As I've been working on the challenge coin holders I'm using a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil (BLO) and mineral sprits (MS).  After a couple of coats and letting them sit a few days I'm just giving a coat of wax.  I started using Briwax but since switched over to plain old Trewax which doesn't have tolulene.  Seem to get a better finish with it too.  I'm thinking maybe using 50/50 tung oil and MS on the next group.

 

Any of you use a similar method?  What kind of wax?

I use General Finishes wax, it contains mineral spirits. I usually use a film finish on my projects and sometimes for that soft feel. I will rub my finish and apply wax afterward. If your going to use a wax over a film finish. Just make sure your finish has cured nice and hard.

 

-Ace-

 

 

Ron, try General finishes arm r seal. It is a wonderful finish. Or the general finishes gel varnish. Both are light years ahead of blo. You can do 2 coats a day and after a few days, like Ace said, rub out and wax.  It will give you a wonderful soft feeling finish. bob

http://www.woodnshop.com/Watco_Satin_Wax.htm

Waterlox and butcherblock wax.

Ron..

I have been using TreWax for a long time.  TreWax is 100% Carnauba wax in a modified mineral spirits (smell removed) carrier.  (I know the Regional Rep.)

Starting later tonight, I am going to write a Blog that will be titled, "Finishing the Polyurethane Finishes."  My text will cover the use of the TreWax in depth. 

Briwax is a mixture of Carnauba and beeswax in a Toluene carrier, like you said.  Because of the addition of beeswax, it's not as hard as 100% Carnauba, nor will it impart the shine you want.

Toluene is also a mild "cleaner" of sorts and is used by many furniture refinishers because it aids in the removel of dirt and grime, BUT, if used aggressively, it can dissolve some finishes.

I do have some Biewax, in the darker color.  It is absolutely great if you want an instant finish on something without anything else.  It is not very wear resistant, but looks like a full-blown satin poly finish.  I have used it on small turning with great success.

So, why not use both?  The Briwax first to get the color penetration, and then TreWax to get the hard-finish shine.  Bye-bye BLO and MS..

 

A little trivia..Carnauba wax is the hardest vegetable wax known.

 

Larry

.

Now you've got my creative juices flowing.  I've not tried both but I'm getting ready to.  I have a bowl on the lathe and I think I'll work rhew Briwax in and then Buff it with TreWax.  A week of so ago I was finish waxing some coin cases with Trewax to send to John.  I was working at the oak kitchen table (yep, I got away with it) and just for grins and giggles I waxed the  table top.  Looked a whole lot better than Pledge.  The down side is that I may have to do it from now on.

Ron,

 

I don't have much time and I am doing a fly by on this topic, but I had a woods professor in college back in the 60s (whew that's quite a while ago) preach against the use of linseed oil as a finish..........over the years I found him to be correct as when you get to thinking about the matter biologically speaking linseed oil is food for mold. I don't have a drop of in in either of my shops because why put in a load of hours on making a project only to put an inferior finish on it. You don't have to take my word on the matter just google "linseed oil" and the word "mildew". 

 

On the other hand I do not believe tung oil will mildew. I have read articles written about 500 plus year old wooden articles from the Ming Dynasty era that were originally finished with tung oil that were well preserved. 

 

I have opinions about types of waxes also, but not the time to comment. 

 

Take care.......this is old man Dan signin out ...........

Thanks for the fly by Dan.  I have to share a very quick tung oil story.  A few weeks ago I made a trip to Alabama to visit my brother and John Moody.  We got stopped on I65 for road construction in Kentucky.  In the lane next to me was a pickup truck with a 55 gallon drum of tung oil strapped down.  As a woodworker I coveted his shipment and had to wonder what 55 gallons of tung oil would cost.

Dan Wyatt said:

Ron,

 

I don't have much time and I am doing a fly by on this topic, but I had a woods professor in college back in the 60s (whew that's quite a while ago) preach against the use of linseed oil as a finish..........over the years I found him to be correct as when you get to thinking about the matter biologically speaking linseed oil is food for mold. I don't have a drop of in in either of my shops because why put in a load of hours on making a project only to put an inferior finish on it. You don't have to take my word on the matter just google "linseed oil" and the word "mildew". 

 

On the other hand I do not believe tung oil will mildew. I have read articles written about 500 plus year old wooden articles from the Ming Dynasty era that were originally finished with tung oil that were well preserved. 

