sealing and waxing/oil

[tomthumbtom8]

Can anyone tell me why we use a sanding sealer and then wax the wood ??

surely if you seal with a sealer that's it sealed and I't will not accept any thing else so the wax will just sit on top of the wood

why cant we just wax or oil the wood ??

TOM

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Hi Tom,
I think you have answered your own question - the wax just sits on top of the wood! Without the sanding sealer, the wax will soak in to the wood and the resultant finish will have less of a shine. If that's the effect you want, you can skip the sanding sealer.
Oil finishes are usually applied without sanding sealer but I guess if you want a shortcut, you could use sanding sealer then apply the oil finish but personally, I would build up the oil finish with several coats to get the desired level of shine (assuming you aren't using one of the matt finish oils!).

 

[RogerP]

I'd recommend two coats off Chestnut Hard Wax Oil - without using a sealer.

 

[chipmunk]

I agree with Paul - I think you can do what you want to in order to achieve the finish you think is appropriate to your piece.

There is no single finish that's right for everything IMHO. When I make small boxes I like them to shine but for large bowls I prefer a matt oil-like finish. A really shiny finish can over-power something big IMHO.

As for your question of using wax on its own - that can work very nicely on yew.

Yew heat-checks very easily on end grain and so if you use wax (Woodwax-22 or any ordinary finishing wax will work) as a sanding lubricant (clean wax sanding slurry off abrasive with a brass brush) it can minimize the chances of heat-checking, gets worked into the wood and gives the yew a really nice silky soft sheen.

You may need to clean the slurry out of any details - grooves, vees etc after it's dried off and I use a sharpened beech stirring/lolly stick to do this because it's softer than the yew and so will not scratch.

Incidentally, if you change your mind half way through sanding with wax, cellulose SS will still cut through the wax surface finish and can be used as normal.

HTH
Jon

 

[nev]

sanding sealer is good for when you are ...er sanding! especially thinned down a touch with cellulose thinners. after youve done your final cut a quick brush on and wipe off makes sanding a lot cleaner and easier especially where there is a stubborn bit of grain going the wrong way, (if that makes sense)

 

[RogerP]

sanding sealer is good for when you are ...er sanding! especially thinned down a touch with cellulose thinners. after youve done your final cut a quick brush on and wipe off makes sanding a lot cleaner and easier especially where there is a stubborn bit of grain going the wrong way, (if that makes sense)

If you want an oiled finish doesn't this stop oil absorption?

 

[chipmunk]

Hi Roger,
Yes, I'd have thought so.

If you are oiling then I'd suggest using oil to swell the fibres for a similar effect.

Jon

 

[tomthumbtom8]

thank you for clearing that up for me sorry I haven't replied sooner I missed the tick box to inform me of a reply

Tom

 

[Robbo3]

Probably, speed. The sanding sealer dries quicky, is denibbed & is then ready for the finish coat(s).

The same applies to why we apply sanding sealer, then go & sand it off. The sealer is still doing its job at depth stopping the finish from sinking in too far thus allowing fewer top coats & speeding up the finishing process .

Sanding sealer can be used as a finish in its own right. Allow it to dry & polish it to a shine with a short, preferably natural, bristled brush.

Robbo