Hot waxing process of mahogany furniture
Hot waxing process of mahogany furniture
, using beeswax, is a highly suitable maintenance method for rosewood furniture. The wax fills the spaces within the wood's pores, displacing some of the moisture within the wood and forming a protective layer to prevent significant expansion and contraction caused by humidity fluctuations. However, in southern China, where temperatures are higher and more humid, wax itself is reactive and changes with temperature. Using waxed furniture in southern China can easily cause the wax to flake off, staining clothing. Lacquer is therefore more suitable for this application. The traditional waxing process involves three steps: waxing, removing the wax, and rubbing the wax. It requires charcoal, which can be cumbersome to operate with an open flame. Here's an improved method using electric heating.
First, prepare your tools and materials. Homemade electric bow (a hair dryer can also make a decent substitute); bristle brush: one for two or three passes, and one for a large flat brush; homemade wax opener: make two from redwood or horn. One with a sloped spade-like end and a conical end. The board should be 0.5cm
Steps:
[Step 1] Heat the beeswax in a metal container until it melts into a liquid.
[Step 2] Using two (or three) passes of the bristle brush, apply the beeswax to the furniture in a scattered pattern (one side at a time).
[Step 3] Hot wax.
Use a hand waxer to heat the furniture. Keep moving the hand waxer constantly while heating. Use a large flat brush to evenly apply the wax to all surfaces, moving the hand waxer with you. Be careful not to burn your skin; this step is crucial. If the (new) furniture has a high moisture content, heat the furniture gradually, avoiding overheating. Allow the wax to gradually penetrate the wood's inner layers. Wait until the wax bubbles evenly and stops seeping deeper into the wood.
[Step 4] Waxing.
Use a wax opener to scrape away any loose wax remaining on the surface of the furniture, until it feels neither sticky nor tacky.
[Step 5] Polishing.
Use a cotton cloth to rub the surface vigorously and repeatedly, like scrubbing a bath, until it develops a glossy sheen and feels smooth.
This completes the first coat of wax. Continue wiping and caressing the furniture with a cotton cloth and your hands. Repeat the waxing process after three
Note: When waxing new furniture for the first time, leave the interior unwaxed to allow the wood to freely exchange moisture with the air. If the new furniture is well-dried, a thin layer of wax can be applied to the back of the coreboard to prevent cracking during use. The second and third waxing cycles can be followed by a thin layer of wax on the interior.
The rosewood waxing process:
1.
: Blend paraffin wax, beeswax, and rosin in a specific ratio to create the desired blend. The ratio of paraffin wax, beeswax, and rosin will vary depending on the desired wax grain. Generally speaking, for a coarse wax grain, increase the rosin and paraffin content, while for a finer wax grain, increase the beeswax content. (The specific formulation depends on the wood type and desired effect. You can experiment a few times before proceeding.)
2.
When waxing, use the outer flame of a blowtorch to rapidly heat the surface of each armchair component to expand the wood's pores. Simultaneously, use a brush to apply melted wax to the surface of the component. This not only allows the liquid wax to penetrate the wood, sealing the pores, but also forms a protective film on the surface, significantly reducing the effects of the external environment. Waxing should be done from the inside out (first wax the inside of the component, then the inside, front, and back, and finally the outer surfaces of each component), working from top to bottom.
3. After the wax
has completely solidified, use a spatula of different sizes, tailored to the shape and size of each component, to remove the remaining wax. The spatula's direction should be aligned with the wood's grain, and the pressure should be even, pressing each spatula over the entire surface until the entire surface of the component has been removed.
4. Waxing:
While rapidly warming the scraped wood with the outer flame of a blowtorch, wipe the wood with a soft cheesecloth to remove any loose wax or excess wax. Finally, rub the wood several times with the soft cheesecloth. Theoretically, the more times you rub, the better.
5. Waxing inspection criteria
should reflect the wood's natural luster. The surface should be uniform and consistent, with no burnt edges, corners, or details. There should be no loose or residual wax, resulting in a smooth, burnished finish. The waxed interior and exterior of the wood should be consistent, smooth, and burr-free.
