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Thread: Wax Removal

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Kincardine, Ontario
    Posts
    488

    Wax Removal

    I am finishing an end table and I think I've jumped the gun a bit. I applied 3 or 4 (can't remember) coats of wipe on poly with 0000 steel wool between coats, then when it looked done I applied furniture wax, first on 0000 steel wool then buffed, then applied another coat. The surface doesn't look as "finished" as I'd like. I and am thinking maybe I should have done more applications of wipe on poly before applying the finish coat of wax. Can I just remove the wax with mineral spirits, then steel wool and apply more poly? Or should I leave well enough alone and just apply a few more coats of wax? Will mineral spirits get all the wax off? Am I at risk of having problems with adhesion of the new coats of poly?

    Many thanks
    Hans

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Brentwood & Altamont, TN
    Posts
    2,334
    Hi Hans,

    Your steel wool and MS will do the job fine. I might do a little dry rubbing with as fine a steel wool after you have cleaned the surfaces just to provide a little insurance.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Shoreline, CT
    Posts
    2,923
    No difficulty removing the wax with mineral spirits or naptha. Just be sure to use lots of rags so you really remove it and not just spear the wax around.

    I've generally found that sandpaper works better than steel wool between coats, cutting off dust nibs more cleanly. Between coats I use 320 grit. After the final coat I might do a first pass with 400 grit to go after the surface defects. I would then shift to steel wool/wax if I wanted to end up with a satin finish.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Kincardine, Ontario
    Posts
    488
    I lOVE this forum! I was not sure I should bother posting, because I really need to get this thing done this weekend, and I was planning to just go ahead and apply more wax tonight and call it finished. You've convinced me that I won't mess up by removing the wax, so I can end up with a better product.

    Thanks for the great response, in double time!

    Hans

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