RPCV_Woodworker Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Hi Everyone, I'm finishing a coffee table using BLO and paste wax, and was wondering how the paste wax would work with the large pore structure in the oak. Am I going to end up with white buildup in the open pored areas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Yes. However if you use a colored paste wax you can acheive a nice look. I have seen limed/ pickled finishes as well. I think they let the BLO cure and sealed with shellac before waxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPCV_Woodworker Posted January 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 hmm, I really want to keep the open pored texture though. Think I could polish the pored areas with toothbrush? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 You can try but you will never get it all out ! Trust me I have tried . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilgaron Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 If you use a straw burnisher you can get it looking pretty great. I made one out of a wisk broom and some hose clamps, although I think Don Williams and others are selling them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 You can color paste wax as wdwerker mentioned. Use a doubme boiler and just enough heat to melt a tin of your favorite wax to liquid. Then melt in a bit of wax shoe polish of whatever tone you prefer. Pour back into the tin and cool. The colored wax still builds up in the pores, but doesn't turn white(ish) like the plain wax will. May require some experimentation to achieve the mix you like best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Not to cause trouble, but I'm wondering what the need is for wax? Personally I'd finish with a thin coat of finish and be done with it (shellac, arm-r-seal, poly, etc). If you're looking for some color, a stain then the fore-mentioned finishes. All will leave you with the oak texture 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 a light coat of shellac or poly will leave the pores open. it takes quite a few coats to seal and level the pores. I actually did this with a tabletop a.) as an experiment and b.) because I had some shellac that was starting to get old and I wanted to use it up. It took nineteen coats. And a substantial amount of that ended up getting scraped off when I leveled the surface. Suffice it to say that if you want to fill the pores, best to get a real pore filler! That said, it only takes a few coats to start to round over the edges of the pores, which is not a good look IMO. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPCV_Woodworker Posted January 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Yeah, so I did a test board. I'm going to go buy shellac today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Look at the date on the can and its smart to do a quick test board with a new can of shellac before you use it on a project. Expired shellac may not dry well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 I'm with Boatworks....why the wax? Apply a topcoat and call it done. Tables need protection and wax don't offer much in the way of protection. Wax requires up-keep. Striping old wax putting on new wax, and the story goes. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 You can try but you will never get it all out ! Trust me I have tried . Same goes for rubbing compound... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Some folks like the tactile feel of a waxed surface. Softer & warmer than a straight hard finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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