My understanding, from the last time I finished a piece, is that you
end the finishing by putting wax or polish over the topcoat. That was
30 years ago and it seems today, paint stores and hardware stores have
never heard of this, shall we say, post finish. (BTW, the empire
dresser I finished 30 years ago still looks beautiful.)

I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment. In general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish. To avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products. That means Wood Finish for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

Does this sound right?

Any recommendations on the polish or wax? I think of polish as being
something like Pledge, which is pretty useless. Are there any polishes
that actually do protect? What about wax? Are the Butcher Block and
Minwax waxes good? Any suggestions?

TIA,

Dan

I have use polishing compound and wax on lacquer finish and probably
always will. It brings out the luster and depth in the finish. But, I
don't do this on polyurethane..... polyurethane doesn't seem to
benefit from this treatment.


Woody

On 25 Apr 2006 20:02:27 -0700, "Dan-the-K" wrote:

My understanding, from the last time I finished a piece, is that you
end the finishing by putting wax or polish over the topcoat. That was
30 years ago and it seems today, paint stores and hardware stores have
never heard of this, shall we say, post finish. (BTW, the empire
dresser I finished 30 years ago still looks beautiful.)

I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment. In general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish. To avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products. That means Wood Finish for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

Does this sound right?

Any recommendations on the polish or wax? I think of polish as being
something like Pledge, which is pretty useless. Are there any polishes
that actually do protect? What about wax? Are the Butcher Block and
Minwax waxes good? Any suggestions?

TIA,

Dan

I am not a finishing guy at all but I built a clock as a favor a few
months back. After posting some messages here I ended up using Poly
and the wax. I used Butchers Wax and it made a huge difference in the
look and feel of the wood (Zebra). There are probably better waxes
that BW but it worked fine for me.
Before I did anything I cut 15 -20 small pieces of the wood from scrap
and tested, tested , tested. As I learned there are so many variations
it is a good idea to run trials.

GL,
J

On 25 Apr 2006 20:02:27 -0700, "Dan-the-K" wrote:

Any recommendations on the polish or wax?

Don't use polyurethane.

If you do use poly, don't waste effort waxing it.

For wax use a hard finishing wax, such as Liberon's Black Bison, rather
than a soft polishing wax.

Joe wrote:
"Dan-the-K" wrote:
I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment. In general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish. To avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products. That means Wood Finish for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

I am not a finishing guy at all but I built a clock as a favor a few
months back. After posting some messages here I ended up using Poly
and the wax.

I'm guessing that you're both posting from r.w. What benefit
does polyeurghethane have over (say) shellac for a lasting
finish? What are DtK's "pieces"? "Pieces" often benefit from
"wax treatment", but I guess that's not what you had in mind.

Dan-the-K wrote:

I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment.**In*general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish.**To*avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products.**That*means*Wood*Finish*for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

Does this sound right?


First of all, I'd use wood that was the color I wanted and put a clear
finish on it. But if I had to change the color, say to match an
existing piece, I'd use dye instead of stain.

I did use poly once for the top of an aquarium stand, but usually I use
shellac or just a clear oil finish plus wax. Spar varnish for outdoor
pieces.

--
It's turtles, all the way down

"Dan-the-K" wrote in message
ups.com...
My understanding, from the last time I finished a piece, is that you
end the finishing by putting wax or polish over the topcoat. That was
30 years ago and it seems today, paint stores and hardware stores have
never heard of this, shall we say, post finish. (BTW, the empire
dresser I finished 30 years ago still looks beautiful.)

I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment. In general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish. To avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products. That means Wood Finish for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

Does this sound right?

Any recommendations on the polish or wax? I think of polish as being
something like Pledge, which is pretty useless. Are there any polishes
that actually do protect? What about wax? Are the Butcher Block and
Minwax waxes good? Any suggestions?

TIA,

Dan


Ditto the comments on poly but I still prefer good old Johnson's Paste Wax
for a final finish. I've tried the more expensive Briwax and others and
still keep coming back to Johnson's.

Vic

Chris Bacon wrote:
Joe wrote:
"Dan-the-K" wrote:
I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment. In general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish. To avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products. That means Wood Finish for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

I am not a finishing guy at all but I built a clock as a favor a few
months back. After posting some messages here I ended up using Poly
and the wax.

I'm guessing that you're both posting from r.w. What benefit
does polyeurghethane have over (say) shellac for a lasting
finish? What are DtK's "pieces"? "Pieces" often benefit from
"wax treatment", but I guess that's not what you had in mind.

It's not? Please explain "wax treatment."

I wouldn't say I'm posting from rec.woodworking. I'm cross-posting to
these two groups. I haven't spent much time with either one. I
generally hang out with comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware. My initial
impression is that although this thread fits better into r.w.,
rec.antiques tends to be more serious.
As to what I mean by "piece," its furniture, not necessarily antique.
This all started with noticing that the 3' x 8' conference table on
which I assemble/disassemble/modify computers has some badly dried out
spots. It's probably 50-100 years old and refinishing it should be
rewarding. I started noticing other pieces of furniture I could
finish. For example, I always hated the light color of the unfinished
IKEA furniture my ex-wife had bought. So that furniture is awaiting
staining.

