The Mrs
28th October 2009, 09:35 PM
Howdy woodworkers...
i was looking for help softening some wax earlier today and found a thread but i couldnt reply to it as it was too old... thought id let you know what i ended up doing, which worked a treat!! (but as youre mainly men, i am imagining i will get a virtual slap on the wrist for this....:doh:)
ive just had a new counter top made for the kitchen area in the office... solid jarrah, and where the boards have been fixed together and edged there were a few hair line cracks and tiny holes where the grain does funny things, all very natural of course. Seeing as there is going to be a sink put into this, i want it to be completely sealed and watertight.... its had varnish, several coats, but the cracks worried me.
couldnt get my Gillys Wax to melt quick enough (at all) in a jar in a bowl of boiling water... so got my trusty heat gun... on low setting it melted the end of the wax stick, which i rubbed over the surface of my solid jarrah counter top where the 'imperfections' were, and then with a cloth (ok, i DID use my finger at first, but i now have 2 good blisters from all the rubbing, and the cloth worked better...) i worked the wax into the cracks and warmed the wax now and again with the gun as i went. when gap was filled i just lightly warmed the surface and polished off the entire area which came up beautifully. surface looks crystal clear and is now about to have a final coat of varnish to sweeten the deal. the varnish wasnt effected by the heat gun at all, as i never got it very hot, the wax only needed warming and you only would have needed a hot hairdryer for the same effect. Hubbies pretty happy, so thats whats important. it MAY be his office in the making, but its MY kitchenette. :q
anyway, it was very quick and easy.... and worked really well. :U
i was looking for help softening some wax earlier today and found a thread but i couldnt reply to it as it was too old... thought id let you know what i ended up doing, which worked a treat!! (but as youre mainly men, i am imagining i will get a virtual slap on the wrist for this....:doh:)
ive just had a new counter top made for the kitchen area in the office... solid jarrah, and where the boards have been fixed together and edged there were a few hair line cracks and tiny holes where the grain does funny things, all very natural of course. Seeing as there is going to be a sink put into this, i want it to be completely sealed and watertight.... its had varnish, several coats, but the cracks worried me.
couldnt get my Gillys Wax to melt quick enough (at all) in a jar in a bowl of boiling water... so got my trusty heat gun... on low setting it melted the end of the wax stick, which i rubbed over the surface of my solid jarrah counter top where the 'imperfections' were, and then with a cloth (ok, i DID use my finger at first, but i now have 2 good blisters from all the rubbing, and the cloth worked better...) i worked the wax into the cracks and warmed the wax now and again with the gun as i went. when gap was filled i just lightly warmed the surface and polished off the entire area which came up beautifully. surface looks crystal clear and is now about to have a final coat of varnish to sweeten the deal. the varnish wasnt effected by the heat gun at all, as i never got it very hot, the wax only needed warming and you only would have needed a hot hairdryer for the same effect. Hubbies pretty happy, so thats whats important. it MAY be his office in the making, but its MY kitchenette. :q
anyway, it was very quick and easy.... and worked really well. :U