Polishing wood w/ wax

[ForumMFG]

Does anyone know of any resorces for using wax to polish wood?  I am a newbie to polishing so any tips, techniques, and processes would help me very much so.

I put 5 coats of danish oil on my top, sanded it to 600 grit and then applied a thin layer of wax.  I was able to buff it to a shine but I can still see the swirls marks in the wax (not in the wood)  from when I applied it with a cloth.  I polished it for a very long time and nothing changed.  I was using the sheep skn to do this.  My next question is, how do you clean the sheep skin, I'm assuming you can take a clean rag and hold it against the sheep skin while it is running?  This is how we used to clean buffing pads when I detailed cars.

 

[sw1211]

Have you ever been to this web-site, http://www.homesteadfinishingproducts.com/  You should be able able to find a lot of answers to finishing questions.

 

[tbellemare]

Dave, can you please describe the tool, speed, process you were using with the sheepskin?

Tom

 

[ROb McGilp]

I guess it depends on what wax you used and how much, as well as the device you used to control the sheepskin buff. To get a finish without swirl marks, you are best to buff the wax in one direction with the grain.
In Oz we use a Swansdown Mop, which will give you the finish in the pic below. Perhaps you could do a search on Swansdown mop and find one where you are.

 

[woodshopdemos]

...
I put 5 coats of danish oil on my top, sanded it to 600 grit and then applied a thin layer of wax.  I was able to buff it to a shine but I can still see the swirls marks in the wax (not in the wood)  from when I applied it with a cloth.  I polished it for a very long time and nothing changed.  I was using the sheep skin to do this.  My next question is, how do you clean the sheep skin, I'm assuming you can take a clean rag and hold it against the sheep skin while it is running?  This is how we used to clean buffing pads when I detailed cars.

I have found that cleaning sheepskin buffing pads doesn't work. I don't know about rubbing a clean cloth against it. We used to use star wheels but they didn't work well. I use a cotton buffing pad with my large buffer (Milwaukee) but with Festool RO150 I use a medium buffing pad.
  If you have swirls in your waxed surface but not in the wood finish, I think your wax application method is subject. Try this...first get rid of the wax that is one it my using mineral spirits. When done, make sure you do not see any swirls. Then apply polish this way. Use rag to apply a thin coat. Use clean rag to polish it immediately. This will remove most of the wax. If it doesnt, your wax may be old and hard. Then you can use machine buffer to build the polish. You can repeat this wax/rag/buffer sequence as often as you want.

 

[ForumMFG]

I used my RO125 with a Festool Sheep Skin.  Like I said, I applied 5 coats of Danish Oil when the wood was sanded to 150 grit and then I sanded the surface to 600 grit.  I then applied "Mohawk Paste wax - Blue label".  I used a cotton cloth to apply a even coat.  I would put some wax on the cloth and then apply it to the wood by moving the cloth in a circle pattern.  I let it dry for ten minute and then I buffed it with my RO125.  After I applied the wax and when it is still wet you can look at the wax at just the right way and see the pattern how you actually put it on, well that is still what I seen after I buffed it. As far as how I buffed it, I basically just went in the same direction as I would sanding it.

Update:  My speed was on 5

It just seems like the wax is extremely hard when it's dry and the sheeps skin is not corse enough to do what I need it to do.  Should I have used some of Festools foam pads and worked my way up to the sheep skin?  I tried buffing a little by hand and got just a little better results.  But I didn't put to much time or effort doing it by hand.

Again, How do you clean sheep skin?

 

[josephgewing]

I have had some good results using the Beall tripoli and carnuba wax with my RO125 and felt pads.

Like you I sand to a fine grit -- 400 in my case.  Then I fire up the RO125 and apply some tripoli to the pad while it is spinning and use the pad/tripoli to polish the wood.

Then I switch to a new pad and apply some of the Beall carnuba wax to the pad and wax the wood.  I have not noticed any swirls.

The pads get black but that does not seem to bother the wood.

I can get lots of "chatoyance" (spelling) with certain woods.

You might have fun experimenting with this method. 

Let us know what happens.

Thanks for listening.

Joe
Las Cruces, NM

 

[tbellemare]

Dave:

When I polish with the Rotex, I slow it way down and use the gear-driven mode. That may help.

Tom

 

[ForumMFG]

Joe,

whats "chatoyance"

Anyway,  I talked my finish guy and he recommended taking some mineral spirits and applying it to a cotton rag and rubbing it in to take off the swirl marks.  Again, it's swirl marks from applying the wax by hand, not in the wood and not from the buffer.

Tom,  I will try that.