??? about finishing with paste wax

[JR]

I have just put together a few small boxes with sliding dovetail lids. It's pretty easy to get a nice fit to the lids, but I imagine if I coat them with poly I'll be in for a heck of a time. A little past wax and the feel of the lids sliding would be perfect.

Have you finished with paste wax only? What was your experience?

JR

[Daryl]

The wax will get in the pores of the wood and dry. It is impossible to buff it out. The darker the wood, the worse the effect. I did it on stained pine. Mineral spirits removed the residue so I could give it a better finish.

[Richard in Smithville]

What if you lay in a coat of shelac to seal the wood first?

[SARGE..g-47]

Not sure what species wood you are using but I would not use wax directly on the surface. You can simply sand a test piece of the same species exactly as you did the box and apply the wax to see what happens. Always test first so you avoid a "crap-shoot". Lucky seven or eleven doesn't always show on the first roll in reality.

With that said I have on many occasions used wax over simple and natural Watco or Tung oil. Watco contains a slight hint of resin to seal pores but will give off a slight hint of amber. If you are working with a very light wood as maple you might want to keep it white without the amber tone so tung oil is the choice. The oils will gain two advantages.. seal pores to a degree which can be aided by sanding to a much higher grit and purposely burnishing the pores... and it will pop the grain to a degree. Highly figured wood as birds-eye or curly maple especially.

I have not only done small boxes... I did an entire Queen size bed with Watco and wax. A new coat of wax on that had to applied about every two or 3 years depending on the abrasion and how often you dust. BTW.. Liberon Black Bison wax is available in clear and about 15 other hints of color which can aid in shading. And what Richard said about laying a seal coat of dewaxed shellac down first which will also close the pores and allow waxing. But note... shellac has a pretty high gloss to it so depends on if you are looking for high gloss.. satin or flat.

Good luck...

[JR]

Here is a pic of the boxes in question. They're made of walnut, with walnut lids with quilted maple inlaid veneer.

My anxiety is that if I get the lids to have a perfect fit - easily slid, but not loose - a topcoat other than wax will screw up the fit. Am I just being anal retentive?

[pelligrini]

If they're that tight, how is a change in humidity going to affect them?

I think that finishing them as Sarge described with the Watco oil would work well and look good. You don't have to build up a thick finish with the danish oil. Just wipe on a couple coats with an applicator then wipe it with a clean cloth to avoid any buildup. After it's dried well an application of wax should help the tops slide easier too.

If they ended up too tight a few passes with some real fine sandpaper on the top edges and a quick application of wax should take care of that.

[SARGE..g-47]

Ditto what Erik said. You could leave them natural but.. that spalted lid and main wood is not going to look as nice unless it is popped with something. Just try one box to see what happens if you are concerned as obviously you are. If it goes astray you can remedy the one as Erik stated. But.. I personally don't think there will be a problem but can't guarantee! Now.. you could line the slip groove wtih blue tape and leave that natural but.. you would certainly improve the looks over-all by popping that grain with at least an oil. Just keep the beads that will appear wiped in the first few hours with a clean cloth as once you wipe it originally any excess in the pores will come back to the surface. It is important to wipe about once every hour or two for 4-5 hours or the beads will set and cure.

Good luck JR...

[JR]

Well, I went ahead and put on a coat of BLO. I'll report the results later.

JR

[JR]

Here's the finished result.



I used a couple of coats of BLO and then paste wax. I have used a lot more poly in the past, and I think the plastic buildup of that kind of product would have been a mistake re: the fit of the lids.

These have a nice satin look and feel, perfect for a small box that will be handled a lot. The grain pops (more than can be seen in the pic) due to the BLO. The wax gives the nice feel.

JR

[guycox]

If you really want to see something amazing, take a look at the Beale Buffing System for the small items finished with an Oil Finish .. Sand to about 400, two coats of Oil and then buff with the system: Jewler's Roughe, White Diamond, and Carnuba Wax ( 3 separate wheels)..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9RpvADRzp8

[pelligrini]

Those turned out real nice JR. The oil did make it pop.

How are the lids fitting? like the way you wanted?

[JR]

How are the lids fitting? like the way you wanted?

Yeah, i have to be happy with the result. One is loose enough to fall out if held upright, but the others are just about perfect.

JR

[Bruce Cohen]

Watco contains a slight hint of resin to seal pores but will give off a slight hint of amber. If you are working with a very light wood as maple you might want to keep it white without the amber tone so tung oil is the choice. The oils will gain two advantages.. seal pores to a degree which can be aided by sanding to a much higher grit and purposely burnishing the pores... and it will pop the grain to a degree. Highly figured wood as birds-eye or curly maple especially.

I have not only done small boxes... I did an entire Queen size bed with Watco and wax. A new coat of wax on that had to applied about every two or 3 years depending on the abrasion and how often you dust. BTW.. Liberon Black Bison wax is available in clear and about 15 other hints of color which can aid in shading.

Good luck...

I totally agree with Sarge, I have been using The Watco/Liberon (clear) method for years now and unless we're talking about a table top, this is all you need.

What I do is to give wet sand the second coat of Watco with 220 Wet/Dry paper and then wait a few minutes (don't let it dry) and then rub it off with a soft cloth.

I wait a day or so, depending on the humidity and then rub in another coat of Watco using 400-600 grit Wet/Dry, give it a few minutes and then rub it off with another soft cloth.

Finally, a coat or two of Clear Liberon rubbed in with Liberon (only) 0000 steel wool, I found nothing works as well, and buff it off, another soft cloth (luckily I have a ton of old unwearable T-shirts) and give it a day to really dry and there you are. This is one of the best finishing methods I've ever used.

Bruce

[cabinetman]

I used a couple of coats of BLO and then paste wax. I have used a lot more poly in the past, and I think the plastic buildup of that kind of product would have been a mistake re: the fit of the lids.

These have a nice satin look and feel, perfect for a small box that will be handled a lot. The grain pops (more than can be seen in the pic) due to the BLO. The wax gives the nice feel.

JR

I like the word finished, as it implies that the work is done. I prefer to do finishes that require no further maintenance of any kind. A waxed finish will need further maintenance and presents difficulty if further finish needs to be applied.

A solution to this project using BLO, and a resin based oil would work out. As for getting a good fit with the intended finish, would be to sand the mating (or sliding ) parts with 400x or if necessary 600x to give it a super slick surface. Only the touching parts have to be done that way. It works wonders on other wood to wood surfaces like drawer runners.
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