Hard wax oil

[Welderpaul]

I'm about to start making some bespoke dressing room fitted units and i've been fiddling about with some different finishes to the veneered MDF. I don't want to loose the natural finish of the wood, but protect it as far as possble. The issue will be wear more than anything else.

The Polyvine seems to be winning in so far as it doesn't look like i've slapped a coat of yacht varnish on it. The design department has selected the wanut and oak (the two on the rhs of the photo) and we may end up going with the Fiddes but a few bridges to cross until we get to the finishing stage.

Does anyone have experience of the longevity of hard wax oil as a furniture coating?
I don't want to create a maintainance issue but i suppose it's simple enough to whack another coat on if it wears?

 

[mark roberts]

Had it on my oak worktops for 7years, I just refinished it because high traffic areas around the kettle were worn. Its around a belfast sink also

 

[eSCHEn]

I use Osmo on my stuff and it lasts well. The sitting room table has it as the final top finish and it’s still decent after about six years it more.

 

[Robotstar5]

I use Osmo on my stuff and it lasts well. The sitting room table has it as the final top finish and it’s still decent after about six years it more.

Another vote for Osmo, I use their PolyX on my stationary engine trollies, gives a good hard wearing finish.

 

[Mick Annick]

Another vote for Osmo, I use their PolyX on my stationary engine trollies, gives a good hard wearing finish.

Any idea what the shelf life of the Polyx is like? I bought a tin to redo our staircase 12 years ago, not got round to doing it yet…

 

[Robotstar5]

Any idea what the shelf life of the Polyx is like? I bought a tin to redo our staircase 12 years ago, not got round to doing it yet…

Had mine about 8 years and last used it a couple of years ago, seemed fine.

 

[Gareth J]

I've used osmo and treatex, both seem decent. You can control a bit how varnished it looks by how thick a layer you put on. Lots of thin layers look better than slathering it on. I put about X4 layers of one or the other on a wooden ensuite shower room floor, scuffed between coats with a green kitchen sponge scourer, which has held up brilliantly and doesn't look heavily varnished.

 

[Smallfry]

Any wax or oil requires maintenance. I used to make wooden furniture, except chairs, and restoration work.

Wax wears and gets dirty on tops and around handles etc, as do the wax oil finishes to a lesser degree. On wear surfaces such as tops, where drinks, both hot and cold are spilled, along with nail varnish, and to a lesser degree snotty tissues etc. will leave marks and will gradually degrade the finish, as will wiping with a damp cloth, more so with any cleaning chemical. Should also never use stuff like Mr. Sheen or Pledge on waxed or oiled furniture either.

If it were mine, I would finish the item, and then get some glass cut and have the edges ground to fit on tops on bedside cabinets

Finishing dining tables was the worst for these sort of finishes. Danish and Tung oils are just the same, and change the colour of the wood. Linseed oil is complete carp for furniture as it turns orange. Any sort of varnish, just no. Looks horrible IMO. There are better things to put on tables or worktops.

All these finishes if spoiled, will need de waxing with wire wool and white spirit or cellulose thinners and re applying if you are fussy about how it looks. DON'T do this indoors unless you want a handbagging.

 

[daleyd]

Any idea what the shelf life of the Polyx is like? I bought a tin to redo our staircase 12 years ago, not got round to doing it yet…

You don’t want to rush these things…

 

[julianf]

Any idea what the shelf life of the Polyx is like? I bought a tin to redo our staircase 12 years ago, not got round to doing it yet…

Its fine until you open it.

If youve left an inch in the bottom, however, it will have gone hard a long time ago.

 

[Craig-S]

Osmo Polyx FTW! been using it for years

 

[Mick Annick]

Its fine until you open it.

If youve left an inch in the bottom, however, it will have gone hard a long time ago.

Never opened it

 

[julianf]

Never opened it

My bet would be that it would be absolutely fine then.

 

[jo1010]

Following - I have a solid oak kitchen island worktop that might need refinishing (by order of my design department here ). It's currently got a distressed finish. Anyway I will absorb the knowledge here first...

 

[Welderpaul]

Thanks for the comments so far. The only problem with Poly X is that all polyurethane finishes will yellow over time, and we have had this problem on our oak doors, I want to avoid the issue here.

With it being a dressing room/walk in wardrobe it should hopefully avoid spills etc.

 

[Smallfry]

Thanks for the comments so far. The only problem with Poly X is that all polyurethane finishes will yellow over time, and we have had this problem on our oak doors, I want to avoid the issue here.

With it being a dressing room/walk in wardrobe it should hopefully avoid spills etc.

All woods gradually change colour, whether they are coated of not. Oak for example, will eventually turn almost black.

Following - I have a solid oak kitchen island worktop that might need refinishing (by order of my design department here ). It's currently got a distressed finish. Anyway I will absorb the knowledge here first...

For any worktop I would look at Basin No visible. It is meant for floors really, is almost indestructible within reason, and does not affect the appearance or colour of the wood. Latterly we did table tops with it and all the complaints of staining stopped.
Its a water based two pack product and can be built up in thin coats. It is expensive though.

There are similar products, but I can't remember the names offhand.

 

[Islander71]

Acrylic lacquers supposedly dont yellow like polyurethane, they are almost like just putting water on something, quite interesting to use . Claim to be one of the hardest single pack finishes. See https://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/product/polyvine-crystal-clear-lacquer. Personally I like Danish oil as a finish, but it doesn't take serious abuse.

 

[angellonewolf]

osmo if you want varnish if it wears in places its a sand job over the lot back to bear wood (only way ive ever got a match ) if you part sand it and varnish again the part you sanded still looks lighter and does not match

wax i do every thing furiture in it we have a lot of oak here (most free becasure of some damage a few bits from discout shop that was factory 2nds that had chips etc) fresh wax goes on very clear with only a slight colour to it

Briwax Wax Polish Clear

A high-quality wax polish based on natural waxes. It provides a simple, easy finishing system for unfinished or raw timber, or over French polished surfaces on occasional furniture in the home or workshop.• Available in multiple colours – Clear, Dark Oak, Antique Pine, Medium Brown, and Rustic...

www.toolstation.com

ive used this for years easy to get apply with lint free cloth (dont throw a tin or cloth away ive got 3 tins now 1 with wax 1 with old soaked wax and one with soaked fine grade wire wool ) i use a combination to get the finsh i like

normaly i start (on fresh sanded wood that has been treated before) 2 or 3 coats of wax with wirewool (this does slightly darken it every time you do a coat with it)but does make the finsh like glass nice and smooth then apply as meny coats as you want with the lint free cloth

inbetween coats apply the coat of wax wait untill soaks in/drys and buff off and then coat again

every 6 months or year give it another coat and buff with the lint free

if you get damage you can try using wire wool to take out damage (depending on what damage it is) coating a few times as this darkens it to match what the colour of the wood is and then do a coat over the lot to blend it in

or if very damaged (i forget google your friend here as only had tpo do it once)white spirt or methalated spirt with cloth and wire wool removes all the wax coats dry and redo the wax from the start

 

[MattF]

The problem with wire wool is its tendency to leave tiny fragments everywhere. Not something I'd personally ever use on wood.

 

[gaz1]

i prefer the old beeswax product been used for years

you can also make your own as well