Shoe polish paste wax finish.

[lalong]

Hi,
I had read one of the threads about finishes using leather dye and what finishes are good for wood carvings so I thought I would tell everyone my ideal finish.

I have used paste shoe wax polish for years on old antiques that have nicks and anything wood that needs I finish. It goes on with a rag or paintbrush and comes in a variety of colors. After you apply it to the wood let it air dry for about 5 minutes till it gets tacky. Then just spit (literally) and polish to a wonderful sheen. Not too shiny but very soft to touch, antique satin finish. When I started carving it was the first thing I tried and the woodspirits really came alive with the brown color polish, but now that I am into carving tiny fairies 1/2"x 3/4" I have been using the neutral for skin tone or natural wood color and other colors for the hair and the carved bugs that they hold. It also works wonderful on any old metal and rusted items that need restored and gives the metal the same finish.
The paste wax is the best finish I have found, it is cheap, readily available, and has many colors to choose from and it doesnt bleed like the dyes and paints sometime do.
Just a thought I wanted to pass on.
Thanks so much,
Laurie

[Ron T]

Hello and welcome, Laurie. It's nice to have you here. Thank you for your tip. I've heard of using shoe polish on gourds, too.

[Irishman]

I've seen the "spit" practice in action with my daughter putting a sheen on the toe of her cadet boots. I suggested water to her but she seems to think there is something else in that body fluid that gets those boots shiny clean.
Patrick

[Colin-Partridge]

Patrick,
Tell your daughter from this old mountie experience that spit is ok but just put a couple of drops of alcohol in the water and her boots will shine like glass.
Colin

[lalong]

Thanks for this wonderful forum which I will come to from now on for all my carving questions. I burn gourd bowls too and use it for them over top of my acrylic paints as a finish. Also the paste works best on a smooth sanded wood. I forgot to mention that.
Thanks again,
Laurie

[cannuckcarver]

Thanks for sharring, by the way your butterfly is awesome.

[Joy]

I talked to a lady that power carved flowers and used shoe polish for the finish. It looked and felt like velvet.

Beautiful fairy! How thin are those wings?

[Ron T]

Hi Laurie,

the fairy butterfly is beautiful.

[Alice in Wonderland]

Laurie the first time I heard of shoe polish was in the Islands especially Cuba ,because they don't have anything else and their carvings are beautiful.I use it on some woods.
Alice

[Bartster]

laura,

that is a great fairy, thanks for sharing

bart