Liming Wax Project!
Have you heard of Briwax Liming wax? I finally tried it, and I think I'm going to be addicted!!
That being said, it sat in my garage for months, waiting for me to get brave enough to finish it. I mean, I can't ruin something this important! I knew I didn't want to paint it, and I knew I did not want to tackle the tedious task of stripping the spindles so I could stain them, and I also knew I didn't want the whole thing to be that honey color. So I finally decided to get brave and try the Briwax Liming Wax.
No, I'm not getting paid to say that. I just really love it! I have seen this look, and loved it for a long time, but I have been a little afraid to try. As a general rule, I'm just not a wax lover, so I was worried I'd feel the same, but lime wash, and dry brushing doesn't quite give the same look, so I finally decided to try!
Here's why...
My dad built this table for me for Christmas. I LOVE it. It's sentimental to me for a few reasons.
(1) The legs are made from old railing balusters that my grandpa gave to my mom. I don't know really where they came from. He just thought she might do something with them, but she never did. They sat up in my dad's shed for a long time, until I started getting in to furniture, and my mom offered them to me. Then my grandpa passed away a little over a year ago, and the balusters became even more precious to me. I don't usually get sentimental about "stuff", except when it's solid wood, and old, and from someone I miss.
(2)I found the plans for this table, and I really wanted to build it for myself, but couldn't find the time. I was going to hold on to those legs FOREVER, but I didn't have to, because my dad (whom I love very, very much) built it for me, which makes it very special!
SO, It will now be a family heirloom, that I hope is cherished for many generations!
First, I put a coat of dark walnut on the entire thing. I even wiped it over the legs that already had stain on them. All the different woods looked like different colors, and I was counting on the liming wax to make it all look cohesive.
Once the stain had cured properly, I did one thin coat of Polyurethane all over. I used wipe on, because I had some, and also because it's easy to control the thickness of the coat that way. I let that sit a couple days, and then sanded very lightly with a fine sand paper. I believe I used 300.
Next it was time for the Briwax Liming Wax. This is the part I was nervous for! I tried to find videos online but didn't have much success. I did find a couple clips, all were using Oak, which is ideal, but only my legs are oak. Everything I could find said to use a putty knife and press the wax in to the wood, let it dry for 15-20 minutes, and then use 0000 steel wool to wipe it off. That was vague. So I was still nervous, but I went for it! I did move it in to the house for this part, so I could be around my family, and maybe even have a movie on in the background. That was a mistake because this stuff is SMELLY! It's the first oil based wax I've used, and my lesson was learned. I don't think anyone in the house was happy with me. (OOPS!)
I used my 2.5" putty knife, and applied the wax all over. Most recommendations I saw said to do a section at a time, but it was going so quickly, I thought "I'll just put it all over, and then it will be time to start wiping back the part I started with." Well, that might have been fine, but I had gotten carried away, and forgotten I had somewhere else to be... So I had to leave... For a long time...
So my wax sat on my table for HOURS. I'm not kidding. I was terrified I had ruined it, but I grabbed my steel wool, and started working. It was really set on, so I had to use a lot of elbow grease, and it didn't go quickly. I used a whole pack of steel wool. The only recommendation I can give on this part is to keep rubbing until you are happy with the look. It was much easier on the oak legs, because of the deep grains, but the bottom shelf was fairly smooth, and took a lot of work.
In the end, it was not ruined, thank goodness! It turned out so beautiful! I could not be more happy! I let it sit for 2 full weeks to cure, and then I sealed it with my favorite sealer, VAX. I believe I've talked about VAX before, but feel free to message me if you have questions. I may post about it again later. I was going to seal it with Briwax clear wax, but I decided to spray my favorite spray-able sealer and get it done quickly.
I think it's important to note that usually wax is last. If you are using wax to seal your chalk paint, you generally can't seal on top of it, or it will just peal off. Water based waxes are not permanent. They have to be reapplied every year or so. The reason this is different is because this wax is oil based, and it cures differently. It doesn't stay waxy. I hope that makes sense.
I love my table so much! I haven't really had time to stage it, but I threw some random decor on for now. Please excuse that! I need to do some rearranging or shopping. =)
I hope you enjoyed this post! Feedback is always appreciated! Feel free to share away!
Next it was time for the Briwax Liming Wax. This is the part I was nervous for! I tried to find videos online but didn't have much success. I did find a couple clips, all were using Oak, which is ideal, but only my legs are oak. Everything I could find said to use a putty knife and press the wax in to the wood, let it dry for 15-20 minutes, and then use 0000 steel wool to wipe it off. That was vague. So I was still nervous, but I went for it! I did move it in to the house for this part, so I could be around my family, and maybe even have a movie on in the background. That was a mistake because this stuff is SMELLY! It's the first oil based wax I've used, and my lesson was learned. I don't think anyone in the house was happy with me. (OOPS!)
I used my 2.5" putty knife, and applied the wax all over. Most recommendations I saw said to do a section at a time, but it was going so quickly, I thought "I'll just put it all over, and then it will be time to start wiping back the part I started with." Well, that might have been fine, but I had gotten carried away, and forgotten I had somewhere else to be... So I had to leave... For a long time...
So my wax sat on my table for HOURS. I'm not kidding. I was terrified I had ruined it, but I grabbed my steel wool, and started working. It was really set on, so I had to use a lot of elbow grease, and it didn't go quickly. I used a whole pack of steel wool. The only recommendation I can give on this part is to keep rubbing until you are happy with the look. It was much easier on the oak legs, because of the deep grains, but the bottom shelf was fairly smooth, and took a lot of work.
In the end, it was not ruined, thank goodness! It turned out so beautiful! I could not be more happy! I let it sit for 2 full weeks to cure, and then I sealed it with my favorite sealer, VAX. I believe I've talked about VAX before, but feel free to message me if you have questions. I may post about it again later. I was going to seal it with Briwax clear wax, but I decided to spray my favorite spray-able sealer and get it done quickly.
I think it's important to note that usually wax is last. If you are using wax to seal your chalk paint, you generally can't seal on top of it, or it will just peal off. Water based waxes are not permanent. They have to be reapplied every year or so. The reason this is different is because this wax is oil based, and it cures differently. It doesn't stay waxy. I hope that makes sense.
I love my table so much! I haven't really had time to stage it, but I threw some random decor on for now. Please excuse that! I need to do some rearranging or shopping. =)
I hope you enjoyed this post! Feedback is always appreciated! Feel free to share away!
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