This video saved the day for me. I built a Cherry dinning room table for my wife and was struggling with the clear topcoat. I was forced to use waterborne Polyurethane due to winter time workshop with apartment over the garage. I was not able to get a clear finish that would represent the Cherry well, that was until I saw this video. I put on 3 coats of the clear semigloss poly and sanded and finished as Blair suggested and it is now perfect. I feel I have the protection from incidental spills from the poly and the rich natuaral finish using the wax on top. Thanks for sharing this method of finish..............
I tried this wonderful technique last night and got fantastic results! Polished a walnut bar top which was finished with lacquer. Achieved an even, satiny sheen that feels almost velvety to the touch. Thanks a bunch for sharing this technique!
0:16 "...something you made and polyurethaned yourself go from GOOD to PERFECT".... Or in my case, to get from "honestly pretty bad" to "surprisingly very good." Excellent suggestion, made a huge difference.
yes clearly Blair knows what he's talking about and has mastered this process without any issues. I have bought quite a few pieces "refinished" by amateurs who put a spotty finish on the wood. Using the wax really makes the poorly done job look professional. As Blair indicates ... it does take time but it take the furniture to a whole new level.
I just have to post a comment to say thank you so much for this excellent tip using the two different grades of steel wool (00 and 0000) when applying the wax polish. I normally use a liquid polyurethane applied with a brush, but because I'm refinishing a very long, low dresser (9 drawer), I didn't want to chance brush strokes being visible due to not being able to maintain a wet edge. I thought I'd try going the wax polish method but had never tried it before. After my first application, I noticed it was blotchy, you could see it was uneven. After watching your video, I went back and used your two step method with the steel wool and it turned out beautiful. Silky smooth and an even appearance. Simply beautiful. Thank you so very much for sharing that. Cheers, Gabrielle
Crystal clear and bold voice. very useful for a person searching for a method of using wax polish on wood. Great presentation in a short time. Regards Vishwanath
Thank you so much! As a first timer staining and finishing a butcher block tabletop, this video saved my project. I was frustrated with the results I was getting, even after tediously following the directions of how to apply polyurethane. This made the coat even and beautiful. Thank you, sir.
Thank you Blair was fighting a butcher block finish with watco block oil couldn't get it to even out. Your dad's method worked perfectly. I am a fellow citizen from St Clair Shores, spent 38 years there. Last 17 in California. Thank you again.
Just finished my walnut butcher block island using this method after sealing with satin finish waterlox. This was the exact look I was hoping to achieve. Thank you for the video!
Wonderful Video, just reworked a couple of sticky tables in my cafe. I got a little past the finish in a couple of spots, but tables are now super smooth and my hand slides across them with ease. I'm sure my customers will notice tomorrow. thank you for sharing your expertise!
I followed the advice from a couple of other RU-vid videos and got swirls in the finish on my dining table. I used Mr. Hardware's method and my table looks so much better. Thank you, Mr. Hardware!
Excellent, I have been searching for this information on RU-vid for quite a while and could not find how to get the dust out of water-based satin polyurethane. All the other videos I saw were talking about creating a high-gloss finish which I didn’t want. I wanted to maintain a satin finish. Thank you!
Love your site and tips. Going to order some stuff cause I support independent merchants over big boxes. I grew up in 84 lumber as a kid following my dad everywhere lol.
WOW WOW WOW . Went on RU-vid to see if there was a way to get brush strokes out of table tops that I finish. Saw this story and now my work looks great. Not only does it get out the little dust bugs but actually gets out the brush strokes, Never would have thought that steel wool would be the answer, Thanks a ton
I’m truly amazed the amount of labor it takes to refinish wood like this. I thought it an elementary easy process. This is a lot of work in retrospect. We’re used to just buying it w/o considering others toil. Thanks for this.
Great video and thanks for showing the difference on both sides in the right angle in the light. That was the most beneficial part as well as the technique. Thanks for taking the time.
