# Renaissance wax



## nicguthrie (11 Mar 2013)

Hello Everyone.  

I recently bought some Renaissance wax, from http://www.sylmasta.com/cgi-local/s...&PN=Renaissance-Wax-200ml-Tin-85.html#SID=107 That's the cheapest place I've ever seen it after having read about it over 3 months ago and never finding any for sale, or at a reasonable price.

I must admit to having been a little impulsive tho, as I don't actually have my workshop yet! From what I've read around the 'net it seems like pretty awesome stuff, but I don't actually know much about finishing etc so far. The look I was hoping for is to have a nice deep gloss to certain items, maybe by using an oil or something first - to bring out the colours with that lovely "wet" look you can get with oil (I have a Fiddes hard wax oil that I bought for another job that was then cancelled, so I think that will do?) and then a good handling proof glossy surface.

I know the usual basic steps of sanding with sequentially finer and finer papers, and that the wax if you use it instead of varnish, is the final surface layer that can be buffed to a perfect shine, but I guess there's a few things I'm missing in my knowledge here. 

Will this wax do for pens and boxes (both turned and otherwise) and maybe even jewlery? Those are the most likely things I'll be making. Do I need a grain sealer over before starting with the oil to get the best surface? And should I finish with a burnishing cream, like I've heard folks doing?

I'm asking cos I'm not sure how the different products will interact, and I don't want to end up spoiling a finish or using something that will end up beading, weeping or becoming tacky with time, or simply not putting up with being handled. Thanks in advance!


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## nicguthrie (14 Mar 2013)

Wow, no love?

Well, I tried it on 2 projects and found out a bit for myself. Got a GORGEOUS finish over the top of cheap acrylic varnish after rubbing it down with 0000 steel wool first, nicest surface sheen I personally have managed yet and really easy. Then tried it over some well seasoned and dried (6 months) danish oil on my favourite box that I've made, and Disaster! Only got a patchy coverage, made it look like it was coated in greasy marks rather than nice and glossy. 

I guess that's a bit of an answer for me. Maybe I sounded a little too much like an advert in my first post. Thought I'd get at least a couple replies 

The nasty surface it gave over the oil seems to have rubbed back out with the steel wool again, so no major harm done. I'm still hoping someone can tell me what I could use over oil to give a gloss finish over the lovely wet depth of colour that oil gives.

Excuse my verbosity, I've been a frustrated and failed writer for a lot longer than I've been a rookie woodworker!


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## CHJ (14 Mar 2013)

Leave out your love of steel wool, sooner or later you are going to have problems with steel particles interacting with acids in woods such as oak and end up with nasty black stains everywhere.

Micro-crystalline Wax, for that is what 'Renaissance' wax is, was first developed & promoted in the popular world for use by museums as a protective surface that would resist finger marks and not damage the objects.

It can now be purchased from various sources under the generic name Micro-crystalline Wax rather than the original 'trade' name.

Used as you would any soft wax, apply thinly, just the lightest smear and then wait 5-10mins for solvents to evaporate then buff to high shine.
A certain level of friction is required to raise the temperature of the product to blend it in, much as is required for Carnauba wax.

It will not work on surfaces such as finishing oils if they have not formed a hard cured skin, even then if applied too generously there is a chance the solvents will break down the 'cured' surface as would be the case with any paste wax.

Applied directly over a surface sealed with a sanding sealer and burnished it will provide a high gloss.


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## Jensmith (14 Mar 2013)

I haven't tried Renaissance wax over danish oil finish so can't answer that one.

I love the wax though. Used it on pens and some of my small pieces of dolls house furniture which have been finished with sanding sealer but I did use it over linseed oil too and had no problems. Obviously it's a very small area but finished up beautifully. Lovely silky sheen.

It's also very good at preventing rust.


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## marcros (14 Mar 2013)

i use it for rust prevention too. I am yet to use it as a finish but that was the plan when I got it.

how is the dolls furnture going Jen?


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## Jensmith (14 Mar 2013)

Yes, I use the wax on my bandsaw table and it works a treat. Don't need much either. Just a very thin layer.

Same goes for finishing. Thin layer, leave it a few minutes and buff up. Really like it and lasts ages. I've had mine a few years and only used a cm or so of the contents.

I don't want to hijack the thread so I'll keep it brief - not too bad. Found more of a market in LED lights for dolls houses so moving in that direction.


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## nicguthrie (21 Mar 2013)

Thanks for the feedback, I've been away a while and it was nice to come home to.

@ CHJ> I'm already starting to fall out with steel wool. I've got tiny little curled marks in the finish of my Yew box, that I can't attribute to anything else but tiny scraps of steel wool remaining behind and maybe oxidising the finish, or something of the sort. Thanks for the thoroughness there, I think you covered most of my points in one post 

@ everyone> Funnily enough it was the bandsaw preparation video by thewoodwhisperer on YouTube that finally pushed me over the edge to buying the stuff, as he recommended it for a sealant layer on the bandsaw table. The sheer versatility of the stuff is what pipped it for me. 

It's largely pens and small stuff that I'm planning on making, so Jen, does the wax form a hard enough coating for a final finish? I wouldn't want it flaking off after a bit of pen-twirling in idle time in the office by some buddy  Would working up a few layers maybe help, or would it risk damaging the quality of the finish?

Also - and I show my cluelessness here - would I have to be careful what sanding sealer I used on highly decorative woods? I'd imagine it'd be possible to obscure some of the lovely almost irridescent "glow" you can get from some of the nicest wood I've seen. Or are all sanding sealers transparent to that sort of thing?

Thanks folks.
Nic.


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## AndyT (21 Mar 2013)

I've used it on metals quite a bit - specifically on old tools - and found that it provides an excellent long lasting protective finish. There are some relevant pictures in this thread: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/old-tool-cleaning-part-1-use-of-wax-t64195.html


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