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 Post subject: wax finish for guitars
PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 11:00 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Has anyone sold a guitar with a wax only finish?

I mean where you simply rub beeswax onto the guitar, then buff it with a cloth wheel like you would finish a wood turning or ebony items.

It seems to be one of the simplest finish out there and feels great too, not to mention it's easy to repair.

I wonder how well it protects the wood from warping due to excess moisture...?

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:07 pm 
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I've never finished a guitar with wax but I've tried wax-only on furniture. It doesn't last long; wax not only has very little protective power but it oxidizes fairly quickly and eventually disappears.

It'll slow down humidity changes but not much.

With as much as a guitar is handled I say forget it.


Last edited by runamuck on Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:10 pm 
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Beeswax alone would be much too soft, and would smear easily. You would need to add carnuba wax to the beeswax to make it harder. As a finish for a guitar, I don't know, but once you put wax on wood you wouldn't be able to put any other finish on it. Even sanding would likely leave the wood contaminated. I don't think wax alone would protect against perspiration and oils from your hands let alone moisture in the air.

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 5:29 pm 
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I have a hunch that wax would not do good things for the tone of a guitar.


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 6:50 am 
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Wax was a traditional finish for lute tops, so it can't be bad for tone… It gives little protection, and spruce will quickly become dirty from contact with skin and clothes. It may be desirable, but so far the acoustic guitar market has decided otherwise.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:36 pm 
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I have applied wax for a satin finish, but I first french-polish the guitar. I mean, I varnish the guitar as I normally do with shellac. After that I apply wax with the help of very fine steel wool, killing the gloss and obtaining a satin finish.

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:33 pm 
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CAJUAN wrote:
I have applied wax for a satin finish, but I first french-polish the guitar. I mean, I varnish the guitar as I normally do with shellac. After that I apply wax with the help of very fine steel wool, killing the gloss and obtaining a satin finish.



Yes, but that is not a wax finish, it's just a lubricant for the fine steel wool. I've done the same over nitro.

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