[Wet Waxing]:
Prepare a solution by dissolving beeswax or white wax in gasoline or turpentine. Mix wax and oil in a ratio of 3:2. First, melt the wax in water. Once cooled, add the turpentine in the correct proportions and stir thoroughly before use. Use a paintbrush or a brush to evenly apply liquid wax to the surface of the root art piece. After application, let it dry in a shaded area for about two hours. Rub it with a soft cloth, then polish it with a dry, fine cloth until the turpentine in the wax has completely evaporated. After drying in the shade for a day or two, apply more wax and polish it. Repeat this process several times to increase the wax's strength and enhance the art's luster.
[Dry Waxing]
Place an appropriate amount of dried paraffin wax on the surface of the root art piece. Use a hair dryer, flame, or welding torch to melt the wax. The heat will gradually penetrate the wood of the root. After the wax is evenly applied, rub it with a cloth to evenly coat the piece. Then, apply more wax, heat, bake, and polish it. Repeat this process several times to achieve the desired effect. If these tools are not readily available, dry waxing small root art pieces can be achieved using an alcohol lamp or stove for similar results.
Hot Wax Dipping:
Heat paraffin wax in a container until it liquefies. Place the work in the container and let it simmer for approximately 10-60 minutes (depending on the size of the work and the texture of the wood). Remove the wax beads to prevent a thick film. Keep the wax temperature constant during simmering; a higher temperature and longer simmering time allow the wax to penetrate the wood more easily. Remove the work and wipe, sand, and polish with a soft cloth to achieve the desired effect.
Use vegetable oil to pour on the furniture to identify the authenticity of hot wax
Hot waxing is a traditional furniture manufacturing process, still used by many furniture factories today. Traditional hot waxing has very high requirements for both the technique and the wood used. However, some companies, seeking cost-effectiveness and simplicity, often use inferior wax or chemical ingredients to deceive consumers. How can consumers distinguish genuine products from counterfeit ones? Consumers need to do their homework.
The true hot waxing process involves sanding the furniture surface with high-grade fine sandpaper, then applying beeswax directly to the surface. This allows the wax to form a protective film with the wood's resins, and then curing with vegetable oils such as walnut oil and palm oil. The furniture treated in this way will become brighter and smoother with use, and a patina will form over time.
However, there are two common waxing processes currently used on the market: one involves sanding the furniture before applying liquid floor wax to create a smooth feel. This approach is economical for manufacturers, but liquid floor wax is often not purely natural and cannot compare to natural beeswax. The other involves first coloring the finely polished furniture, then curing it with a chemical lacquer, then sanding it down to a thin layer (similar to applying a matte finish), and finally applying a variety of waxes. This approach not only allows manufacturers to pass off inferior materials as superior, but also provides cover for some manufacturers' counterfeit products.
Both methods of waxing are suspected of fraud, often using inferior materials or chemical raw materials, and are incomparable to authentic waxing. Their value is also much lower. So how can consumers distinguish genuine waxed furniture from counterfeit?
According to experts, traditional waxing uses beeswax, which doesn't block the wood's pores. The pores (i.e., pores) of waxed furniture remain open, so you can use vegetable oil to identify authenticity. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil onto the surface of the furniture. If the oil slowly seeps in, it's genuine waxed furniture. If it doesn't, it's likely fake, likely due to a chemical lacquer curing process that has sealed the wood's pores, making it difficult for the oil to penetrate.
2. In addition, you can also identify the authenticity of waxed furniture by observing the color difference. Genuine waxed furniture still retains the color and texture of the original wood, while natural wood is affected by natural conditions and it is inevitable that there will be color differences. If consumers see that the color of the surface of the furniture is the same when purchasing waxed furniture, it is likely that it has been colored.
Third, you can also tell the authenticity by smell. Authentic waxed furniture has no odor, such as rosewood's sour aroma and balsam's aloeswood's aloeswood. However, the natural odor of wood in cured furniture is much less pronounced. Furthermore, the cured layer of cured furniture will gradually wear away over time, and wiping it will cause it to discolor.
4. You can identify the authenticity by the wood. Not all rosewoods are suitable for hot waxing. The hot waxing process has very high requirements for the hardness, texture and wood properties of the rosewood. You should choose good wood, high hardness and rich resin. High-quality rosewoods such as huanghuali, red sandalwood, black rosewood, and red rosewood can use the hot waxing process. For woods with slightly inferior wood quality and less resin, they will not be bright enough after hot waxing treatment.
(Source: Redwood Classical Furniture Network