Durability of Wax?

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dabeeler

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I have read a lot of posts that state a polishand wax finish is not durable and will only last for a very short time. In one of the library videos related to finishing, YO-YO Spin makes the statement that he uses Renaissance Wax because it dries very hard and lasts for a really long time under lots of handling and wear, practically forever.

So, is the finish system shown in the video using the Beall Buffing System with two coats of Renaissance Wax as the last step a long lasting finish like CA or not?
 
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Make two pens out of the same material - one with CA finish and one with just wax. Carry them every day for a month and then compare.
 
In my experience, it's not even close.... I have never had a wax finish last much longer than a few months... depending on how much is it handled of course...

The CA finishes have lasted years... and still look basically as good as when I made the pen.

This is based on just my experience... maybe I don't know how to apply a wax finish... although I do use the Beall system and a hard carnauba wax... I don't have any experience with Renaissance Wax...
 
Originally posted by dabeeler
<br />YO-YO Spin makes the statement that he uses Renaissance Wax because it dries very hard and lasts for a really long time under lots of handling and wear, practically forever.
Click to expand...

Ed uses Renaissance Wax onver stabilized woods. There's a big difference when you work with wood that has not been stabilized. Ren Wax over bare wood will not (usually) produce desirable effects.
 
I still carry my first pen, a red oak slimline made over two years ago and finished in a wax finish. I use this pen everyday.
The thing with wax is it reacts to skin acids and changes colour. The pen today is much darker and different looking than when new. There is also a noticeable difference in colour between the top and bottom sections now.
I believe a CA finish will not change colour like a wax one will.
 
The wax finish changed color because it has disappeared and has been replaced by your own dirt and body oils.

There is nothing wrong with that hand-rubbed natural finish, and there was a time when wooden pens were new and people were willing to buy a pen on that basis. Times have changed, but there are still a few of those folks around.
 
I believe a wax finish is the least durable finish.

I go back and forth on my favorite finishes. I have a zebra wood slimline with a wax finish next to my computer; I like the feel of it. I love the feel of wood. But I also like the comments I get from people when they see the Flag pen from Ken that I carry. It has a dozen coats of wipe on poly and 4 coats of spray spar urethane. It's so shiny and looks like it's sealed in plastic, but people love it.
 
I also have that quandry. I use primarily Shellawax and Renaissance Wax for finishing and really like the look and feel of the finished product. After lurking about in these forums for a while I began to question my choice in finish and started experimenting with CA and plexiglass. I didn't last long with the CA due to the fumes, but I managed to get good results with the plexi, sans side effects.

I guess my dilemma is that a wooden pen finished with plexi, while all shiny and pretty, to me has a very plastic feel and look. I made two pens out of off-the-shelf cherry and finished one with wax and one with plexi. Everyone agreed that the finish of the plexi looked better from a "oooh...shiny!" perspective, but thought that the plastic look detracted from the wood. All but one person said they liked the feel of the wax finish better than the plexi. One friend said, "If I wanted a plastic pen I'd buy a plastic pen."

Do I need to find new friends and co-workers? [:D] Or perhaps just find a larger sample group? Or is it just one of those necessary trade-offs between durability and aesthetics? Obviously, I'd like to make the best pens that I can, relatively speaking.

Rob
 
My observation has been that there is a connection between appearance and feel. Buff back the gloss on the plexiglass or CA finish with fine steel wood to soften the gloss, and most of those same people won't be able to tell the difference in feel or warmth between the hard finish and bare wood or wax. In other words, when they look the same, they will feel the same.

Another thing, don't get caught up in equating smelling better with being safer. Acetone and other hydrocarbon thinners can be as bad or a worse health hazard than CA glue, even though their odor isn't as obnoxious.
 
I use Lacquer and have had great luck. It takes longer but remains beautiful. I have run a pen through the washing machine and it came out fine. Not on purpose. Do that with wax and forget it
 
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