Thank you, the exact video I had been looking for, and not another like it. Working on blk walnut, first 2 coats went on beautiful, now I’m on 6&7 and leaving streaks every time, only reason for so many coats. Just can’t get it right. Tried paint thinner and 800 grit, then refinished but no luck, still streaks. Hoping this works, letting table cure few more days. Thank you for making this, just the advice I was looking for. Will follow up when complete.
Joe...while your post was 3-years ago. I'm curious if you ever found out what caused your streaking issues? I've run into the same problem with my Minwax Wipe-On Poly (6-7 total coats). I think I may have to strip the table, but hoping you might have another option(s). Thank you!
Is there any drying time between the first buffing coat (00) and the final buffing coat (0000)? Awesome instructional video, with some added tips/wisdom in between! 👍🏼
Mr. Hardware...thank you for this video, so clear and instructional. Question? I have a dark espresso colored tabletop with protective clear coat (bought from a higher end furniture company). There are two areas on the surface with scratches and white heat marks. It is a quarter sawn oak wood with espresso finish. Will this method of mineral spirits, 00 steel wool and paste wax (natural), then 0000 steel wool work on this this project? Thank you so much. Also, love St. Clair! My best friend lived on Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township. Visited many times, both sunny and frozen. We always went to Luigi"s and got calamari steak. Miss those days. Thank you for your help.
@@stephaniebenbenek4187 usually the ring should be addressed first. Low heat, toothpaste, mayonnaise (yup) and others because typically the stain is deeper in the finish than the wax can reach.
The white rings may come out with mineral spirits and fine steel wool. If you use alcohol or acetone you can remove the rings but you will need to re-varnish or polyurethane the surface before waxing. You may even need to restain to restore the color.
Great Video! By chance why cant you just put the steel wool on the 0000 steel wool and immediately buff it in with that? Wiping off excess after? Is there a real need for 00 steel wool to be used
00 is used only to remove any blemishes in the finish that are proud of the surface. Sometimes I use 400 wet before waxing. It flattens the surface when used with a block.
Hi! Thank you for very useful video and great tips - immediate subscription! I tried to do something similar, but something went a bit off, so I’m kindly asking you for an advice: I have a wooden IKEA table. Its top made of several wooden blocks, so it’s not a single sheet of wood. I dyed it using water-based dye, and covered it with the first coat of polyurethane lacquer. The thing is that after applying the first coat I can see that the surface gone patchy - some wooden blocks are glossy and smooth, and some - dull and a bit rough to the touch, where the wood absorbed the lacquer. I was going to use fine sandpaper to even the surface after the first coat of lacquer. But now I’m a bit confused as I don’t know if I could damage the dye layer on the dull patches and expose the wood, as it is obviously very thin. What would you suggest to do in this case? I was going to do at least three coats of lacquer with sanding in between.
I would apply the additional two coats of lacquer before doing any sanding at all. I do not like all the dust and cleanup every time I sand a project plus I prefer to build up a little bit of product to protect my stain before I start sanding. This way, I typically only sand just before my final coat of finish and that way, I sand it very, very well. I dusted very very well and I’m very particular about no one coming around and nothing creating any dust when I put on my last coat. I think you’ll find some of the end grain is more porous than other portions of the wood so your dull and gloss areas are due to absorption not your stain, as far as I can tell from here.
@@MrHardware1 Thanks a lot, this was very helpful! I’ll try to continue tomorrow and we’ll see how it goes )) I think I will still sand it very lightly trying not to damage dyed layer, so the next poly coat holds better. Cheers!
@@MrHardware1 Today I lighly sanded the first coat of poly with 700 grit sandpaper on the block, and fortunately the thickness of the layer allowed me not to damage the stain layer. After that I put on the second layer of poly, this time diluted with mineral spirit at 3 to 1 ratio. It worked very well. So I think I'll continue this routine, as the main danger thankfully is behind.
