# Anyone Try Paste Wax As A Frame Finish?



## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

It seems that many wood finishes contain chemicals that can cause birth defects, reproductive problems and cancer. When applying, the evaporating solvents can cause nervous system damage, brain damage, and death.

Has anyone tried plain paste wax that is designed for furniture? I realize that it will work fine over top of a sealed finish but I was wondering if anyone tried it on smooth bare wood. Does it get sticky in the heat? Slippery?
http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Fine-Wood-Paste-00203/dp/B0000DIWIM

Thanks,
Northerner


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## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

To extend that, I wonder if anyone has tried one of the synthetic car waxes. I know they can hold up to heat.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/en-ca/products-by-brand/sc-johnson/sc-johnson-paste-wax.aspx

Johnson Paste Wax seems safe. Car waxes sound interesting too.


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

Am looking to try car wax this afternoon. The CA finish looks great and I'm doing it outside, but sometimes the fumes get a bit much. I, too, want to try some new stuff. testing on scrap material first!


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## buckarue (Jul 9, 2012)

Winghunter got me on to mini-wax paste wax. I put two coats of boiled linseed oil, wiping off the excess each time than I let it dry overnight and then apply two coats of the paste wax. Winghunter just uses the paste wax alone, but his slingshots are made of spectroply. I find the linseed oil darkens the multiplex plywood to a nice mellow tone and that is the only reason I use the linseed oil. Hope this helps you.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

I have not. I'm sure its effects are not long lasting just like when its used in furniture applications. Its going to need to be applied and buffed rather frequently especially since the slingshot is being handled so much. Wax is very temporary .


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

Even the paste wax has solvents and hydrocarbons. I think it would be pretty hard to find a finnish that gave you a hard durable finnish with out the additives. I use boiled linseed oil on wood like hickory because it impoves the look and paste wax on everything else. Any good paste wax will do just be sure you let it sit long enough to cure. The surface may feel dry but some of it penetrates and takes longer to harden then buff.
I am like you about the finnishes i can't stay in the same room with cyanoacrylate.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Hi Roger... Do you find the paste wax to be slippery? How often to you reapply?


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

i know that there are certain brands of car waxes that can be used on guitars . acoustic and electric . im guessing it be okay to use on slingshots also .


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

Northerner said:


> Hi Roger... Do you find the paste wax to be slippery? How often to you reapply?


No after it is buffed up it feels fine. I only put it on the one time I haven't had to reapply.


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

AaronC said:


> To extend that, I wonder if anyone has tried one of the synthetic car waxes. I know they can hold up to heat.


Yep! Honda Gloss I think it is called. It made a nice finish but left a white haze in the "pores" never buffed out.


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## AJW (Apr 24, 2011)

I have been using a product called Tree Wax that I'm very happy with. It's a floor polish, hard enough to be walked on for a few months and still shine. A furniture maker recommended it recently on his web site. He also recommended its use on metal tools, table saw tops etc. to prevent rust. I'm trying that too.


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Many of the floor waxes and furniture waxes are intended to use on top of a sealer/finish. I'm hope that they will work just as well on unfinished wood.

I might try mixing some paste wax (containing carnauba) and some beeswax to see how it works.

Cheers,
Northerner


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

http://www.finewoodworking.com/Materials/MaterialsAllAbout.aspx?id=2952

Quoate from above link: "In and of themselves, waxes offer little protection against moisture, chemical and abrasion damage to the surface of wood, and for that reason they cannot be considered stand-alone finishes applied to raw wood surfaces. But applied over other finishes, such as lacquer, shellac, and varnish, hand-rubbed wax finishes make the surface feel, look, and smell good."


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## peakshooter (Dec 27, 2009)

Why not try pure beeswax if folks are worried about chemicals? Been around a long time and used as a wood preserver


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

I took a piece of scrap oak and applied Johnson's Paste Wax to one area and a 50/50 blend of Johnsons and Beeswax to another section. One large droplet of water was placed on each section and a third drop placed on a non-waxed section. After just 30 minutes the water on the non-waxed section had spread out and absorbed into the wood. By 60 minutes the non-waxed section appeared dry. I'm not sure if the droplet had completely absorbed into the wood or evaporated because it spread out so thin. The waxed sections both kept the droplets from absorbing or changing in shape. Even after 2 hours the droplets on the waxed sections didn't seem to change. It would be interesting to use the wax on a frame and test it after 4-6 months of use.