 

I have opinions about types of waxes also, but not the time to comment. 

 

Take care.......this is old man Dan signin out ...........

Ron,

You are welcome sir. 

 

You mentioned a 55 gal. barrel of tung oil.........and I did a flash back to the middle 1950s and watching my Grandpa Moore in the small porch swing and children's furniture manufacturing he owned maneuver 55 gal. barrels of varnish around and then dump them into large vats. The vats were located under an overhead conveyor and he would submerge the completed sub-sections of the red oak porch swings into and then let them drip dry. After that he had a process by which he would collect the varnish from the vats and return it to the barrels. He sold the business in about 1960 when I was about 12, but Mom still has one of his porch swings and a children's chair and the finish is still in good condition on both pieces. I was fortunate to have found one of his porch swings at a yard sale only it was in the stuff that was going to be kept and I told the lady about my Grandfather making it, but she still used the swing and would not let it go because she said she used it for a lot of years and could not replace the quality if she bought a new one. I gave her my number and sure enough several years later she called and I bought it, but she had painted over the original varnish and some day I need to refinish it. Oh how I wished I had some pictures of his shop and machinery, but we don't. I only have them pictured in my mind and still on occasion "visit his shop mentally" as he was my buddy and I spent a lot of my summer time there in my youth. My father was also my buddy, but obviously he was at work during the day and we spent most of his off time huntin and fishin which was also great. I was blessed with a great childhood and during the years that I taught shop I had approximately 2000 plus students and unfortunately some of them did not have a good atmosphere at home like I did. I can remember my heart going out for them and possibly going a bit out of my way to attempt to spend a bit of extra time with them without neglecting time with my other students..........anyhoos sorry...... I digress.

 

I believe that tung oil was introduced to the buying public where I live in the late 60s and we studied in college that most if not all of the tung that was imported in the 1940s was purchased by the government and used to replace linseed oil in naval ship paints and it seems like some of the first gov. applications were on the M1 Garand rifle when it first went into production for WWII and also went on to replace other gun stock oils ..........but it has been a long time since I thought about those matters so I may be a bit fuzzy on the absolute dates. 

 

Also in some of my studies I can remember that some of the finest small wooden items produced in Europe back before the war were finished with human face oil and hand rubbed in with obviously repeated applications. 

 

Take Care ~ Dan

 

 

 

 

And on a side note, you reminded me that one of my most cherished pictures is my great grandfather in his blacksmith shop.

Dan Wyatt said:

Ron,

You are welcome sir. 

 

You mentioned a 55 gal. barrel of tung oil.........and I did a flash back to the middle 1950s and watching my Grandpa Moore in the small porch swing and children's furniture manufacturing he owned maneuver 55 gal. barrels of varnish around and then dump them into large vats. The vats were located under an overhead conveyor and he would submerge the completed sub-sections of the red oak porch swings into and then let them drip dry. After that he had a process by which he would collect the varnish from the vats and return it to the barrels. He sold the business in about 1960 when I was about 12, but Mom still has one of his porch swings and a children's chair and the finish is still in good condition on both pieces. I was fortunate to have found one of his porch swings at a yard sale only it was in the stuff that was going to be kept and I told the lady about my Grandfather making it, but she still used the swing and would not let it go because she said she used it for a lot of years and could not replace the quality if she bought a new one. I gave her my number and sure enough several years later she called and I bought it, but she had painted over the original varnish and some day I need to refinish it. Oh how I wished I had some pictures of his shop and machinery, but we don't. I only have them pictured in my mind and visit his shop mentally as he was my buddy and I spent a lot of my summer time there in my youth. My father obviously was at work during the day and we spent most of his off time huntin and fishin which was also great.

 

I believe that tung oil was introduced to the buying public where I live in the late 60s and we studied in college that most if not all of the tung that was imported in the 1940s was purchased by the government and used to replace linseed oil in naval ship paints and it seems like some of the first gov. applications were on the M1 Garand rifle when it first went into production for WWII and also went on to replace other gun stock oils ..........but it has been a long time since I thought about those matters so I may be a bit fuzzy on the absolute dates. 

 

Also in some of my studies I can remember that some of the finest small wooden items produced in Europe back before the war were finished with human face oil and hand rubbed in with obviously repeated applications. 

 

Take Care ~ Dan