Did you wait in between applying with 00 and buffing off with 0000? I applied this technique to a Birch plywood desk top after poly dried and it worked beautifully. I applied the same technique to a multi board pine coffee table top and when I buffed with 0000 it got a little gunky and pieces of the steel wool was coming off. I then applied major elbow grease which seemed to work, but I hope I didn't just take the wax layer off!
Very impressive, thank you! I’m thinking about doing this to the dining table that I have made. Got one question though, How long after applying the wax do you start buffing it?
Great technique. I use 0000 steel wool with mineral spirits after the last coat of poly cures, and it works very well. I'll bet the finishing wax step will make it even nicer. I'm wondering if I can use 0000 for all the steps, or should I get some 00 steel wool for the wax application?
Question hope you read this soon.. i built a walnut table top .. sanded 120,220, water pop ,, sand 220, 400 water pop 400.. then cleaned with tack cloth .. then we rubbed on tried and true finish .. table looks amazing .. the guy at the store told me to burnish with steel wool (how i came across your video) use the tried and true again .. which I will add second coat tonight .. in your video you said it needs several coats of finish before adding paste wax .. how many coats of the tried and true varnish before I try the paste wax .. or is that for a diff process from what I’m doing ? Thanks for the tips .. I don’t want to mess up my new table
Looks like you have a super smooth table. If it’s not going to get abused you can wax right over the bare wood. If I want to abuse it (drinks, food, etc.) I’d thin the first coat of varnish (varnish, polyurethane, tung oil) 10 to 15% and second coat at full strength (although I did just finish a wood swing and I thinned the final coat 5% so it would lay down smoother). Depending on the density of the wood 2 coats of finish may provide a good base to wax over.
@@MrHardware1 ok sounds good thanks for the quick reply.. yeah I did the second coat last night .. I’ll prob let cure for a couple of days before doing the wax .. yeah this this a dining table and will get used ..
Great video. Im a beginner..just did my table with Polyurethane and applied a couple coats of finishing wax with a cloth. But still not happy with results. Can i do this technique over the wax that i already applied?
Thank you! I keep getting streaks with satin polyurethane, gonna sand it lightly and apply the paste wax, from what youve shown, that should make the whole difference@MrHardware1
I have a table constructed of old barnwood that has been finished with 'French wax' over a light walnut stain. I notice the finish easily comes off when i run a sleeve or dry napkin over it. Also has a very pungent smell that won't fade. Any advice? Can I use mineral spirits and rewax?
I yes mineral spirits be a good choice to remove the old finish. I’d be tempted to wipe on a coat or 2 of Tungoil first to seal the stain and then steel wool wax over the top of that.
Nice video.. I made a table top from walnut as well and I was using a mix of tung oil, poly and mineral spirits. I originally sanded it smooth to 400. My first two coats went on super well but I wanted to add more protection so added more coats.. third and fourth coats did leave some dull spots. As if someone ran their finger over the finish before curing. I sand in between each coat with 400 grit. What are my options? Would this method work? Or should I try a 5th coat?
@@MrHardware1 I actually put a new coat with steel wool 0000 and then once cured, put some wax with a rag. I wasn't super happy with the steel wool as it introduced micro scratches.
Thank you for the great video! What about the sides and end grain? How do you buff them up to look as good as the top? Just do the same as the table top?
Terrific video. Which would be the way to get the similar results with a professional polisher machine. How about using my polisher with 1500 and 3000 sand papers and then, polishing with some compound? (is there any wax that I could use with my polisher). That approach would reduce efforts but not sure how to proceed :)
The ultra fine sandpaper will do a great job prepping the finish. So much that you may not need to wax. It would be easy to wax on that surface seeing as there are no blemishes to remove.
