One of the nicest finishes for your projects is beeswax. This finish is ideal for any indoor project and has the great advantage of allowing the wood to nicely darken with age.
Waxing should not be used for any project that requires a degree of water resistance, such as for kitchen or bathroom related projects. Instead, varnishing should be used here.
Beeswax is available at almost any hardware store and is simple to apply. However, it is often a good idea to seal the wood prior to waxing, especially on softer woods such as pine.
To seal the wood correctly you should use a pre-wax sealant. Again, this should be sold in most hardware stores. Once you have rubbed a coating of sealer onto the wood, allow it to dry for 30 minutes. Then, use wire wool to lightly work over the entire surface to roughen it slightly.
Once this is done, you may add the wax. Apply the wax to the wood using a lint-free cloth, and leave to dry for at least 15 minutes. Then buff the wood, using a clean cloth, until a suitable shine is achieved. It is recommended that at least two applications of wax are used, even though many waxes claim that only one is required. The result will be a far better finish that will last far longer.
The oil is applied through a technique known as wet-on-wet burnishing. This technique requires the wood to be sanded down through the various degrees of smoothness until you reduce the grit down to 600 or 800 grit wet and dry sandpaper. At this stage the wood begins to show a slight lustre. Don't lose the extra fine sawdust from the last piece of sandpaper that you used as this will serve as a fine filler when you apply the oil.
The another way to do this can be done by oiling. To do this, first you must apply the oil to the wood surface, allowing to soak in for a few minutes. Then, using the last piece of fine sandpaper (which has the extra fine sawdust in it still) start to massage (or burnish) the oil into the wood's surface. If the surface becomes too dry, add more oil. Once the entire surface has been oiled, the wood should have a satin finish. At this point you can apply a Natural Wax Oilish to bring the surface to a lustre. Do not add a second finish until the wood's surface is completely dry.
Alternatively, continue sanding the surface with 1200 grit paper, adding more oil as needed. Two or three sanding/oil combinations may be needed to arrive at the ultimate finish.
Applying polish is according to your needs and the amount of use the wood product gets. Tables used daily should be polished at least 3 times a week, if not daily. Tables or other wood products that are used a few times a month may be polished once weekly or less, depending on use.
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Rana Ardhita
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