Lacquered furniture once damaged is a little trickier to restore. Using a fresh soft cloth, begin buffing the wood surface lightly, again following the direction of the grain. To add the finishing touch to all my furniture makeovers and most of my painted craft projects I seal them with a paste type wax. How often you use the furniture will determine how often you need to re-wax it. I’m not sure if you can use gilding wax over a poly topcoat. Yes, the best way I have found is to use white wax over the raw wood. UPDATE 1/11/18: I get a lot of questions about creating a look similar to what you would get with dark wax without using wax. Wrap your cotton cloth … So, paintbrush in one hand and rag in the other. Often, I recommend putting a base of clear wax on your furniture piece first, or mixing in a little clear wax with your dark, especially if you are using a chalk-type paint! This post contains affiliate links. Thus, using paste wax to maintain and regularly care for your furniture is by far the best reason to use paste wax today. This may sound daunting, but it’s worth it, to help your furniture really last a lifetime. While the wax won’t be fully cured for another month, it’s okay to screw back in any new or original hardware after 24 hours of drying time. Here is a quick video showing how to apply furniture wax to painted furniture. For this example, I have used a small oak ring box which I make as a part of my business. Once the paint has dried, seal it with a coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax. Apply liming wax – we used Liberon Liming Wax – with a rag, working into the grain of the wood. Wax will usually dry in an hour or two. 2.5m² . You could wait until the wax is fully dry if you prefer but I don’t think it makes much of a difference. Wood furniture wax gives a form of protective film on the surface of your wood furniture. Furniture Paste Wax A furniture paste wax is popular among by DIY users like us. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to add clear wax and dark wax to furniture. Before you start waxing, paint your piece of furniture, working your brush every which way. Paint your piece of furniture in Chalk Paint ® moving your brush in every direction for a textured finish. Work the wax into the surface in circular motions. You can also begin using the piece of furniture as soon as the wax is dry to the touch. Beeswax: Beeswax your wood furniture after cleaning the furniture completely. Here Annie has used Paris Grey. There are several brands of wax and, more recently, companies have started offering waxes in … Working in sections, cover the area with the furniture wax. Make sure to use pure cotton cloth and that should be lint-free as well. Clear Wax; Ageing Wax; Chip brushes (2) Clean lint free rags; Start with a painted piece of furniture. Since chalk paint provides a flat-finish, it usually requires a top coat to seal it in. It is there to enhance, protect and wear away with use. However, this may vary depending on temperature and other factors. How to use furniture touch up markers and wax filler to repair and upcycle furniture. I use two alternate methods to create an aged look without wax. You don’t want to apply too much pressure. Buff the piece until you achieve the degree of shine required. Work in large areas, sweeping the wax over the paint. Bright Gold and Warm Gold) building up the wax in layers for an authentic, uneven look. If anyone has tried or knows the answer to this, I’d love to know too! A paste wax will add shine to a surface by filling in small scratches or voids in a finish. However, it may be a challenge to work with and tends to develop a yellow stain as it ages. How to Use Dark Wax for Antiquing Furniture SUPPLIES NEEDED. By purchasing an item through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you find your polish is a little thick, or are using a paste type polish, simply keep rubbing your cloth over the surface of the furniture until a thin, even coating is achieved. Wax finish also provides a protective barrier to your piece to help the paint withstand wear and tear. I also apply the Gilding Wax AFTER I’ve painted and top coated the furniture with clear or dark wax. Waxing protects the grain, and makes the wood crack resistant, keeping any finish in the best condition. Before you apply the wax you need to clean the wooden furniture. The whole gamut! 