Thread: Satin Wax

I used to use FW Fine buffing oil a long time ago. It could be buffed to different levels. It required a lot of elbow grease. Then there are the Liberon black bison paste wax which I love on boxes.

Originally Posted by mic-d

I used to use FW Fine buffing oil a long time ago. It could be buffed to different levels. It required a lot of elbow grease. Then there are the Liberon black bison paste wax which I love on boxes.

Thanks for the reply Mic, I seem to have gone down a Rabbit hole on finishing!. ATM I'm experimenting with hard wax oils, I've tried Whittle, Osmo so far, Fiddes HWO is on it way along with their version of a water stain.

I'm in search of that perfect Satin - semi-gloss sheen, the sort of sheen you get when rubbing out but without the scratches which I'm not fond of, especially on a dark stained wood.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Thanks for the reply Mic, I seem to have gone down a Rabbit hole on finishing!. ATM I'm experimenting with hard wax oils, I've tried Whittle, Osmo so far, Fiddes HWO is on it way along with their version of a water stain.

I'm in search of that perfect Satin - semi-gloss sheen, the sort of sheen you get when rubbing out but without the scratches which I'm not fond of, especially on a dark stained wood.

scratches? I haven’t tried any of those finishes. Sounds like you’re keeping them in business

Originally Posted by mic-d

scratches? I haven’t tried any of those finishes. Sounds like you’re keeping them in business

Scratches as in, Shellac finish over the top of a dark dye/stain then rubbing it out with wax & 0000 steel wool. I found the result cloudy and you can see the scratch marks which is what defuse the light to a kind of satin finish. I've tried various methods of making the scratch marks uniform but nothing to my satisfaction. Having said that, on lighter woods which haven't been stained or coloured the effect is very nice.

So far I'm very impressed with HWO in both Satin and Gloss over Alcohol based dye stain.

I’m just finishing some benchtop pieces using FW wipe on poly satin. The first time I’ve used it. It took six coats to get a good even build but it seems foolproof. It reminds me a bit of the early FW Floor seal recipe with fine buffing oil (wax) over top. It might be the satin you’re looking for. I may put a Liberon neutral paste wax over top.
IMG_1149.jpgIMG_1150.jpgIMG_1151.jpg

Originally Posted by mic-d

I’m just finishing some benchtop pieces using FW wipe on poly satin. The first time I’ve used it. It took six coats to get a good even build but it seems foolproof. It reminds me a bit of the early FW Floor seal recipe with fine buffing oil (wax) over top. It might be the satin you’re looking for. I may put a Liberon neutral paste wax over top.
IMG_1149.jpgIMG_1150.jpgIMG_1151.jpg

Hi Mic, I've tried the FW satin, its good stuff however, I'm leaning heavily towards HWO now as I really love the natural look and feel of it, for me its on par with shellac as my favorite finish without a doubt.

I received the Fiddes HWO and stain today so I've been conducting some extensive tests comparing it to the Osmo and Whittle HWO. So far I've found the Fiddes water based dye is good but not as penetrating and as deep as the FW Prooftint alcohol dye.

The Fiddes light fast water stain on veneered ply has the tendency to leave the deep grain lighter. While FW Prooftint, the grain is darkened without issue.

As for the HWO, I noticed a difference in colour to all the hard wax oils I've tested so far. Fiddes HWO is a warmer colour in the tin and viscosity is much thinner. I've applied it to three boards using three applications techniques, Roller (as per instruction for first coat), White synthetic pad and Rag wiped on/off.

You can de-gloss shellac with Tripoli powder. I did this with a hardwood guitar amplifier I built. I used the Ubeaut Tripoli.
Here’s what it says on the container:

“To cut a surface back from a gloss, wet-look, finish to a dry shine. Dust the finished surface with TRIPOLI POWDER directly from the shaker and rub the surface with a medium pressure using a clean soft rag or the palm of your hand until you have the surface evenly dulled. Do not continue to rub or use heavy pressure or the powder will start to break down and you may end up bring up a higher shine”