I recently made an end table and applied tung oil to it, and then paste wax. I see now that I didn’t let the oil dry for long enough, and I need to remove the six or seven coats of wax. What’s the easiest way to do this?
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Replies
Six or seven coats? Is this a joke?
Don't get snotty!
Six or seven coats of wax is a bit much. Mineral spirits (paint thinner) or VM&P naphtha should remove it.
-Steve
P.S. If you ignore Monsieur Macoute, it increases the chances that he will go away.
Man, you never put wax on that many times - a couple of extremely well buffed apps at the most. You should be left with a wax topcoat only a few molecules thick.Normally, I'd say use a high-solvent wax to remove the old wax but you're going to have to go to mineral spirits (or Naptha like Steve mentioned, or both like he mentioned). Dampen a shop cloth and give it a good wipe down. Keep repeating until nothing comes up on the cloth.What did you think seven applications of wax was going to accomplish?
Edited 10/12/2007 1:49 pm ET by TaunTonMacoute
Paste wax doesn't build a finish, just apply one coat and buff. Its only function is to add gloss and a little abrasion resistance, wax isn't a finish in itself.
Paste wax is meant to be applied over a film finish, such as shellac, varnish, or lacquer. As you have discovered, it doesn't work over an oil finish, there is nothing for the wax to stick to, it has just soaked into the wood and is now probably coming back up to the surface.
You can remove wax from a sealed surface with any of the common solvents, paint thinner or naphtha work well. Being that your table wasn't sealed you may not be able to completely remove the wax no matter how many times you wipe it down.
John White
Yestermorrow School, Waitsfield, Vermont
FWW Experts column contributor
Edited 10/12/2007 2:23 pm ET by JohnWW
John:Check the spelling in your signature....
Fixed, Thanks
Paste wax doesn't build a finish, just apply one coat and buff. Its only function is to add gloss and a little abrasion resistance, wax isn't a finish in itself. First of all I am far from a expert or even knowledgeable about finishing. However I always finish off my projects with wax.As I recall no matter how many coats you put on (as long as you buff it out) you end up with just one coat. Maybe I'm all wet but I apply a coat and let it dry at least overnight and apply another the next day and do this for several coats. I could be wrong but I think the finish 'look' improves with several applications. Maybe it is just all the rubbing out that smoothes out the finish and it reflects light differently?You expert opinion is welcome.
I'm not an expert in that I haven't tested how much wax can be built up on top of a finish, especially if you used a technique such as the one you use. In this case I was repeating information I have learned from people who were expert on finishing. If your method creates a better finish I wouldn't argue, but you might try an experiment comparing your method with the typical waxing technique to see if there truly is a difference.John White
Yestermorrow School, Waitsfield, Vermont
Fine woodworking steel wool and water?
John.. I have no idea..I just BUFF ALOT with different 3M pads..
I've always used Naptha with good results. Smells like a Dry Cleaner!
Visit me at The Wood Mechanic site!
What no one has said clearly (at least I think so) is that you need a BIG pile of paper towels or rags to do this. Keep changing to new cloth in order not to just be smearing around the large amount of wax you have on there. Wipe it, change the face of the cloth, and wipe some more until no more comes off. It's gonna be a lot to do.Gretchen
I, too, would question your technique.
You did not really apply six or seven "coats" of wax; you applied wax six or seven times. Each time will melt into the prior coat and become one.
Wax has a property that it sticks tenaciously to everything except itself. And like others say, you want the minimum thickness left. So my advice is to apply it and buff off as much as you possibly can, then a little more and that's the right amount to leave. Leaving on excess wax will only attract and hold dirt and smudge.
You do want to use a non-polar solvent (such as naphtha or mineral spirts, and NOT water) with lots of clean cloths or shop towels. Both naphtha and mineral spirits are relatively weak solvents, so you might kick it up a little with a stronger solvent. I have used a bit (one part to four) of lacquer thinner (being a soup of multiple solvents). Of course, by itself, lacquer thinner can be damaging to a finish, so check your mix on obscure areas first.
The other thing that you don't say much about, but "Tung Oil _Finish_" is typically either a thinned varnish or thinned oil & varnish mix.
As for "building up coats of wax..." I remember reading years ago that one of the interesting qualities of wax is that it will stick to almost anything... except itself!
Edited 10/29/2007 4:24 pm ET by Recounter
The explanations of the "build" of a paste wax coating have been a little misleading. It is correct that multiple applications simply result in one finish layer, no matter how many applications. And it is correct that wax has almost no cohesion, but good adhesion.If it is properly applied - preferably with a power finisher/lamb's wool pad to cause momentary melting of the wax as it is buffed - the film thickness will always be the same. All the excess will come off on the applicator, leaving the thinnest film that adheres to the substrate.Power buffing provides the hardest finish with the most gloss. But even if hand applied, the final film will always be the same thickness (or "thinness").Rich
As someone who once upon a time has spent much too much time, under the tuteledge of the U.S. Navy, in building up spit shine polish on coarse grained leather shoes I don't really think that is quite accurate. Now that's not quite the same application method as used on furniture, but it still suggests that if the solvents flash off too quickly and the new wax isn't vigorously buffed you could end up with a thicker coating of wax after several coats than after one.
Like others said, multiple coats of wax dosent really work. It is posible to build up a finish but it is very difficult and takes a deft hand. I doubt that you really have 6 coats of wax. Each aplication should have disolved the previous and buffed of with the excess. In other words one coat on the table and 5 coats on the buffing rag. However after a coat dries you can (with a very deft, quick motion) apply more wax and if you wait the exact right amount of time it will buff out with out loosing the previous coat. Though, as others said it really isnt worth it.
I have learned the hard way that some paste wax is harder to get off than it seem it should be. Just last week I decided to build up a shellac finish after waxing, so I used Naptha to remove the wax. After leveling the next coat of Shellac I could see that it didnt adhere well. The Wax took a lot more elbow grease than I thought. That is the second or third time that has happened to me.
After removing the wax with mineral spirits ot Naptha use #0 steel wool to make sure it is gone.
Pardon my spelling,
Mike
Make sure that your next project is beyond your skill and requires tools you don't have. You won't regret it.
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