# polyurethane over liming wax accents?



## drumstyk1 (May 6, 2011)

Hey all,
I am having a dining table made out of red oak and I am interested in using an aniline dye to stain it black and rubbing in some liming wax to highlight the grain. I plan to wipe off all the wax just leaving whatever gets in the grain cracks. My concern is the final finish. I want something that is going to be durable and waterproof and I hear that means polyurethane. Are there any issues with finishing with poly over the liming wax? I have looked all over google and most people seem to use another wax finish over this but i don't want to worry about putting a glass of water on the table and ruining it (cuz i will). Any input/ideas are much appreciated!! Thanks!


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

drumstyk1 said:


> Hey all,
> I am having a dining table made out of red oak and I am interested in using an aniline dye to stain it black and rubbing in some liming wax to highlight the grain. I plan to wipe off all the wax just leaving whatever gets in the grain cracks. My concern is the final finish. I want something that is going to be durable and waterproof and I hear that means polyurethane. Are there any issues with finishing with poly over the liming wax? I have looked all over google and most people seem to use another wax finish over this but i don't want to worry about putting a glass of water on the table and ruining it (cuz i will). Any input/ideas are much appreciated!! Thanks!


You can use the dye, and then the wax, but you need to use dewaxed shellac as a sealer. Polyurethane...either waterbased or oil based will not stick otherwise.

The downside is that the shellac is not a typically hard finish and will provide a softer base for the polyurethane than just the polyurethane by itself. A common method to achieve a similar look, would be to dye the stock and use a pickling mix to get the highlights. With that method you can use oil base poly on top of the highlighted finish.

It's best to experiment with samples first.












 







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## drumstyk1 (May 6, 2011)

That sounds like a perfect suggestion! I am doing some googlage now so i can sound smart when i have questions for ya! :icon_smile: Thanks!!

P.S. loved the welcome sign!!


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