The advantage I see in polyurethane is compatibility among Minwax
products. If I stick to the party line, everything should work
together well. The fishtank stand I'm working on (currently sanding it
with 180 paper) will take Wood conditioner (it's soft wood), stain,
polyurethane and wax. I do want to move on to shellac when
appropriate. There are reasons I don't want to use lacquer, tung oil,
or several other finishes.

Dan

But if I had to change the color, say to match an
existing piece, I'd use dye instead of stain.



Huh? Isn't a dye a type of stain? Did you mean to say "dye instead of
pigment"?

On 26 Apr 2006 15:47:32 -0700, "Dan-the-K" wrote:

I wouldn't say I'm posting from rec.woodworking. I'm cross-posting to
these two groups. I haven't spent much time with either one. I
generally hang out with comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware.

OK, so at least you're on topic for rec.antiques....


(There's a MCA Apricot VX under my desk as we speak)

Have fun, polyurethane that sucker till it shines, but don't bother
with wax after the poly- it doesn't need it, and you won't notice much
difference. Shellac benefits from a nice waxing afterwards- and if
you're refinishing something where you're moving computer parts around,
it may be a better choice. You can fix scratches in shellac by
applying another coat, but poly just gets wrecked.

I still don't know why the Wreck hates poly so much. Works good for
plenty of things, and doesn't really look bad.

"Dan-the-K" wrote in news:1146091652.080844.183240
@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:


Chris Bacon wrote:
Joe wrote:
"Dan-the-K" wrote:
I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment. In
general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish. To
avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products. That means Wood Finish
for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

I am not a finishing guy at all but I built a clock as a favor a few
months back. After posting some messages here I ended up using Poly
and the wax.

I'm guessing that you're both posting from r.w. What benefit
does polyeurghethane have over (say) shellac for a lasting
finish? What are DtK's "pieces"? "Pieces" often benefit from
"wax treatment", but I guess that's not what you had in mind.

It's not? Please explain "wax treatment."

I wouldn't say I'm posting from rec.woodworking. I'm cross-posting to
these two groups. I haven't spent much time with either one. I
generally hang out with comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware. My initial
impression is that although this thread fits better into r.w.,
rec.antiques tends to be more serious.
As to what I mean by "piece," its furniture, not necessarily antique.
This all started with noticing that the 3' x 8' conference table on
which I assemble/disassemble/modify computers has some badly dried out
spots. It's probably 50-100 years old and refinishing it should be
rewarding. I started noticing other pieces of furniture I could
finish. For example, I always hated the light color of the unfinished
IKEA furniture my ex-wife had bought. So that furniture is awaiting
staining.

The advantage I see in polyurethane is compatibility among Minwax
products. If I stick to the party line, everything should work
together well. The fishtank stand I'm working on (currently sanding it
with 180 paper) will take Wood conditioner (it's soft wood), stain,
polyurethane and wax. I do want to move on to shellac when
appropriate. There are reasons I don't want to use lacquer, tung oil,
or several other finishes.

Dan



Your ex-wife left you furniture? Lucky guy (even though it's IKEA). She
must have liked you .

Dan

I can only comment on what is used with antique wooden furniture.

For the early stuff up to say 1850, wax was the only thing ever used
and should continue to be used for such items. After about 1850 French
polish came into use which gives an almost mirror piano finish - not a
good thing to spill drinks on! Either can still be used successfully
on new items.

Modern 20th century finishes come in a huge variety of types to give
whatever appearance you are after. These should not need polish
afterwards and of course should never be used on antique furniture if
you want to maintain its geniuineness and value.

Simon

On 25 Apr 2006 20:02:27 -0700, "Dan-the-K" wrote:

My understanding, from the last time I finished a piece, is that you
end the finishing by putting wax or polish over the topcoat. That was
30 years ago and it seems today, paint stores and hardware stores have
never heard of this, shall we say, post finish. (BTW, the empire
dresser I finished 30 years ago still looks beautiful.)

I've got about a dozen pieces lined up for the treatment. In general,
I want to sandpaper, stain, topcoat, and then wax or polish. To avoid
incompatibility, I'll use Minwax products. That means Wood Finish for
the stain, polyurethane for the topcoat, and wax for the postfinish.
Sandpaper/steel wool when appropriate

Does this sound right?

Any recommendations on the polish or wax? I think of polish as being
something like Pledge, which is pretty useless. Are there any polishes
that actually do protect? What about wax? Are the Butcher Block and
Minwax waxes good? Any suggestions?

TIA,

Dan

Henry St.Pierre wrote:
"Dan-the-K" wrote in news:1146091652.080844.183240
@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:


Chris Bacon wrote:
Joe wrote:
"Dan-the-K" wrote:
....
I started noticing other pieces of furniture I could
finish. For example, I always hated the light color of the unfinished
IKEA furniture my ex-wife had bought. So that furniture is awaiting
staining.
....
Dan



Your ex-wife left you furniture? Lucky guy (even though it's IKEA). She
must have liked you .

