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Home , Carnauba wax, Japanning, Shellac, Wax

PROJECTS & TECHNIQUES Three formulas for making polish

One should remember that French recipes were published in Stalker and polishing – the application of Parker A Treatise of and with a rubber to impart a high shine Varnishing, London, 1668 and Roubo’s – is almost certainly an invention of L’Art du Menuisier en Meubles, Paris, the second quarter of the 19th-century 1772-1774 – both available in modern and not appropriate for antiques that reprints. Both publications suggest predate 1820. reserving the use of to the Is wax the only highest quality of the time. The problem with shellac However, recent research into 18th- Eighteenth-century cabinetmakers century cabinetmakers’ bills suggests finished their pieces with an that wax was generally the finish application of shellac or sandarac, of choice, favoured even for however both presented difficulties. royal furniture. The shellac available was not finish you need? de-waxed – a process that lightens the shellac. So it remained dark and Suppliers was generally reserved for dark such as or . Stalker and Parker: While sandarac has the virtue of being A Treatise of Japanning a clear it’s very difficult to apply and Varnishing and takes a long time to dry, if ever, Product no. 990-506 often remaining tacky and prone to Price £8.50 collecting dust. A clear transparent From www.tiranti.co.uk lacquer was highly regarded by www.laverdure.fr

the 18th-century cabinetmaker and www.kremer-pigmente.de tiranti

Three types of wax There are three types of wax that are largely dependant on the amount of generally used in the production of used. wax polish: However, a soft wax will always remain soft and tacky on the 1.  of mineral (petrol) origin surface, it will attract dust and

such as microcrystalline or paraffin will be impossible to burnish k c 2. Waxes of vegetable origin such as to a high shine. A hard wax, by hinksto carnauba contrast, will be extremely difficult T

3. Waxes of animal origin such as to apply but, once achieved, the H emera/ or shellac wax, which is wax will lay in a hard, solidified film obtained from shellac. that can be burnished to a high Our friends the bees k Chastang unless otherwise stated otherwise unless Chastang k Why make your own?

c produce a great degree of shine. Ready-made waxes anni natural product but The three most important properties available from various manufacturers remember it should There are many different types of of any wax are hardness, acidity and are no more than a combination of not be used on metals wax and knowing their properties Courtesy Y Courtesy reversibility. For the cabinetmaker hard and soft waxes in solvent. is essential. As a furniture interested in enhancing the beauty of Quite often the only thing conservator I need to be totally Not quite but Yannick Chastang suggests three his surface his choice of wax distinguishing them from one another cognisant of what substances I’m different formulas for producing your own finish wax will be primarily dictated by hardness. is the price, which depends on the using. To use a cooking analogy, As a basic principle the softer the quality of the waxes chosen and the if you buy a ready-made meal ax is a wonderful material form, all with varying qualities and applied on top of a protective layer to wax, the easier it is to apply. This is amount of cheap solvent added. and you don’t like it you won’t that’s been used for characteristics. The application of a alter the sheen of the polish. know why. There may be a list Wthousands of years to well-chosen wax can achieve various In the field of restoration and of ingredients and you may have enhance and protect wood surfaces. results; it can impart shine, can dull conservation a wax finish is becoming your suspicions about the level of There are many waxes available or can offer more or less protection. increasingly popular as, not only is it salt, sugar, , or even miracle on the market, either as ready- Not only can wax be applied directly easily reversible, but it’s also closer flavour enhancers such as MSG, made products or in raw material on to the wood surface, it can also be to the original 18th-century practice. but without knowing what exactly was put into the dish it will remain a mystery. However, if you’ve cooked the meal yourself, you’ll know exactly what you’ve put in it and how to go about improving it. Putting aside the conservation issues and considering the ease of making your own and the advantages of being able to manipulate the k k c c recipe, why not try making your hinksto hinksto

T T own? Fortunately there exist many publications detailing the kphoto/ kphoto/ c c

to to properties of each wax and with a S S i i little research and experience you is the product of distilled resin wax is used extensively in products around the home such as harvested from trees, sometimes and can certainly develop your own This desk from around 1900 has received a wax finish directly on to a shellac polish Wax is a perfect one-stop finish for this 17th-century commode called turps preferred wax. ➤

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➤ What’s in your wax? Mixing up