200ml of Beeswax will cover an area of approx. Antique, aged or matte buffed finishes require wax to achieve the look. To cut through both wax and underlying paint, use a furniture stripper. How To Use Dark Wax To Antique Furniture. Wax polish is sacrificial coating. Woodworking wax is also a good option if you want to polish over shellac, oil, varnish or lacquer finish. Apply liming wax to clean wood. It doesn’t dry terribly quickly, so you have time to work with it and get it just how you want it. Steel Wool In crevices and other tough-to-reach places, there is no substitute for steel wool and a bit of elbow grease when removing wax from furniture in order to refurbish it with paint. The top photo is stripped, but before liming wax. The wax is a sealer but I would use Gator Hide on the top only. Daily or Weekly Care and Cleaning of Your Furniture Use a slightly damp cloth to wipe away dust and a similar dry cloth to clean any residue is all that is necessary for the daily or weekly care of all antique and modern furniture. Make sure the wax is not tacky to touch. Here I have used just a little bit on the kitchen towel, and rubbed it into the wood in all directions to get it into the grain really well. There are few better finishes when it comes to adding beauty to a piece of antique furniture. The spoonful of beeswax should be in the size of a golf ball. We get a lot of questions about the basics – when, what, how… removal. I would suggest in normal use, once a year. Ultimately, the reason furniture wax is sold as the topcoat of choice for wax and milk paints is that, unlike poly, it will settle down into the porous paint finish and cure up over time. Why? If some spots appear to be more shiny than others, apply a little more wax to the dull spots. When scratched, it won’t flake off in big chunks like poly because in essence, it “becomes” part of the paint’s finish. You can purchase premixed dark glaze from several different paint manufacturers. I would try a small spot on the back or side first. Even from seasoned furniture painters. You should be able to gauge this for yourself by just looking at how much wear it is getting. If your furniture piece is an accent piece that you want a certain look for, wax may be your only option. How to use Beeswax Polish. Now that the surface of the wood has been properly prepared, the can start to apply the wax. 4. It adds an egg shell sheen and makes a piece look professionally finished versus homemade. Add Tip Ask Question Comment Download. When you wax antique furniture, the carved areas are not as tricky as you may think. Vacuum the wood, adjacent areas and floor to get rid of any sawdust. The Development of Gilboy’s Gold Fine Antique Furniture Wax Polish. One of the simplest and most beautiful ways to give an antique look to a piece of painted furniture is by applying dark wax. On the left side, I’m going to be applying clear furniture wax to the chair first. Place: Place a spoonful of beeswax on a cloth and knead it. Examine the wood from multiple angles to make sure the wax is evenly applied. By stripping to the wood, the new paint will adhere better. When you enter the furniture painting world, something that comes up frequently is how to use furniture wax over your painted furniture properly. Paint furniture with loose strokes, rubbing it in with the grain as you go. The chalk paint will soak up the pigment of the dark wax, making it very hard to get it back off if you apply too much. It’s harder to touch-up. Let the wax cure for 24 hours before reinserting the hardware. Repeat this process over all of the ornate areas. The left stool is un-waxed the right is finished. You can get the best dang wax HERE. When Should I Use a Wax Finish on Wood? Adding dark wax to furniture adds such great depth to a painted piece of furniture. Rub a waxing pad against paste wax so a thin layer covers the pad. This dresser was painted with General Finishes in Queenstown Gray, but wax works well over … You’ll need to wax your furniture at least every six months, to nourish the wood and form a lasting seal for your furniture. What you’re aiming for is even coverage. There are different variations to choose from, some are suitable for worktops and wooden furniture, others specifically for use on floors. We use a lightly-tinted polish for this. DARK WAX. As it happens, a significant number of these old pieces originally used wax so finishing wax would be ideal in for these specific items. The finish will appear shiner and deeper because the light that was getting trapped in those scratches and voids before the wax was applied, is now reflecting off the surface. Depending on the size of the furniture, you may need to apply more wax to the waxing pad multiple times throughout the process. You can use wax crayons in a similar colour available in good hardware stores if a dent appears or chipped lacquer, the wax crayon just needs to be rubbed over the damage and they magically fill and repair the damage it is that simply. Wood wax is used as a finishing product to protect woodwork from absorbing moisture. 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