The Second Best Thing For Your Furniture

I've said it before, but it bears repeating:

The second-best thing you can do for your furniture is to wax it.

Paste wax provides a clear, hard layer of protection against water and alcohol, the two liquids most likely to damage either an original shellac, lacquer, wax or varnish Arts & Crafts finish or even a new oil-based or water-based furniture finish.

Not to be confused with the thinned-down versions of beeswax, liquid wax or any combination touted as a wax & cleaner, paste wax is applied with a clean soft cloth, allowed to nearly dry, then buffed to a hard eggshell finish.

It is not as durable as polyurethane varnishes or even tung oil and Danish oil, but paste wax is preferred by museum curators and professional restorers for three reasons. Unlike the stronger finishes, it does not affect the color of the wood, it does not distort the original finish, and it does not bond itself permanently to the underlying finish. If needed, it can be removed with a cloth moistened with mineral spirits without damaging the original finish.

Unfortunately, paste wax is getting harder to find and dark-colored paste wax has nearly been discontinued. But if you go to our free video "Preserving an Arts & Crafts Finish" posted on our Home Page, you can watch as I show how easy it is to tint clear paste wax to make a dark paste wax that won't leave a white haze in pores, cracks and joints.

How often should you apply a coat of paste wax?

Once a year.

Any more than that and you may risk a sticky buildup. Any less and you may find yourself looking at a white water ring in the top of your table.

And what's the first best thing you can do for your furniture?

That comes next week.

- Bruce Johnson