A high ratio of solvent to will Reversibility concerns the long-term product. Turpentine is obtained from Having selected and weighed all the coloured wax. Traditionally this was make for an easy and immediately survival of an object and ease of natural sources, being the of ingredients the easiest and fastest the wax collected from the hives early rewarding wax such as that applied removal of a wax may also need to be pine. Given the non-volatile method of preparation is to melt in the spring, however nowadays by a housemaid to domestic taken into account. components of natural turpentine, the wax, preferably in a bain-marie lightness of colour is achieved by furniture. The solvent wets the wood the use of turpentine in wax recipes comprising a Pyrex bowl over a sun or chemical bleaching rather thereby immediately enhancing its adds flexibility and ease of application saucepan of hot water, before slowly than depending on the time of year of appearance. However, once the liquid Having said that the wax itself without loss of sheen. Nowadays this adding the solvents. If no bain-marie harvesting. Cheap dark beeswax is evaporates there remains very little is hard or soft, the choice of the could almost be called a plasticiser. is available preparation can be done fine for use in general solid wax available to be burnished solvent can also alter the properties Silicone-based plasticisers are in a saucepan over direct heat. or on dark wood. and any long-term effect is non- of the finished wax. The two most common components of ready-made However this is not recommended I generally use shellac wax for existent. More expensive waxes can widely available are white spirit wax. Although silicone has come a as the wax and the solvents are the hard element obtained from offer better results but you should and turpentine. Turpentine, which long way since its first appearance, flammable. The importance of Laverdure in Paris or Kremer be sure to use the right wax for the was historically favoured and it’s still not regarded as easily having a fire extinguisher to hand in . I know that job. Animal waxes such as beeswax combined with beeswax, is slowly reversible and I therefore prefer to is demonstrated by my early many of my colleagues are happily are extremely acidic and any wax being replaced as it’s believed avoid it. White spirit is a petroleum experiences of melting wax over using carnauba that has a similar applied on to metal hinges or gilded to be carcinogenic. However distillate that dissolves the wax while an electric plate. Not only were the hardness. In my experience the bright bronze will not protect it, but can with appropriate protection, and adding virtually nothing to it so that 50cm high flames distinctly alarming yellow coloured carnauba will form cause the opposite effect resulting in considering the minimal use I make when it evaporates the wax will but the resulting fire alarm caused light coloured residues in the grain degradation over a fairly short time. of it, I still regard it as a useable harden back to its original properties. the complete evacuation of tourists of the wood that can be an issue for from the Louvre which was above dark timbers like . This problem the workshop. doesn’t occur with shellac wax. It’s As can be seen, all my waxes have also possible to dye your wax with a Choosing the ingredients a beeswax base. Beeswax varies chosen or dye but beware of dramatically in quality and price. the risk of the pigment migrating and When making your own wax you’ll I tend to favour the expensive, lighter staining the wood. need to include a soft wax for ease of application, a hard wax for shine and protection and a solvent to dissolve An old glue pot will make a prefect bain-marie the wax and enable its application as a thin film. My recipes play with the amount of turpentine and white spirit in the same way that I play with combinations of hard and soft wax. Applications Having decided which wax you want The application of wax will be eased to use, be it beeswax, carnauba, by the softness of the wax however, shellac or microcrystalline, the ease of in all cases, the secret of a good wax application and degree of shine can finish lies in not applying too much. be adjusted by the proportions of wax 1 3 Wax should be applied with a rag and, and the amount of solvent used. 4 if necessary, the application marks I highly recommend playing about with can be smoothed by wetting the rag the quantities to find what works best 2 slightly with white spirit. When using for you, but here are some of my own. 5 a very hard wax the applied wax can be smoothed using a rubber in the 1. Soft wax traditional French polishing style i.e. This blend produces a wax with a nice a woollen pad covered with a rag then smell, it doesn’t offer much protection impregnated with white spirit. Unlike but wets wood sufficiently. This is a A block of brown beeswax (1); biscuits of high quality white beeswax (2); shellac wax (3); (4); the mix is stored , layering the wax is not going general wax, particularly useful for in an airtight container (5) to produce anything different and one interiors and drawers. It’s for solid, coat is sufficient. Once fully dried the unvarnished wood only and is acidic 3. Medium hard wax combined with white spirit. Although surface of the wax can be burnished so mustn’t be used on metal. A blend that will offer good protection it can be used on top of a shellac with another clean, soft rag. However, but can’t be burnished to a high shine. finish it will give a matt finish. Unlike for that extra professional look try 200g beeswax It’s very useful for antiques that are the other recipes, it’s safe to use on It can be helpful to burnishing with the sheepskin pad on keep track of the 100g white spirit part of a collection as it will allow metal and is generally favoured by recipe by labelling the Festool Rotex . 300g turpentine the newly conserved piece to blend conservators. the jar In conclusion, wax is a quick and with the old. I favour this wax for easy way of finishing that has great 2. Hard wax any museum pieces with which I am potential. However, it must be said that This wax is suitable for new pieces or entrusted and it should be applied on no wax or varnish will ever look great for imparting a high shine to antiques. top of a shellac finish or polish. This on a poorly finished piece of furniture. It offers a good level of protection. wax is also acidic and should not be Unless the grain of the wood has been I use this wax when restoring for used on metal. raised again and again before sanding, dealers. Like the soft wax recipe the open grain of the wood will prevent it’s acidic and shouldn’t be used on 200g beeswax the wax achieving a nice surface. In my metal. This wax can be applied on top 60g shellac workshop new pieces of furniture are of a lacquer finish. 150g white spirit sanded with 200/300 grit paper, then 150g turpentine wetted with warm water before being 200g beeswax sanded with 300/400 grit paper. This 100g shellac wax 4. Microcrystalline process is repeated 3-4 times allowing 200g white spirit This product can be used on its own the wax finish to properly showcase the 100g turpentine but it remains very soft. It can be A soft cloth dampened with white spirit makes applying hard wax a little easier natural beauty of the wood. F&C

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