Got a question ( or two )

[Soggy]

Over the years I've used different products to finish my carvings and am presently using Tried and True and am completely satisfied with that.............. but, I've always be curious and willing to try new ways of doing things. I've seen a lot of carvers mention Howard Feed -N- Wax and today I saw a bottle while in the local hardware store so I couldn't resist. Now will someone who is familiar with the product jump in here and tell me how they use it on their carvings. If it turns out that this isn't of much use to me and my carvings I'll give it to the wife as she's always scrubbing and polishing the furniture and it says on the bottle that it is good for that
Wayne

[Randy]

Hi Soggy I Have not use it as a finish. I use it all the time to refresh natural finishes on sticks ,carvings, funiture and used it on so cabinet.

[Nebraska]

Wayne,

My opinion is not going to be a popular one from what I have seen here wax users fall in two camps. Those who use wax as a stand alone “finish” and those who use it over finish or paint. Wait there is a third camp and it is the camp where I live those who don’t use wax and see it as a dust gathering coating of your carvings.

Wax as a wood finish. It does not penetrate the wood is sits on the surface. It dose not strength or harden the wood. It is not durable most manufacturers recommend reapplying annually. Feednwax claims to “feed” the wood. Wood is dead you can’t feed it. And yes wax does attract dust that is why tac-cloth it treated with beeswax.

Wax as a polish over finish or paint. Applying wax over wood finish particularly high gloss finishes will bring out a bit of extra luster by fill small voids or scratches. But again you have now coated your work with a product used to attract dust.

Now I said these are my opinions but in fact everything I have said can be substantiated on web sites that sell wax based and other wood finishing products.

[woodburner807]

When I use Howard's feed and wax, it is over the painted figure. I apply a liberal coat of it with a brush and let it sit for about 20 minutes, then wipe off the excess. Let it set over night and buff the next day with a soft cloth. My dad did a lot of antique carpenter work and finished with tung oil then Johnson's floor wax over it.

[DiLeon]

an old thread about this subject. https://forum.woodcarvingillustrated...178-feed-n-wax

[Brian T]

Varathane poly: one sloppy coat on cedar is satin, 3 more coats is water-wet glossy.
Artists' acrylics with a titanium white undercoat. Then, very carefully trim the over-runs.
All my knife and adze handles: nothing at all. I might dope up the cord wrapping with carpenter's glue if it isn't tarred seine net twine.

Carvings exposed to liquids like spoons and dishes get the oven baked olive oil permanent finish.
All of that stuff is birch.
I did one dish with bee's wax. Tried to paint melted bee's wax then into the oven. Took a week to clean the wax spatters off my stove.

[pallin]

Consider your objective - Improve the appearance? Slow the loss of wood moisture? Preserve the finish under the finish? Protect the wood forever and ever? Stop wood darkening?
One thing you do not want is to create a situation where the finish must be removed. You might as well make a new carving. Most carvings remain indoors. I have carvings with no finish that are over 50 years old. My current preference is water-based poly (to limit wood darkening).

[Arthur C.]

I am firmly in Ed's (Nebraska) camp. No wax is good wax...dead wood can't be fed (as I've mentioned numerous times), wax is not an effective finish, wax collects dust. So why use it?

[Stevee]

I just got a bottle of the Feed-N-Wax. It is exactly what i was looking for. I am using it on small little pieces after i finish them with Watco Danish Oil.

[DiLeon]

I am firmly in Ed's (Nebraska) camp. No wax is good wax...dead wood can't be fed (as I've mentioned numerous times), wax is not an effective finish, wax collects dust. So why use it?

I use pure beeswax bars.. to buff up deep high-shine wood items. This is done by showing off the fancy grain patterns, and notes as lots of hard work. This method fills tiny holes and is not sticky to dust unless extremely hot environment. I use brown wax blocks to repair cracks in old wood statues that have cracked in age. I just stuff it in the crack and then fill to the surface, and buff it out. so far It seems to stop further cracking.

[joepaulbutler]

I'm with Bill, the last finish I put on my carvings

[Soggy]

Thanks everyone,... I've read and considered all comments, then I proceeded to try it myself ( this is usually how I operate ). I mostly followed Bill's way of doing it and was pleased with the finished look. As for it being a dust magnet I'm not too concerned about that....... dust don't bother me and besides I plan to give the finished ornament to my sister.... lol.
I'm a firm believer in trying new/different things even if some of them turn out poorly. If we didn’t experiment a bit we'd all still be living in caves and eating raw meat...
Thanks for all the different points of view.
Wayne