I bought Liberon polish remover and they recommend using steel wool 0000 to apply. The result is it left scratches on a very nice dining table. Maybe I didn’t soak the wool enough. Will this technique help me get rid of these wool micro scratches? The table has the factory coats of varnish and PU. Thanks J
I have a pair of Klipsch K-Horns in birch with lite Cherry stain and five coat lacquer finish. They are in a basement with a lot of spiders and one speaker has a fair amount of droppings. I used a polish that took the obvious to the eye away but running your hand over the wood you can feel tiny bumps. Would the wax and 0000 completely remove them? To me they are fine-looking clean but it's time to sell them and I need the feel to match the condition. Near Mint for a 1983 speaker set.
I plan on using your technique once my desk is done curing but wondering after wet sanding, do i wipe off the paint thinnner to make it dry before waxing with steel wool? Or do i just continue with wet surface without drying or dusting it?
Amazing video sharing some tribal wisdom. Mineral spirits leaves a white residue after drying. Should you wipe with a cloth or just leave it and begin applying the wax with steel wool? Curious because I didn’t see any mention of what should be done between mineral spirits and sanding step and the paste wax application…
I would definitely buff off the white residue with the soft, clean towel before applying any wax. No need to add any foreign materials into the finish.
I use lots of paint thinner and a fine scotch pad to remove wax. To make sure you got any residue left behind you could try using acetone as a final wash because not much be left on that surface but polyurethane after you clean it with acetone. But it would be my second step not the first.
Hi, I recently bought a 2nd hand table. The previous owner had sanded and refinished the table but i"m not sure what he used to seal it, if anything. It has a sheen but seems porous. I'd like to make the table more indestructible to water stains. This seems like it would help. Will this stop water ring stains? thanks
A coat or 2 (or 3) of a satin poly urethane finish will seal the wood to protect it, then the wax trick makes it a smoother finish and even more durable. Wax on open wood is not very protective.
Great video! If I have 3 coats of polyurathane on, do I still need to use mineral spirits and sand before applying the wax? My concern is I don't want to wear through the finish too much. I also noticed there's a small spot I must have missed with the polyurathane on the last coat since it doesn't look as covered as the rest of the wood (about 2" x 2"). Any suggestions on what do do about that? I'm sure the steel wool / wax with smooth that out. I just don't want to mess up the protectiveness of the wood. Thanks!
How much is a pound of elbow grease at Gilbert's Pro Hardware? Also slow shipping cost to Texas 75028. Great video. Working on some black walnut furniture. Thanks!
I had purchased this tool from a local detail supply outlet ru-vid.comUgkxfzbDkCRyv3CFXnLZI4APZtRRuG2uRmP2 and it has been my go-to polisher since (I've hardly had to break any of my DA machines out since). I run this tool with a 5" Buff and Shine backing plate with an assortment of pads ranging from Buff and Shine to Meguiar's to 3D. This machine is run daily and it run long in my shop. Since getting this machine I've had 4 client cars qualify and go to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance car show this year. Currently ramping up for SEMA where I will probably have this machine running for 10+ hour days for 2 weeks straight. One thing to note is that this machine under paint polishing speeds (typically 1000-1400 rpm for me) does get hot and she is a beefy machine (just think of those shoulder gains you'll get with her). Also as another reviewer mentioned, with a quick trigger pull, she will overshoot the desired RPM and then come back down. Speed control in that aspect probably could use some refining since none of my Flex machines do that, but other than heat and RPM overshoot, great machine and must have machine for the advanced to pro detailer.
I just completed putting my 3rd coat of Poly on a dining room table. So far the job looks pretty good. I want to use your steel wool method on it to finish the job. I found one blemish on the table that has what looks to be a brush hair on it. Will this steel wool method remove that? or should I do a 400 sandpaper on it?
Loved the video. Excited to try it out. Question: Instead of Minwax Paste, can I use the regular car polish wax like Turtle or Mother’s wax? Also, instead of 400 grit sand paper, can I use 320 grit or 0000 steel wool to rub with the mineral spirit? Thanks!!
