waxing pine?

Hello,
I'm raising an old live edge pine slab from the dead. Its kind of cool because its 28" wide. The owners of the slab had previously put this thing through the ringer, including a stint on a covered outside porch with clay pots for legs. It was stained with all sorts of things. An interior designer friend of mine convinced them it could be salvaged and brought inside, with more suitable legs added. I've worked with a lot of woods but never have worked with pine for furniture.
Anyway, I've since taken the cupping out of the slab and am about to take off the milling marks. The client has asked for nothing other than a simple wax finish and want nothing other than that. Is there anything I need to know prior to waxing this? I have a mineral oil/beeswax finish that I've used with success on other things. Would a sealer be recommended first?
Thanks in advance.
William

I would start by explaining the advantages (colorfast, universal sealer that has proved itself over the test of time, easily repaired, etc.) of sealing the piece with blonde de-waxed shellac.

If the client will not allow anything but wax; then I would wax it and tell them they are on their own after it's delivered. No guarantee that the old outdoor smells will be eliminated, wax offers little to no protection from anything.

thanks Scott. After reading about blonde de-waxed shellac it sounds like a very good option to use before waxing. I'm going to really try to get the client to see the advantages.

Apart from the functional benefits of shellac, it's all natural and food safe, which may help you sell it to them...

Man, this "simple" refinishing project for a friend is becoming frustrating. Aside from discovering metal in the slab (and killing two bits), I did one coat of thinned dewaxed shellac and it resulted in this. I was careful in my application so now I am wondering if the wood is contaminated with something from days gone by. The darkened areas seem to be around where the checks are. That leads me to wonder about contamination. Now I'm a bit stuck because I do not like how this looks or how to remedy it. I know pine can be blotchy but I did not think the shellac would be an issue. Any thoughts?Attachment 335959

What you are seeing is the ends of wavy grain. There isn't much you can do with the darker brown patches. As far as the darker lines caused by the checks, that is to be expected in a piece of wood that has weathered. I suppose you could try filling the cracks with epoxy to create a smoother surface, but even that will still leave them visible.

Thanks Lee. I'm considering using waterlox over top of the shellac; thinking that the tones may even out a bit if I do that. I may try a small test area on the underside.
However, the client had insisted on a simple wax finish for some reason (they claimed the simple wax finish they had on it before magically made water rings disappear, which I find very hard to believe). So I may have to go back to them first.

Pine naturally ages to a pumpkin color, It appears to me that you have sanded through the aged surface in some areas and not in others.

If you're up for more work you could sand it down again and spray a couple of light coats of Sealcoat shellac. I can't promise that will avoid the problem, but it stands a much better chance than applying it by hand where the wild grain sucks in more finish.

John

I don't think it's a matter of uneven sanding. Took a good .25" off using a router sled in order to get it flat.