Polishing Microcrystalline Wax

[CHJ]

Microcrystalline wax should be applied as the thinnest smear possible more or less invisible when first applied you should not be able to see surplus just a misted dull surface, just enough to feel a very slight tackiness in the hand.

15 to 20 mins. should be adequate for the solvent carriers to disperse, in a warm workshop I often buff within 4-5 mins.

When I apply the microcrystalline wax with a cloth there are still stripes of the applied wax visible.

This is wrong and indicates to me that there is either far too much applied and/or the wax carrier solvents are soaking into the wood.

On a bowl of the size in the linked example enough wax to cover my little finger nail would probably have been excessive.

 

[Ale]

How do you apply the wax? By hand with a cloth or by a buffing machine directly on the buffing pad?

How long does it takes `till the wax is completly dry?
Would it be possible to go over the wax with beeswax or carnauba wax so that bought items can be restored by the customer itself?

 

[CHJ]

How do you apply the wax? By hand with a cloth or by a buffing machine directly on the buffing pad?

I personally apply with a small piece of soft cotton cloth.

How long does it takes `till the wax is completly dry?

Normally no more than 20mins, as soon as it's capable of being buffed, often less than 10 min.

Would it be possible to go over the wax with beeswax or carnauba wax so that bought items can be restored by the customer itself?

The buffed Microcrystalline wax should not require replenishment from normal handling for several years, it is used by museums to protect artefacts from handling.

Why would you want to use any inferior wax from a handling point of view over it, soft beeswax based waxes mark more easily with hand heat, pure carnauba although of a high melting point and considerably tougher than Beeswax is more difficult for a regular member of the public to apply and still prone to watermarks.

More importantly, the chances are that if you apply anything with carrier solvents in it over the Microcrystalline wax it may destroy the integrity of the Microcrystalline wax shield by blending with it.

This is I suspect what has been happening all along with your oil finishes, because the oils are not forming an impervious surface skin they are blending with the wax and preventing the forming of a contiguous un-adulterated surface coating.

 

[Ale]

Why would you want to use any inferior wax from a handling point of view over it, soft beeswax based waxes mark more easily with hand heat, pure carnauba although of a high melting point and considerably tougher than Beeswax is more difficult for a regular member of the public to apply and still prone to watermarks.

A lot of handplanes (surfing) or even surfboards are finished with beeswax. But I know what you mean.

Normally no more than 20mins, as soon as it's capable of being buffed, often less than 10 min.

Perhaps I should ask this question even more pointedly - when can the waxed board be used - after one day - two days?

Because I made so many layers of tungoil and did not get a shiny surface I called Chestnut and they said that I can use Microcrystalline wax over Tung Oil surface. And even if the finish is not perfect and it shouldn`t be applied on oil (thats what I now also read in other forums) it looks much more better than without. Chestnut also recommended to try the finishing oil the next time because the handling is more user friendly. That`s what I am trying now - and it looks quiet good - just a few layers more...

I asked a lot of people here (woodworkers) but none of them are working with Tung Oil products (or probably they don`t know that they do work with Tung Oil based Oils).

I am truly grateful to you for the help and support, thanks a lot.

 

[CHJ]

You can use a surface finished with Microcrystalline wax over a hard sealed surface immediately after it is buffed, it does not require any additional drying time.

Finishing Oils and Hard Wax Oil will form a hard polymerised skin once cured that are better suited to the application of a wax finish.

 

[Ale]

When I wiped off the surplus oil of the Chestnut Finishing Oil I get a matte surface. When I do not wipe it of then I get a very nice glossy surface it takes at least (better more) 24 hours to dry. Is there a possibility to make one or two topcoats with another product just to get the surface very scratch resistant?

 

[ED65]

I don't know the Chestnut Finishing Oil but if it behaves like traditional oiled finishes the application process doesn't just involve wiping off the excess, you buff the surface with the cloth. This is partly to generate some heat which helps with penetration but it's also to burnish the surface, the unsung hero of traditional oil finishing is this burnishing.

If this is just an oil you shouldn't be tempted to leave a film on the surface as it'll dry soft and stay that way permanently. If it's a blend of oils with a resin component however it's similar to an oil+varnish blend such as Danish oil or teak oil, in which case you can get away with it. It's still better to build slowly though, esp. in cooler weather.

 

[Terry Smart]

Hello Ale

Wiping off the surface is the correct thing to do, but there is no need to burnish our Finishing Oil in the early stages.
We'd suggest a light rub down with a fine abrasive between coats and repeat the process; after five or six coats you should see a shine start to show. As always you should be applying a thin coat. The thinner the coats the less prone to scratching the finish will be.

Once hard dried (several days) the final coat can be burnished or buffed to produce a higher shine.

We wouldn't recommend putting another product on top of the Finishing Oil.