Oiling/Waxing. Does wood need other prep work?

[warwickhunt]

My Warwick Streamer is in getting a refin' and I'm considering keeping the finish natural as per usual Warwick spec'. Is it necessary to seal the unfinished wood (maple) prior to applying oil or wax or is it OK to just build up layers of said finish?

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='46491' date='Aug 16 2007, 03:54 PM']My Warwick Streamer is in getting a refin' and I'm considering keeping the finish natural as per usual Warwick spec'. Is it necessary to seal the unfinished wood (maple) prior to applying oil or wax or is it OK to just build up layers of said finish?[/quote]

Depends how much you want to colour the wood really. If you want to keep it pale apply a sealing coat of lacquer & then just wax polish it as required, if you fancy the warm honeyed look then get stuck in on the bare wood.

The regime for oil finishes (according to a book I had on furniture restoration) is 1 coat a day for a week, 1 coat a week for a month, 1 coat a month for a year & after that maybe once a year to keep it topped up, but it will darken with each coat & will further darken over time under the action of UV & general oxidation. Wax will take more work as it will need to be rubbed in - a cheat is to apply the wax & then run a hairdryer (on low power) over it so that it softens & gradually soaks in - but will tend to colour less.

Both finishes present few preparation problems for future refinishing unless...

[rant=]
A word about waxes... Silicone. Don't touch it. It is an Abomination. An outsqueezing of Beelzebub's undergarments. A lot of the cheaper brands are loaded with this rubbish & it's a very bad thing indeed. Pay the extra & get a traditional beeswax/turpentine mix (try Antiquax in the blue tins or the Liberon range). Silicone will soak through a good many finishes, lurk in the wood & attempt to push off any subsequent attempt at refinishing, should that be a future option ("Fish-Eye" holes in the paint/lacquer are a symptom). A mate of mine used to run a car-spraying shop & the mere mention of the S-word brings him out in Anglo-Saxon - silicone contamination can shut down a paint shop. Happy Shopper products like Mr Sheen are best left to the G-plan/Ikea brigade, don't use 'em on quality joinery.
[/rant]

Pete.

[Alien]

No special prep work is needed. Sand the wood smooth, and apply a coat of oil with a rag. If you're using teak oil, soak the rag in water when you're done, because it can spontaneously combust Leave to dry, and apply two or three further coats (leaving to dry in between), rubbing down with fine wet&dry using the oil as a lubricant, and wiping off any excess slurry with a rag.

When the oil is fully dry (anything up to a week, depending on conditions), start waxing. Apply a little wax, rub in well, and leave to dry before polishing with a soft cloth. 2-5 coats of wax will be needed, depending on the shine you want (more wax = more shine)

Andy

[warwickhunt]

I do prefer the nice honey/aged look that a couple of my basses have developed over the years, so may well abstain from sealing with lacquer. I have Teak oil, boiled Linseed oil, a block of natural bee's wax and several tins of Warwick's own wax/polish, so it makes sense to go with the stuff supplied by Warwick I suppose. Saying all of that... if a spray job in amberburst wasn't going to be prohibitively expensive I may well go with that. We shall see, I'll update the build thread with pics as we go.

Cheers all.

John