U-Beaut wax

[benupton]

Hi there,
Would U-Beaut traditional wax be ok to finish a red gum chair.
Thanks Ben

[RufflyRustic]

Hi Ben,

It sure would, so long as you have another finish under the wax for length of life of the finish. Wax, by itself, might wear off way too quickly for a chair.

cheers
Wendy

[benupton]

So does that mean to have like an oil of a lacquer under it.

[RufflyRustic]

oils are good on red gum, but you'd need to wait for the oil to dry before waxing. Shellac is another option, as is Wipe on Poly and there are other varnishes and finishes as well.

What finish do you want? shiny, hard, satin, long-lasting, etc etc.
Figure out the finish you want/need, then you match that to what finishes will do that for you.
cheers
Wendy

[benupton]

How would a Danish Oil or a Hard Burnishing Oil do for under the wax.

[benupton]

Or maybe like it says on the U-beaut web site sanding sealer.

[ubeaut]

Echoing Wendy a bit here but........

White shellac, wipe on poly, or any varnish type finish will be fine and won't darken the timber too much. First preference would be for the white shellac - couple or 3 coats. rubbed back lightly with 1200 grit abrasive, then the Traditional wax. Quick easy and extremely effective.

Oil will darken redgum quite dramatically to the point of almost not looking nasty, depending on the timber colour. If it's the really light pink colour it could be alright. If you use an oil (especially Organoil) you will need to leave it until all the aromatics have gone from the finish. This could take many weeks or months depending on your choice of oil. If there is still a smell then the finish is off gassing and the vapours will make most waxes dull after a while and won't allow them to harden fully.

Sanding sealer is a good base but not really durable enough for a chair that's to be waxed as it is extremely thin and almost non-existent. It will work if you are prepared to keep up a waxing regime of say once a month or similar, but not my first choice by a long shot.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

[benupton]

Thanks Wendy and Neil.