I don’t think car waxes have enough body although they might work..... 320 paper is a little coarse, could leave scratches the steel wool might not get out.
@@MrHardware1 I tried your technique on the small piece of ash wood. While the finish is very smooth, it however dulled the poly significantly. I have applied 12 layers of minwax wipe-on clear satin poly and let it cured for 4 days. What am I doing wrong? Pls help. Thanks!
How did you apply the 5 coats of polyurethane? Did you spray it on and dry sanded in between? What grit did you use? How long did you wait between coats? By the looks, it was a satin poly?
I usually apply my polyurethane within 24 hours of the prior coat. That way I don’t need to sand in between coats and create dust Every time I do a coat. Once I get ready for my last coat is when I sand extremely well with 220 or finer sandpaper, and then crazily dust the room in the area I’m working besides changing my clothes and washing my hairy arms. When the coat goes on no one gets to come and see what I’m doing and once I’m done, I turn out the lights and hit the road until tomorrow. Then let it dry 2 to 3 days or more until it is getting near it finished hardness and then is when I’ll steel wool wax it to take care of any flaws that got into my last coat.
do you have to have put lacquer on top to do this wax finish? I wanted to just apply oil to my shelf in refinishing, would i get this same result over an oil finish if i buffed the shelf with wax and steel wool?
Sarah, nothing goes onto the wax, plus nothing will stick to it. The wax on a finish is more durable and will last longer than wax on wood alone. Wax alone will require refinishing about every 5 years.
HI there - this looks great. Will it work OK with an oil-based varnish instead of polyurethane? And if so - will the 4-5 days curing time still be ok or do i need to wait longer? Thanks.
Hi and thanks for this video! I think it is what I was looking for... let's see. I have an inexpensive small side table I purchased as a place to put a nice Paul Nelson modern lamp I have. It's a nice design for the chair it sits next to, and for the lamp, but the darkish walnut veneer of the table top is somewhat "flat" and slightly uneven in terms of the sheen of the finish. I'd like to have a bit more depth to the grain and evenness to the finish. I believe that a slightly higher sheen could accomplish that (maybe half way between 'satin' and 'semi-gloss' to give a bit more surface reflection and highlight the nice lamp). I've searched a lot of finishing ideas on the web, but yours here seems to be something that will give a bit more of that diffused satin reflectiveness and richness. What do you think? If polishing wax is the way to go, would it darken the wood at all?
There is a clear and a dark wax by Minwax that I use. The clear may darken a little, the dark a little more. I feel it is worth the effect which ever way you go.
Thanks very much! Are there any wax products that can be used in this way that can influence the color? Perhaps provide a bit more warmth. If that would also produce more darkening, I would probably avoid that and just go for the the luster of the the clear Minwax that you describe.
Yes, but you’ll have to be consistent in your efforts so not to get multiple sheen’s. There is satin and even matt products you could use as a final coat that will result in a lower sheen.
Great video, thanks! I notice that Minwax paste wax has both Natural and Special Dark shades. When using to buff poly to a satin sheen, do you always use the Natural or do you use the Dark on darker woods? I have applied several coats of oil-based poly over a dark (coffee) stain on oak. I'm worried the Natural will leave light streaks (or is it actually clear?), and the Dark will leave dark streaks 'floating' above the clear poly... Thanks!
Thanks for the video. Im having problems with a maple butcher block dining table im refinishing . I sanded off all old poly and stained. I then brushed 3-5 coats of minwax water based oil modified satin polyurethane on sanding in between with 320 sanding block. My problem is after final coat there is visable brush strokes and tiny bubbles. Ive resanded and redone finish coat 3x now with not be happy. So curious if using your method will work to get rid of brush strokes and bubbles. Do you recommend just using your method starting with mineral spirits and steel wool and proceeding to use the wax with 0000 . Or should i start with a fine sand paper to help even the surface 1st before using the steel wool. Thanks any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This is my 1st time doing this and im really frustrated with the finish at this point. Thanks again.
