Carnuba Wax???

[tseger]

I finish my pens with 3 coats of Mylands friction polish and just recently started applying carnuba wax. My question is this......
I have been putting on 5 thin coats of wax. Is this enough?,Too much?,
How much protection will the wax provide for the FP?

 

[redfishsc]

Chances are the solvents in your carnauba wax is partially corroding off the friction polish. I assume you are using a paste wax, like Mother's 100% carnauba paste. Still has solvents in it to soften it.


Personally I don't like friction polish of **any** brand. What you are using is certainly one of the better, but still a friction polish. It won't hold it's shine over time. For quick and dirty, it can't be beat, but there are more durable (and cheaper!) finishes out there. Read up on lacquer, lacquer dipping, and CA finishes.

 

[its_virgil]

It is 5 thin coats too much. []Toss the mylands and carnauba and learn to do a CA finish. []But, of course, you may like the mylands and carnauba, and if so, then what you are doing is just right. CA, lacquer, or enduro are each a better finish that friction polish, which will not last. Others will disagree and hey, that's fine too.
Happy finishing and ...
Do a good turn daily!
Don

PS: Mylands and Crystal coat both go bad...they have an expiration date. Be sure yours is still good. In my beginning days of penturning, I was getting horrible results with my crystal coat, and was told to look at the expiration date, and it had expired. Replace it and the new bottle worked....until I found CA as a finish. The rest is history.

Originally posted by tseger
<br />I finish my pens with 3 coats of Mylands friction polish and just recently started applying carnuba wax. My question is this......
I have been putting on 5 thin coats of wax. Is this enough?,Too much?,
How much protection will the wax provide for the FP?

 

[tseger]

Originally posted by redfishsc
<br />Chances are the solvents in your carnauba wax is partially corroding off the friction polish. I assume you are using a paste wax, like Mother's 100% carnauba paste. Still has solvents in it to soften it.

It's not a paste it's a stick of solid wax. I got from Woodcraft,I think. Would this cause the same thing?

 

[tseger]

Originally posted by its_virgil
<br />

PS: Mylands and Crystal coat both go bad...they have an expiration date. Be sure yours is still good. In my beginning days of penturning, I was getting horrible results with my crystal coat, and was told to look at the expiration date, and it had expired. Replace it and the new bottle worked....until I found CA as a finish. The rest is history.

Originally posted by tseger
<br />
How much protection will the wax provide for the FP?

I do like the FP/wax finish(i know that the CA provides a much more durable finish), I just like feel of a FP finished pen. I want to try the Enduro finish, just haven't really had time yet. My main question was will the wax prolong the shine of the FP?
Oh yeah, thanks for the advice on the experation date. I have never even thought of the stuff going bad.

 

[Dario]

The sooner you stop using FP the better off you will be.

If you are concerned with the feel, lacquer is a better alternative than CA. Read about it at Russ Fairfield's site.

 

[its_virgil]

I don't think it provides very much at all, or at least that has be my experience. The oils and moisture in your hands will react with both the friction polish and the wax. I'm old enough to remember cold drinks making water rings on furniture(well, they still do) and the rings causing a stain on the finish. The finish was shellac and guess what a main ingredient of friction polish is? You got it..shellac. But, if the patina that develops on a friction polish finished pen is what you like, then stick with it. Personally, I don't think CA produces the plastic look and feel that a lot of penturners claim. Finish appearence and feel is a matter of taste, and we can't argue taste. There are lots of options for a finish on a pen and I tried them all and when I conquered CA I stopped looking.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by tseger
<br />
How much protection will the wax provide for the FP?