Advise me on wax that performs

[section1]

I currently have two waxes and neither of them I'm happy with - Minwax finishing paste wax and the ever famous over rated but great on tools the renaissance wax which works great on end and edge grain but does nothing on face.
I never apply wax on raw timber it's either oiled or shellacked and dare I say may even be over poly but rarely as I'm a clock maker and do not have the need to use poly and nothing will be spilt on it. The current results I'm getting with the waxes I've got they tend to dull rather than make it shiny. I want the gloss or high sheen to stand out not regress even though it may be only slight it shouldn't happen. My friend tells me carnauba wax will make it shiny I have for experimentation tried car polish with carnauba in it and it turned out looking plasticy.

If anyone can advice me on what wax will give me a nice shine all day everyday without leaving finger print marks I'm all ears.

[Chesand]

There is only one wax--our benevolent dictator's U-Beaut Traditional Wax. Look at the U-Beaut Polishes advert on the RHS side of the screen for the information.

[LGS]

U Beaut Traditional wax will do what you want and do it beautifully

[section1]

That was the first site I went to but here is part that makes me think it just might be the same as what I have now "slightly dry looking shine to the work akin to that of a fine antique"

[Acco]

From your first post and reply, why do you need to wax?

If it isn't been handled or anything been spilled on it, it shouldn't need wax.

But I'd still recommend the ubeaut wax, it may look a bit dry but it'll still shine without that plasticity look

[Acco]

Should also add that it still needs to be buffed after it has hazed off.

[Toymaker Len]

Have you tried the Livos oil which slowly builds to a hard fine gloss over repeated coats or the Ubeaut wood oil which also builds to a gloss (so I am told)?

[soundman]

If you want a high gloss finish that does not regress over time ...... you don't need a wax you need a laquer or some other permanent finish.

Wax by its very nature requires reapplication.

Even in automotive finished where was is used to achive a super high gloss finish ... that is only possible because of the high gloss permanent finish it is being applied to.

cheers

[derekcohen]

Ubeaut wax is excellent, and well worth trying out.

Another that I have superb results from is Howards Feed-N-Wax. This leaves a durable shine and a silky feel. It can be applied to bare wood, but I use it over an oiled finish, such as Ardvos.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[AngelaPetruzzi]

As toymaker mentions (thank you) the Kunos will give a nice gloss with various layers. The trick to achieving a “higher” gloss level than usual is to apply the oil, wipe off, then the next day buff the dried coat with a scotch pad or something fine. This is not to cut back any fibres but to flatten the wax crystals in the oil which give more light reflection. Then apply another coat and do the same the next day. If you do this 2-3 times, you will achieve a nice gloss that is not plastic looking and will make the timber grain really show through. Another suggestion to achieve a varnish looking gloss with a natural penetrating oil is to try the Linn bathroom oil. This would be our glossiest product.
With waxes, the more one puts on, typically the more the fingerprints show up.
It’s always good to do samples though as what one thinks is gloss, the other would say is only satin.

[ian]

maybe you don't need a wax at all.

as a first step, I think you need to critically examine your current finishing processes,
Shellac can be brought to a very high gloss -- called a piano finish -- with the right technique

[Luke Maddux]

I use Feast Watson Carnauba Wax (from Bunnings) as a top coat to my oiled pieces. It does a lot for feel and, if you've sanded the piece, it improves shine. I wouldn't say it looks plasticy.

It does what I need it to do. I think it's like $17 so it wouldn't be a terrible loss if it didn't work for you.

That being said, it is my understanding that a well refined French Polishing (shellac) technique achieves the most aesthetically pleasing finish you could ever really hope for. It's not as durable as some, but, as you said, clocks aren't really subjected to spills very often (ever?). I hope to try my hand at French Polishing soon.

Cheers,
Luke