Do indoor Cut & Polished Finishes need to be Waxed for protection?

[Tegmark]

Like canned Polyurethane & Shellac? I gave these two finishes a typical auto cut & polish.

Will they be slowly degraded by the air or will the gloss shine be reduced?


Thanks.

[LGS]

Is it an Auto wax polish? If yes, then probably not.

[Master Splinter]

If you've cut and polished a poly, the only effect wax will have is to bring the gloss level down.

[Tegmark]

If you've cut and polished a poly, the only effect wax will have is to bring the gloss level down.

Good to know as I hate using wax.

But Does cut & polished canned Poly expose it to oxidation & discolouring, fading?



Thanks

[Master Splinter]

Not noticeably, no. (assuming you haven't rubbed through to the wood!) It may reduce the protective properties some depending on how much you remove in your cut and polish (more UV transmittance, less protection to the timber physically) but it's not a quick shortcut to "Gee, that looks like it needs sanding and refinishing soon!". That'll happen at pretty much poly's natural pace, say five years or so.

The problem that I find with poly is it looks really good for a while...then as use and wood movement take their toll, it looks less and less good, and there's nothing (short of strip and refinish) that makes it look good again!

With Wax/oil/shellac type finishing strategies, you'll probably never get to 100% of poly's gloss, but you'll always be able to bring the top back from sad to good with as little effort as wiping with a new coat of oil.