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How do you put wax on in a good coat. I cant seem to get it os jost right. I am using the liberon kind.
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Wax
- Thread starter flyturnskater
- Start date
I push the wax onto the wood while the lathe is on. Then I take a cloth (being sure it is not wrapped around any parts of my hands or me!!!!) and melt it into the wood. Then I take a piece of paper towl and shine it up. Seems to do a nice job. I am interested in other methods too!
Mr. Fly,
"Liberon" is a brand and they market a variety of waxes from natural Bee's to Carnauba to parafin and stick and paste blends of many. Application method depends on the actual wax, so, if you didn't get application instruction, we need to know what kind of wax you are trying to use.
Remember too that wax is a fairly fragile finish that doesn't last too awfully long without be renewed.
M
"Liberon" is a brand and they market a variety of waxes from natural Bee's to Carnauba to parafin and stick and paste blends of many. Application method depends on the actual wax, so, if you didn't get application instruction, we need to know what kind of wax you are trying to use.
Remember too that wax is a fairly fragile finish that doesn't last too awfully long without be renewed.
M
Dudley said:
Try pieces of brown paper grocery bag instead of cloth or paper towels. The craft paper is actually mildly abrasive at about 2,000 grit and lint-free so you won't get cloth and white paper fibers trapped in the finish.
M
Don't finish with cloth
Paper will tare if there's a catch. With cloth it might be a digt or two that get damaged or worse if the cloth catches and pulls your fingers or hand into the wood lathe.
FOr finishing small items I like to use any of the several friction polishes that are on the market.
Paper will tare if there's a catch. With cloth it might be a digt or two that get damaged or worse if the cloth catches and pulls your fingers or hand into the wood lathe.
FOr finishing small items I like to use any of the several friction polishes that are on the market.
waxing lyrical
If you are using a paste wax - the soft type - then you would need to let the wax dry hard before you buff it up. You can do this with the piece still on the lathe of course, but this means down time for turning. If I use wax, which I rarely do, I tend to finish off the lathe. Several, or more, thin coats of paste wax, allowing to dry hard before buffing, gives a much better finish than one thick coat.
If you are using carnuba wax in a hard stick form then you can apply and finish on the lathe. Again, the trick is repeated light applications. Run the carnuba stick (often called woodturner's stick, woodturner's wax Etc.here in the UK) along the piece whith the lathe running on a slow to medium setting. Then using paper towel, or if you must - AND BE CAREFUL - soft lint free cloth, make a small pad of the material and starting at one end of the workpiece hold the pad to it and move along in a slow and even pass. You should see the "melt line" clearly as the wax melts and leaves a glass-like finish. It is the friction between the pad of material and the workpiece that provides the heat to melt the wax into a glassy top coat. This will only really work with hard wax applications.
Allow this to cool and then cut back with any abrasive from about 600 - 1200...only a very light pass with the abrasive...and then re-apply the carnuba wax and repeat the process.
The more applications you apply the glassier (is that a word?) the finish.
The problem with a wax finish is that it is not "hand friendly" and will quickly degrade with handling and time.
A buffed oil finish is waterproof, to varying degees, and provides a more subtle but longer lasting sheen. The problem, of course, is that each application takes much longer to dry so the process is longer.
I hope this helps
Andy
www.cobwebcrafts.co.uk
If you are using a paste wax - the soft type - then you would need to let the wax dry hard before you buff it up. You can do this with the piece still on the lathe of course, but this means down time for turning. If I use wax, which I rarely do, I tend to finish off the lathe. Several, or more, thin coats of paste wax, allowing to dry hard before buffing, gives a much better finish than one thick coat.
If you are using carnuba wax in a hard stick form then you can apply and finish on the lathe. Again, the trick is repeated light applications. Run the carnuba stick (often called woodturner's stick, woodturner's wax Etc.here in the UK) along the piece whith the lathe running on a slow to medium setting. Then using paper towel, or if you must - AND BE CAREFUL - soft lint free cloth, make a small pad of the material and starting at one end of the workpiece hold the pad to it and move along in a slow and even pass. You should see the "melt line" clearly as the wax melts and leaves a glass-like finish. It is the friction between the pad of material and the workpiece that provides the heat to melt the wax into a glassy top coat. This will only really work with hard wax applications.
Allow this to cool and then cut back with any abrasive from about 600 - 1200...only a very light pass with the abrasive...and then re-apply the carnuba wax and repeat the process.
The more applications you apply the glassier (is that a word?) the finish.
The problem with a wax finish is that it is not "hand friendly" and will quickly degrade with handling and time.
A buffed oil finish is waterproof, to varying degees, and provides a more subtle but longer lasting sheen. The problem, of course, is that each application takes much longer to dry so the process is longer.
I hope this helps
Andy
www.cobwebcrafts.co.uk
- Joined
- May 16, 2005
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Andy Coates said:
Words to live by, especially if you intend to sell your works at fairs where you are outdoors. Soft wax finishes left in bright sun can mush up and hold fingerprints. Even hard wax finishes will show white spots wherever an unnoticed or unwiped raindrop hit them. Don't even want to think about kids' hands, especially if you're close to the food area. Be prepared to rebox some pieces for repair at home.
Folks who use non-curing oils and wax as finishes may have to wipe their wares as the sun shifts, and they will find that any dust sticks to oozing oil very well. Indoor shows, or places with pavement are rare here.
I take the application of oil and wax as an opportunity to burnish the wood as well, applying with the non-woven pads sold to use with a mandrel on the flex shaft. Heats and flows the finish, heats and hardens the surface at the same time. With the flex shaft, it's possible to hold the piece in one hand and control the pad with the other. Something I really appreciate even when sanding at the finer grits.