Here are pics of the droplets at 30 minutes and at 60 minutes.

Cheers,
Northerner


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## trobbie66 (May 13, 2012)

Min Wax finishing wax is my preferred finish . I am a many thin coat man . Simply the more coats the more depth and lustre. It does not create a high gloss, but can be buffed to a beautiful shine ! Once the wax has properly catalysed, rub down with a well used piece of ultra fine Scotchbright pad then buff with a soft cotton wheel .You will have a solid finish that is easily renewed with an occasional buff up.


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## Performance Catapults (Feb 3, 2010)

You can also get a product called briwax. I picked mine up at woodcraft. You can get it in different wood colors as well.


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## trobbie66 (May 13, 2012)

Performance Catapults said:


> You can also get a product called briwax. I picked mine up at woodcraft. You can get it in different wood colors as well.


I did not know you could get colored wax COOL I have tried a couple times to tint wax with POOR results! Im gonna have to get me some THANKS


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## ERdept (Jun 10, 2010)

I use Renaissance wax.

No joke, I love the chemical smell.


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## tradspirit (Jul 23, 2012)

I have successfuly used tru oil to finish a glass laminated recurve bow that I recently built. Apply, let dry overnight, 4-0 steel wool between coats. Bow had 8 coats applied and has a mirror finish that appeared when I buffed the final coat with an old cotton t- shirt. One of the other things that helped prepare the riser surface for finishing is the sanding prep and work prior to the application of the finish. I wet sanded through 12000 grit, compressed air blowing between sanding the various grades. By the time that was done the riser had taken on a smooth, polished, almost mirror like appearance and almost appeared not to need anything else. The tru oil simply seems to have preserved that finish. The criticality of allowing a proper dry time between tru oil coats cannot be overemphasized. In trying to "rush" the completion of my bow, I steel wooled before the first coat was completely dry and had to resand almost back to the sealer to remove the steel particles. If exotic woods (bocote, cocobolo, etc.) are used they need to be sealed before the tru oil application, otherwise they take an extraordinary amount of time to dry, and sometimes apparently never do as a result of the natural oils in the woods seeping to the surface. Jim


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Hi Tradspirit,

Tru-Oil is another good linseed oil based product. I have refinished dozens of firearms with Tru-Oil. Great product.

Thanks,
Northerner


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## Pawpawsailor (Jun 8, 2012)

Northerner said:


> It seems that many wood finishes contain chemicals that can cause birth defects, reproductive problems and cancer. When applying, the evaporating solvents can cause nervous system damage, brain damage, and death.
> 
> Has anyone tried plain paste wax that is designed for furniture? I realize that it will work fine over top of a sealed finish but I was wondering if anyone tried it on smooth bare wood. Does it get sticky in the heat? Slippery?
> http://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Fine-Wood-Paste-00203/dp/B0000DIWIM
> ...


I make my own with grated beeswax and olive oil heated in microwave and whipped in a bowl sitting in another bowl of ice. Use an egg beater or whisk and keep whipping until it thickens into a thick salve. Store it in a Glad tub and your set. It soaks in and buffs up to a nice shine. It's food and child safe.

Pawpawsailor


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Thanks Pawpawsailor. I was thinking about using a beeswax and mineral oil blend. I tried some on a scrap piece of wood and it seems to work fine. If I had some carnauba wax I would mix that in as well.

Thanks,
Northerner


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## drfrancov (Sep 29, 2012)

buckarue said:


> Winghunter got me on to mini-wax paste wax. I put two coats of boiled linseed oil, wiping off the excess each time than I let it dry overnight and then apply two coats of the paste wax. Winghunter just uses the paste wax alone, but his slingshots are made of spectroply. I find the linseed oil darkens the multiplex plywood to a nice mellow tone and that is the only reason I use the linseed oil. Hope this helps you.


So how long do let wait between the 2 coats of paste wax? once you are finished, how long do you let it dry/penetrate before you use the slingshot? Thanks for the reply.


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## JLM (Sep 20, 2012)

Howard's Feed n Wax


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## JLM (Sep 20, 2012)

Here you go:


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## rockslinger (Nov 16, 2010)

JLM said:


> Here you go:


I've used that quite a bit, works pretty good.


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## drfrancov (Sep 29, 2012)

I love the feed-n-wax product. I have used it on furniture and guitars/ukuleles (another hobby)


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