Other finish before wax?

[WoodChuckWoods]

So I've noticed on a lot of postings that people are finishing their projects with something else before they wax it. I have built a desk and finished it only with bees wax. Was this a mistake? It has been about 4 months and still looks perfect, when I did it I put about 10 coats of wax on it. I would like feedback on this as I am getting ready to finish another project soon and might want to do things different.

 

[mouppe]

It depends on the function of the piece. Is the piece going to come into contact with food, or alcohol or water, or be subject to a lot of abuse?

A waxed finish is fine, but not the most durable. It can be repaired easily though. Before wax, you can use almost anything- the traditional finish was shellac under wax. If you have an open-pored wood such as walnut, something like shellac can help seal it.

For a durable finish, I would use a polyurethane which dries very hard. If there is any alcohol involved, it will dissolve shellac.