best wax to use

[striker]

A workmate of mine tinkers with old tube radios. Yesterday he asked what the best wax to use on the cabinets. At that point, I realized I don't know jack about waxes. I have several brands on the shelf I bought mostly because the can looked cool or it said it was the best but other than using light on light and dark on dark I'm lost.

Is there any rules of thumb about wax?

Thanks, Stephen

 

[walnutjerry]

A workmate of mine tinkers with old tube radios. Yesterday he asked what the best wax to use on the cabinets. At that point, I realized I don't know jack about waxes. I have several brands on the shelf I bought mostly because the can looked cool or it said it was the best but other than using light on light and dark on dark I'm lost.

Is there any rules of thumb about wax?

Thanks, Stephen

I would not put any wax on the wood. I waxed some of the things I had in inventory for doing craft shows, when we got caught in the rain some of the stuff got wet. Anywhere a drop of water was on the wood it left a white spot on the surface. Thus my opinion.

Jerry

 

[Howard Acheson]

If the surface has been waxed in the past, it will continually need to get a refresher waxing periodically. Wax dries and loses its sheen. It's best to never start waxing as it's a never ending chore.

That said, if there is already wax on the item, and the item has not been waxed for a number of years, I would dampen a cloth with mineral spirits and wipe down the item. Then, before the mineral spirits fully evaporates, wipe the item with lots of paper towels. Do it twice. This will remove the old wax and gunk.

Once it's clean, apply furniture paste wax and buff. I am using Johnson Wax right now but Minwax and Trewax have worked fine for me in the past. Don't over wax or the surface just gets gummy.

 

[4yanks]

I am not a finishing expert and others may have a different experience. However, I have waxed almost every piece of furniture I've ever made. Some more than 15 years ago and never had any issues. I apply it as a final step in the finishing process with 0000 steel wool. I find that it leaves a nice dull sheen. I have used Minwax, Briwax (not for new finishes), Liberon, and Johnson's. It is important to buff all of the excess out of cracks and crevices. Otherwise you will get a chalky residue. If the piece has carvings or lots of crevices where I won't be able to get all the wax buffed out I use tinted wax. On flat surfaces Johnson's seems to work as good as any for leaving a nice sheen.

 

[sapwood]

A workmate of mine tinkers with old tube radios. Yesterday he asked what the best wax to use on the cabinets. At that point, I realized I don't know jack about waxes. I have several brands on the shelf I bought mostly because the can looked cool or it said it was the best but other than using light on light and dark on dark I'm lost.

Is there any rules of thumb about wax?

Thanks, Stephen

No help on the wax, Stephen :no6xn:
However, I appreciate your workmate's interest in tubes :icon_thum
A bit pricey for me, but a Manley Stingray amplifier is on my wish list!

New one is ~$2500

Roger

 

[Tom Rioux]

Thanks for the Stingray pic. That there is a fine looking peice of machinery.

Looking Glass Beeswax Polish

This wax has resin in it as well so it doesnt dry out like the car wax I've used. Its made to nurture the wood fibers and still breathe.

On a fine tube amp cabinet it'll be sweet!

High water areas would be the downside but clearly not an issue on the amps.

The nice thing about using the wax first is that the wood fibers will always have the beeswax and linseed resin infused in them. This means in five years they will still polish up nicely. Floors done this way have a self polishing character.

To get the grain to illuminate and pop I use Bio Poly NT first then wax. I always warm the wood and the wax for special pieces that I want to really come alive. I also prefer wet sanding (using waterproof sandpaper in wet oils and wax) over steel wool.

Hope to see one of the amps when done!

Best wishes,

Tom

 

[striker]

Thanks for the information and your time to respond guys. I guess there is no single correct answer. In terms of an old cabinet, revitalizing with mineral spirits would be my first approach.

Roger – Come to think of it, you kinda look like a tube in that photo w /bowl hat on. The Manley Stingray aint got nothin on the Sapwood! :gar-La;

Stephen

 

[mlzettl]

Stephen,

For what it's worth, I'll throw in my opinion. In over 30 years of woodworking, I've used just about everything out there at one time or another. I've even made up my own formulations. For the past 7-10 years I have used Renaissance Paste Wax exclusively for my fine furniture, jewelry cabinets, etc. This product is used by museums worldwide, including the British Museum, Smithsonian, and a host of others. It is what is called a micro-crystalline wax, and it does not yellow, leave waxy residues, etc. It is expensive, at about $25.00 for a 200 ml. can, but a little goes a long way. I get mine from Highland Hardware in Atlanta.

I use it in combination with Earthpaint's Bio Poly NT, a product that I have been using for a couple of years and really like. I would add that I am not affiliated with Earthpaint, and have not received anything as compensation for this endorsement, I'm just a satisfied customer.

I hope this helps.

Matt