You can sand with 600 or finer wet sandpaper and then use the paste wax. Or you could sand with 220 or 320 and then thin the poly 5% when putting on the last coat. A quality brush is important also. Blair
Thank you for the video. I am working on a project and had some questions. Would this be safe to do on a wood kitchen counter top as food may touch it? It is not butcher block so not going to be cutting on it. I have stained it and sealed with helmsman spar urethane satin finish. Also I have Jonhnsons paste wax, would that do or should I go out and get the minwax? I don't want to spend the money if I don't need to. And last question. After the project is done, do you need to add wax every so often or is it just being used as the lubricant? Thanks for your help!
I would not use the Johnson's as a food safe surface. The Johnson's has cancer warnings, but the Minwax is mineral spirits and paraffin wax. Once the mineral spirits have been washed away I believe the paraffin is food safe. Still use at your own risk since I have no control over the product. You can touch up scratches that may occur by redoing the wax every so often.
Do you think this can remove brush marks in a water based polyurethane with satin finish? I need to remove the brush marks to make it even and smoot keeping the satin finish, will this work? I just don't want to re aply more coats of poly, I did like 8 coats already. Thanks
I would wait for the finish to get fully cured, about 5 days, then wet sand w/1000 grit (very fine) with the grain. That will level out the brush strokes, then try the 000 steel wool with a paste wax. That may save your job.
any ideas on what finish i can use on a just sanded piece of dark wood? I want to keep the natural slightly dull shade and don't want that deep dark grain enhance warmness that oil gives. I want it to look likes it been just sanded but then be slightly protected from UV or oxidation etc... Any ideas? its a display cabinet so very low wear
Nice tutorial. I'm an newbie and don't do this as a hobby but have taken on a very small project and now need advice since I see how effective your process is and I now question my own plan ; I'm finishing a slice of a walnut tree to use as a 30" dia. table top. I planed to sand it and then apply one coat of Watco Danish oil (a sealer and varnish finish combined) and call it a day. Am I doing the right thing? What grit sandpaper should I use (I will start with 80 grit belt sander I just bought because my walnut piece has chainsaw marks, and I plan to use my mouse type hand finishing sander after that). I wanted it to like like the finish you had on that wood when you started but then when I saw the glassy shine you brought out I'm reconsidering.
There is a special way to beltsand that large size of wood to flatten out the area without making dips. Hold the beltsander 30 degrees to the wood grain but pull it back and forth with the grain. Use 80 grit or coarser but be careful with coarser grit until you have some skill or you can dig some dips into the wood. After the wood is close to perfect use a flat board with 80 grit on it and check for high and low spots working with the grain. Then using 80 or finer with the belt sander and no pressure down on the sander finish power sanding with the sander inline with the grain. Finish with the block of wood and sand with the grain. Put your mouse or vibrating sander away! It will remove more pulp wood and leave the grain (which is harder) higher making your top slightly undulated. Watco is a great wood finish but not as durable as thinning polyurethane and using 3 coats. I like my table tops to be durable, my art and antiques get Watco.
Any idea what to do with stained timber table top with oil wax and issue is it has excess feeling of wax and stickiness which I would remove and smooth it out
Try using paint thinner on a rag first. That usually is a great way to remove excess wax. Somethings stronger that will work but probably will remove some of the stain is acetone used the same way.
Blair, great video. I have an old door that I have stained + 7 coats of satin spar varnish. Even the satin is too shiny. Any tips on dulling that out? Do you think the 0000 wool alone work to help that?
I think 0000 is too fine unless you use it dry. Careful to keep checking for scratches. I would be trying 00 with a lubricant like the paste wax, but I've use furniture polish when I was out of town and couldn't get wax.