I let my guard down. She moved out of our Virginia house, I stayed.
She was the one who wanted to break up and I was unemployed and didn't
know where I would find work. I went away one weekend and came back to
find she had raided the house. I asked her to make a list of what she
took and she said she couldn't remember. She was Swedish and liked
teak. She took all the teak furniture and replaced it with the stuff
she had been using - mostly IKEA. Also the $1,000. oriental rug. But
I still got the office furniture, the couch and love-seat, and my
Empire dresser. Oh, and I changed the locks.

I had to buy a new vacuum cleaner and iron. We each had our own cars,
but I also had a BMW motorcycle.

We both did alright in the divorce. Our lawyers were at each others
throats - we had to make peace ourselves. She paid me maintenance
(a/k/a alimony) monthly and agreed that she had taken $5,000. of stuff.
I got custody of the cats.

Probably the worst was that while we were together, she made me get rid
of one of my three computers. It was an IBM PS/2 Model 30 (8086). I
now have about a dozen working computers, of which 3 are PS/2 s..

I have so much that I keep filled a storage facility in New Jersey.
What I use is with me in my family's house in New York City. I'm still
unemployed 6 years later.

Ah, yes, antiques. A girlfriend from 30 years ago was into antiques.
She introduced me to antiques. It was then that I acquired my bible:
Furniture Repair and Refinishing by Kinney.

I've made some progress in sanding down the fishtank holder. Sanding
is a lot of work! So far, I've just done the top surface. There's a
lot more to go!

Dan

stoutman wrote:

But if I had to change the color, say to match an
existing piece, I'd use dye instead of stain.


Huh? Isn't a dye a type of stain? Did you mean to say "dye
instead of pigment"?

I suppose you could look at it that way. But all the cans of stain I've
seen were pigment particles in suspension, so to me "stain" and
"pigment" are synonymous.

The exception that proves the rule is Solar-Lux. The bottle says "dye
based stain" - sort of like "metal based wood" to me :-).

--
It's turtles, all the way down

"Dan-the-K" wrote in news:1146152262.900877.200460
@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
I let my guard down. She moved out of our Virginia house, I stayed.
She was the one who wanted to break up and I was unemployed and didn't
know where I would find work. I went away one weekend and came back to
find she had raided the house. I asked her to make a list of what she
took and she said she couldn't remember. She was Swedish and liked
teak. She took all the teak furniture and replaced it with the stuff
she had been using - mostly IKEA. Also the $1,000. oriental rug. But
I still got the office furniture, the couch and love-seat, and my
Empire dresser. Oh, and I changed the locks.

I had to buy a new vacuum cleaner and iron. We each had our own cars,
but I also had a BMW motorcycle.

We both did alright in the divorce. Our lawyers were at each others
throats - we had to make peace ourselves. She paid me maintenance
(a/k/a alimony) monthly and agreed that she had taken $5,000. of stuff.
I got custody of the cats.

Probably the worst was that while we were together, she made me get rid
of one of my three computers. It was an IBM PS/2 Model 30 (8086). I
now have about a dozen working computers, of which 3 are PS/2 s..

I have so much that I keep filled a storage facility in New Jersey.
What I use is with me in my family's house in New York City. I'm still
unemployed 6 years later.

Ah, yes, antiques. A girlfriend from 30 years ago was into antiques.
She introduced me to antiques. It was then that I acquired my bible:
Furniture Repair and Refinishing by Kinney.

I've made some progress in sanding down the fishtank holder. Sanding
is a lot of work! So far, I've just done the top surface. There's a
lot more to go!

Dan


You ended up a lot better than I did in 1978 (when my first wife and I
divorced). I got to keep my car, motorcycle, the small TV and the old
stereo, her car payments and the rest of the bills. My small apartment
was pretty empty for some time.
Hank

On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:32:13 GMT, (Simon) wrote:

For the early stuff up to say 1850, wax was the only thing ever used
and should continue to be used for such items.

French polish was practically _common_ almost a century before this date
(on high end work, at least).

The history of finishes and their relative popularity over time is so
well documented I just can't be bothered posting more, but your post is
way off.

stoutman wrote:
But if I had to change the color, say to match an
existing piece, I'd use dye instead of stain.



Huh? Isn't a dye a type of stain?

No, but some people have coined the term 'dye stain' to
confuse matters.

Did you mean to say "dye instead of
pigment"?

That would also be accurate but there are folks who don't know
that stains use pigments, which is what distinguishes them
from dyes.

Then there is toning, and also whatever you call treatment that
colors wood by virtue of a chemical reaction with chemicals
(typically tannins) that are naturally found in wood. E.g.
ther is an umbrella term for fuming with ammonia, using
lye, potassium dichromate, nitric acid, potassium permaganate,
or whatever.

--

FF