In rec.antiques ldancausse@no-spam (LD) wrote:
>I was also told that one should never apply wax directly on unsealed
>wood.
>Double yikes!! Did they seal wood in 18th century France?
>
Yes.
.... but dear knows you may have stripped it in the 20th century back
down to bear bones ... some DIY freak for all knows :)
Listen to Mike (Wilcox) - good quality commercially available hard paste
wax - one or twice a year and buff and dust in between - in the 18th
century (fine furniture) 'buff and dust' means, everyday of the week :)
--
Ronnie
On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 00:59:25 +0100, Ronnie McKinley
<mckinley@no-spam> wrote:
>... in the 18th century (fine furniture) 'buff and dust' means, everyday of the week :)
______
'swat happens when you don't have yaBe to distract you.
M.
In rec.antiques wildmoor@no-spam wrote:
>Wax polishing of any kind will only result in a useless accumulation
>of wax on the surface,
Which part of "once of twice a year" do you not understand?
What part of patination do you not understand? Dust, dirt, bluffing and
waxing = **part** of the patination process.
>and may lift any veneer!
If the veneer is in good condition then how would the application of a
wax paste "once or twice a year" lift that veneer. Do you have reliable
and reputable data to support this ridiculous claim?
--
Ronnie
On 10 Jul 2003 10:21:09 -0700, ldancausse@no-spam (LD) wrote:
>I have recently acquired a French armoire (18th century, I believe).
Why do you think it's 18C, what's the existing finish and have you got
a picture ? Also where have you put it, what's the environment like,
and how much wear is it going to receive ?
>It's in good condition (even though the previous owners were cleaning
>it with Orange Glo) and I would like to keep it that way. After
>reading the (numerous) posts recommending the use of beeswax,
>I headed up to my nearest Home Depot.
Well known experts on such things.
>There, however, I was told that repeated
>use of (any type of) wax will eventually create a thick, dull layer
You have an 18th century piece and you're asking HD for advice ?
Sheesh.... What happened to people having to _build_ a collection
and learn something in the process ?
Wax is a good, stable long-term coating for most items. There are a
few issues:
- It oxidises with age and may turn slightly acidic. This is mainly
an issue for animal-derived waxes on metals.
- Beeswax is too soft.
- Commercial waxes could have anything in them - harmful solvents,
silicones.
- It's applied by mechanical buffing, which can cause damage. This is
probably the cause of your "veneer lifting"
>and necessitate a complete overhaul of the piece.
Cleaning a few centuries of wax off is hardly difficult. Wax comes off
easily, even old wax.
One of the nice things about wax is that it's a mechanical or a
physical process, not a chemical one. A soft wax is applied and then
mechanically buffed to align the platelets and produce a sheen. Some
solvents may also need to evaporate. Unlike an oil, there's no
chemical curing process. Centuries old wax can be as easy to remove
as new wax.
I suspect you're thinking of the "salad dressing" "reviver" recipe
here, an unholy mix of oil, vinegar and a solvent. This (the oil)
does cure and it can build up as a thick deposit.
Waxes though are generally applied in proportion to the amount removed
by wear and buffing since it was last polished. If there's already
plenty on, then don't apply any more. Re-buffing old wax can be
perfectly adequate, if there's enough wax there already.
>I was also told that one should never apply wax directly on unsealed
>wood.
Why not ? It's a finish, it'll work as one. Common finish for some
styles. Most "bare wood" finishes are actually waxed - I've just been
making a batch of knife furniture in a Japanese style; half of them
lacquered, half a waxed shira saya style.
>Double yikes!! Did they seal wood in 18th century France?
18th century France could mean anything. Spirit varnishes (plant gums
in alcohol), shellac (animal resins in alcohol) or various gilding
formulae. Bare wood would be rare though, on high status pieces.
>Just in case this isn't true(and I DO hope it isn't), is there a
>particular brand of beeswax + carnauba that one could recommend ?
I make my own. 15% carnauba, turpentine as a solvent and a little
ammonia as an emollient.
There are also microcrystalline waxes, like Renaissance. These give
aless obvious sheen, but they're stable against oxidation. Essential
for metals, useful on other materials, but not a furniture polish for
things you're living with.
>Oh, and I almost forgot: should I be looking for a liquid or a paste
Definitely a paste.