There are a variety of options when it comes to finishingwood furniture. It goes without saying that using a sealer is a must, but there’s no reasons to stop there. If you want to make sure your finish lasts long and looks nice, it’s a good idea to was your furniture. By choosing to apply a coat of wax to your wooden furniture, you can make sure that your finish coat will be safe from any scratches and stains while also adding an elegant sheen to your furniture. You can accomplish that with only a few simple steps.
As with any finish, the fist step is sealing your wood furniture. Wax cannot be used as a finish coat itself. Instead, it is great to use as a protective layer over an existing finish, so make sure you don’t apply it unless you already have a finish of polyurethane, varnish, lacquer, etc. After the sealing layer has dried up, clean the surface of any dust. Make sure you rub the piece down with a clean cloth in order to remove any leftover dust and dirt, as leaving it there carries the risk of it mixing with the wax, which will ruin the final result.
Next comes the waxing stage. First, apply some wax to a clean microfibre cloth. The application process is fairly simple as long as you don’t layer the wax too thickly, as the coat will then dry unevenly, resulting in a sloppy piece of furniture. For better control over the amount of wax, you can instead apply the wax using a cheesecloth wrapped into a ball around the wax. As the cheesecloth causes the was to seep slowly through it, you won’t have to worry about applying too much. The application to the wood is very simple – simply rub the wax into the surface with smooth, circular motions, working from one end of the piece to the other with an even coat. The relation to the wood’s grain is completely irrelevant. Allow the wax to dry for about 20 minutes or longer. Once it’s dry, you need to buff the waxed area with a clean cloth. This helps create the lustrous sheen that waxed furniture is so sought after for. As with waxing, use gentle, circular motions all across the furniture’s surface.
