does oil have to cure before waxing?

[elizabeth]

Hey, guys.

Quick question: I've finished oiling two new little boxes (the lids), and wanted to know if I have to let the oil cure the 72 hours the can says, before I put wax on?

The waiting around for things to cure drives me crazy!

Thanks!

[dburkhart]

Wow Liz we asked almost the same question 5 minutes apart

[elizabeth]

I know! And I put my two cents in on yours!!! ;D

[dcarter636]

Yes, if you want to make a good uniformly protective wax film.

If you're impatient, and who isn't at this point, you can speed things up by placing the piece in the hot sun to accelerate the oil curing.
Often you will see some oil boil to the surface from pores, tiny checks, and similar reservoirs, just wipe the bleed off a couple times over the course of the day and all will be well.

[rrich]

I would let the oil cure for more like a week. But that's just me.

[TDHofstetter]

'Lizabeth, ignore the label for a moment and let your nose tell you when it's time to wax. When it no longer smells like childhood paints (which were based on linseed oil), THEN it's time to wax. The wait will be different for different pieces, different woods, different depths of application. Your nose will tell it all, every time, though.

Lay your wiping rags out flat on a concrete surface, please?

[sawduster]

Definitely need to let the oil cure. Like Timmer said, wood, climate etc as well as the oil used will have an impact on curing time, and if you wax it before the oil has cured, the wax will likely not harden properly as it will absorb some of the uncured oil.

[elizabeth]

Thank you guys. This IS the worst part of finishing... The WAIT. In my climate nothing ever cures on time!

Having said that, I've taken photos of my little boxes, with Tim's ROOF , and I'm about to post them in the finished forum. The boxes have been oiled and waxed. The roofs I just finished and only have oil.

[jb34]

Yes very hard to wait. Harumph. For anything that touches food I do the smell test. Then when it stops smelling I wait 2 weeks more. To distract myself I work on something else and try to forget the last project I am itching to finish and not wait on the stain.

Right now i made a couple paduak rings. Actually I made a lot of rings. the rest (which I made out of hard maple, purple heart, and bloodwood) are cured and done. even wearing one That is maple and bloodwood right now. But the 2 paduak ones don't want to cure. 3 or 4 days after I put oil on them they are still tacky. Now its not the first time i used this same oil stain on padauk and that cured fine. Not sure why this doesn't wanna cure at all. I am not sure why a month ago it cured fine using the same stain on the same piece of wood even but not now. Still tacky after that long. I will try to put them in the sun tomorrow if we get any.

[TDHofstetter]

Ya know... I've heard complaints about that before, that oil finishes are sometimes crazy stubborn to set up on padauk. Maybe some chemical in some trees, or the time of year when they were cut?

[jb34]

I figured it must be something like that. But amazing how after 3 or 4 days its still hasn't. I will move on to the next thing and just check it every day or two. Set it out in the sun when we get some. I mean eventually it has to set. I hope?