whats the best way to apply wax to wood?

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Hello,

I had a reclaimed wax kitchen fitted recently and have been experimenting with finishes for the rest of the room. Its an old house and the room was gutted back to stone walls then rebuilt. Im looking to put on timber linings which I want to wax the same as the kitchen. The folk who made the kithen units left me a tin of Hannants wax that was used for the units.

I experimented with the wax today but found it was very hard and is very difficult to spread a thin even layer over the timber. I was simply wiping a cloth over the wax in the tin then rubbing it onto the timber but I can see its thick in places and thin in others.

After buffing it looks good but I can see the difference in thickness layers and this wont be acceptable for taking on the linings job Im planning.

Are there any special techniques for doing this. Can I thin the wax etc?

Thanks
 
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What does it say on the tin about application? Have you asked the kitchen fitters for advice?

Depending on its nature, it is sometimes possible to soften the wax so that it will go on more easily and evenly. Experiment with a small quantity - put in glass or ceramic container and soften in microwave oven on 40% of full power for a short time - say 10 secs to start with - rather as you would soften butter which is too hard to spread.

Don't know the Hannant's wax though - is it like a beeswax, or does it describe itself as a 'hard wax oil'? In which case, the above probably won't work.
 
Dont do microwaves! Could warm it in a bain marie I suppose.

I'll contact Hannants tomorrow, they do all this enviromentally freindly stuff so It shouldnt have much in the way of solvents etc.
 
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yes but it doesnt address the issue that the wax is quite hard, Ill phone them the morn.

cheers
 
I'e applied wax to furnature on many occasions and whilist I've not used this Hannants stuff I've used beeswax and the like.
If it's a hard wax like beeswax then I normally "melt" it with terpentine. By melt I don't mean using any sort of heat, the terpentine mixes and softens the wax , and I only use proper terpentine not the subsitute and normally apply it using the finest grade wirewool and buff up with cloths.
 

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