Hello and Happy Friday – it’s nearly the weekend!
And if you’ve nothing better to do and you’re anywhere near the Newark area pop along to the showground either Friday or Saturday and say hello while we’re there at the Midlands Woodworking Show!

I’m sure I’ll be answering lots of questions at the show, but here’s three we’ve had lately, all with a ‘wax’ theme…
First off, we were asked what to put on a table leg that had been previously waxed with WoodWax 22 but the cat has used as a scratching post. Naughty kitty! Well the good news is that as long as the wood isn’t damaged then applying more WoodWax 22 with a fine abrasive (0000 Steel Wool or Orange NyWeb) should do the job. It’ll soften the existing wax which will blend with the new wax and repair the damage. Just buff as normal afterwards. One of the beauties of wax is that the maintenance of it is very simple.

The next question was about some confusion about how long to leave WoodWax 22 between application and polishing. It’s based on a very quick drying solvent (but not a particularly harmful one compared to some others) and it really benefits from being buffed up nearly straight away. The longer it’s left the harder it is to polish, the wax sets more and more and won’t shine.

And finally in our wax special, a question about using Liming Wax and whether it’s essential to apply a lacquer/sealer under it.  Traditionally this wouldn’t have been done, the wax would have gone straight onto the bare/stained wood (unsealed = bare to a wax) but it’s become quite common to apply a lacquer or sealer, especially over a stain. This stops the wax going into the open pores of the wood but it will still go into the grain (the lacquer/sealer will follow the contours of the grain), thus giving a more dramatic effect.

We don’t get many questions about wax really, it’s a fantastic product but incredibly simple, some people overthink it, and whilst it does have its limitations it’s probably one of the oldest and simplest finishing methods available.

I hope I might see you this weekend, if not be sure to check our Facebook page (and don’t forget our group ‘Conkers’) for some pictures from the show.

See you next week

Terry