Wax is one of my favorite methods of finishing, especially on oak. It’s
easy to apply, gives a great finish and you can see the results near enough
instantly.
I start by filling any nail holes or marks there might be on the work
piece. In this case there was a nice big dent on the front where it was
knocked off the workbench. I’m using ‘Natural Oak’ Brummer stopping which
you can get from many places including Axminster.
Sand the piece thoroughly
and always sand with the grain.
An electric sander isn’t essential but it sure does take the effort out
of sanding. I normally start with a 80grit disc then switch to a 180grit
and finally finish with 320grit. I’m wearing a dust mask and I’ve got
the ROS sander connected to my shop vac to take away the dust.
I’m also using a ‘router mat’ (the blue mat) to keep the work piece from
moving about while I’m sanding. You can buy them from Axminster but I
got mine from Wilko’s in town.
Using a tack or damp cloth wipe the work
piece to remove any dust.
I’m using just a clear wax and applying it with grey ‘webrax’. I didn’t
know till a few months ago that you shouldn’t use steel wool when working
with oak as it can leave black marks on the work piece. If you’re not
using oak, 0000 grade steel wool does a good job as well.
You can get briwax and webrax from Axminster but I’ve found the wax is
cheaper from a local pine shop.
You want to apply the wax generously with
the grain.
For the first coat I like to leave the wax to soak into the wood for
10-15 minutes then buff with a dry, soft cotton cloth in a small circular
motion with the grain. The longer you leave it to soak in the harder it
is to buff so this is where you need the elbow grease.
For the following coats I leave the wax to soak in for about 5 minutes.
Here it is three coats later! Looks great
IMHO and will only need a light coat of wax now and then to keep it looking
good.
easy to apply, gives a great finish and you can see the results near enough
instantly.
I start by filling any nail holes or marks there might be on the work
piece. In this case there was a nice big dent on the front where it was
knocked off the workbench. I’m using ‘Natural Oak’ Brummer stopping which
you can get from many places including Axminster.
Sand the piece thoroughly
and always sand with the grain.
An electric sander isn’t essential but it sure does take the effort out
of sanding. I normally start with a 80grit disc then switch to a 180grit
and finally finish with 320grit. I’m wearing a dust mask and I’ve got
the ROS sander connected to my shop vac to take away the dust.
I’m also using a ‘router mat’ (the blue mat) to keep the work piece from
moving about while I’m sanding. You can buy them from Axminster but I
got mine from Wilko’s in town.
Using a tack or damp cloth wipe the work
piece to remove any dust.
I’m using just a clear wax and applying it with grey ‘webrax’. I didn’t
know till a few months ago that you shouldn’t use steel wool when working
with oak as it can leave black marks on the work piece. If you’re not
using oak, 0000 grade steel wool does a good job as well.
You can get briwax and webrax from Axminster but I’ve found the wax is
cheaper from a local pine shop.
You want to apply the wax generously with
the grain.
For the first coat I like to leave the wax to soak into the wood for
10-15 minutes then buff with a dry, soft cotton cloth in a small circular
motion with the grain. The longer you leave it to soak in the harder it
is to buff so this is where you need the elbow grease.
For the following coats I leave the wax to soak in for about 5 minutes.
Here it is three coats later! Looks great
IMHO and will only need a light coat of wax now and then to keep it looking
good.
- Tin of clear BriWax – Click HERE!
- 1500 grit webrax – Click HERE!
- Tack Cloths – Click HERE!
- Natual Oak Brummer stopping – Click HERE!
.
