Twain

[Tom Watson]

In my experience, wax is not a finish, but is something that is more like a polish, that protects the finish beneath it, in only a minimal sort of way. It provides an easily applied and maintained film that satisfies the human need to feel that they are maintaining their furniture.

I usually send pieces out of the shop with a lacquer finish on them. Some customers insist on applying wax to the pieces.

Wooddorkers often love an oil and wax "finish" but I maintain that this is no finish at all, if a finish is something that is intended to protect the wood.

For something that is commonly touched, in the way that you describe, wax will not cut it and you will need a film forming finish to provide a proper protection.

Shellac, lacquer, various varnishes - these can all be good for protection and good to the touch.

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[Cape Cod Bob]

And a lot tastier.

[George]

Beeswax was commonly rubbed into carvings way back when to give them some luster. That's about the limit of the process, however. It gives minimal protection from liquid, and reapplications - which aren't, really, as the old layer is dissolved in the new- can keep the surface of the wood from looking dull as a result of UV and oxidation. Lots of churches over in Europe with "lime" carvings of some vintage treated with wax and candle soot.

[Swingman]

Ah yes, good old bacon grease. Back on the farm of my youth, a big coffee can of same was kept in the kitchen by the stove, strained and ready for use. Good for everything from frying eggs, to making a roux, as a down and dirty lubricant, and mixing with sulfur, and other home made remedies, and applying to human or animal wounds.

Even had a cousin who tried bacon grease to get that "Conway Twitty curl" over his forehead, only the girls wouldn't have anything to do with him because of the dogs always following him around.

[Mike G]

OK, basic finishing.

1 - Get Bob Flexner's "understanding wood finishes"

2 - The purpose of finishing wood is to protect it. That it looks nice is a secondary plus.

3 - First choice of selecting a finish is one that will provide a reasonable amount of protection for the pieces expected use. (it doesn't matter what kind of wood)

4 - Second choice is the finish that gives you the "look" you want.

5 - There is frequently compromises that have to be made for to meet criteria 3 & 4. Err on the side of protection.

6 - Rough order of protection for wood finishes on all woods. None Linseed oil (including boiled linseed oil) Tung oil Danish oil Shellac Lacquer Varnish (polyurethane is a varnish and tops the varnish list for Protection)

Final note so ODeen doesn't jump on me for my placement of shellac ;-)

The above list is an approximation of overall protection. Each has individual attributes that may change how it fits into the list depending on specific expected conditions. None of those reasons include the species of the wood.

[Bruce]

All I can add is what Bob Flexner states in his (excellent) book. (paraphrased) Wax offers no _protection_, only film building finishes offer that. It provides zero water protection since when applied it is usually buffed off and leaves behind a very thin coat (picture in book of water penetraiting waxed board). The only thing wax does is offer some gloss to a previous finish and help protect that finish by slickening the surface.

In the case of your wood, all it will do is chage the gloss and feel of the surface If you leave it on chunky-thick, it will offer some water droplet protection for a while.

Popular woodworking also had an article (by Bob) on this several issues ago titled "Wax as a finish" or some such thing.

-Bruce

[Mike G]

Oops, sorry. Insert wax just below none.