Thread: Using wax for the first time

I can recommend Ubeaut Traditional Wax. Spread it on a rag, rub it over the workpiece evenly, then a few minutes later buff it off with a clean rag. To get an outstanding result, add more wax then buff it off with a Ubeaut Sawnsdown mop fitted to a grinder. But the finish must be very dry and hard before waxing, as the heat generated in this buffing process can cause problems

Sparingly is exactly that, a very tiny amount.

In order for you to get a decent shine most of the excess will be buffed off, if not it'll leave unsightly wax smears across your entire project.

Before you apply the wax i'd highly suggest trialing on a largish piece of scrap, make sure you're warmed up and don't have any previous shoulder injuries.

Pressure/speed doesn't really matter if you're doing by hand, if you're machine buffing you'll need to be careful about heat

Adding multiple layers of wax is a personal preference (and will power), depending on the quality of your wax it'll affect the appearance of your finish, more layers generally creates a softer looking piece.

Waxing isn't for everyone as not everyone enjoys the process or the look or durability of wax. I've used it in the past, but these days prefer using a water based clear coat mostly due to the speed of application

Thanks guys.

So the buffing is to make sure there is a thin, even layer of wax by spreading it around and removing excess?
Presumably buffing for too long will remove enough wax that the shine is lost.
At some point does the wax get hard or does it stay as it is?

Do you know why a single layer creates shine but multiple layers don't increase the shine?

If youre buffing by hand your arm will probably fall off before you remove all the wax.

Depends on your definition of hard, wax will harden but won't form a shell like varnish does, this is also its advantage as wood movement won't crack the finish.

Wax doesn't really add shine, it adds depth and warmth to your project, as you generally use it in combination with another finish eg varnish, shellac etc.

In a nutshell shine is the amount of light that bounces off a surface, the more layers you add the less light will bounce off/is absorbed. eg a clean mirror will bounce majority of light that hits it, the more layers you add the more diffused the light bouncing off it will become. Also shine is highly dependent on how smooth your surface is

O.k. I think I get you at a basic level.

Obviously some things are going to be more reflective than others. The smoother the surface is (a good reflective one anyway) then the more the light will bounce off in the same direction rather than scatter and it will be shiny. Which is why rubbing out works I guess.

I don't know how much is the smooth aspect and how much is the reflective ability of things like metal - you can get metals really shiny even if they're thick - but I know it doesn't really matter for what I'm doing.

I can see that adding more layers of something that absorbs light will increase the absorption.

I think the wax may have added shine to my first table because it wasn't a very smooth finish. When I tried a test on the second table it didn't seem to make much difference. perhaps because I did a better job and it's smoother.