Hard Wax Oil. Is this the best finish for your wood?

[@JaW247]

Great to see such giddy enthusiasm from a true professional.😀

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. The thing is... I've used/applied lots of finishes, but this HWO ticks so many boxes, I genuinely find it to be a truly fantastic finish. It has all the properties of a two pack (Acid Catalysed) high build finish, which requires a professional spray booth set up to apply, with NONE of the hazards. Nor does it have the 'high build' plastic like film finish. Its incredible. Did I mention that it also looks like its been professionally finished even though you wiped it on with a cloth! What! Unbelievable finish! 🙂

[@marcelomendez9758]

commenting from USA 🇺🇸- would like to endorse gilboys hard wax oils and wax polish as best on the market. have used odie's, rubio, etc., and gilboy's blows them out of the water. it really does give a superior finish in the wax polish

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you. You're very kind. Simon ☺️

[@andrewarthurmatthews6685]

As a retired ex professional restorer and conservator of antique furniture in UK I have used the Osmo oil range which is a splendid finishing product especially their Polyx Wax Oil that has the highest specification for use on toys , food preparation surfaces etc . IMO it’s formulation is as close to that used in the 18 th century making it perfect for sound ethical conservation work

[@billtipton6660]

I am using this oil now on a small project with inexpensive plywood. I have made a rubber, and use it to apply the oil. Being so very gentle, I sand with 2500 & 3000 grit paper between the three coats. I am getting a beautiful finish! I look forward to using this oil on upcoming projects made with a variety of hardwoods.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Bill. Yes I have also applied it with a rubber, it does work quite well. 👍 I've not gone to that fine with the sandpaper though, well done. 😀

[@jgprice9990]

Ive used hard wax oil a lot recently and to be honest it does the job. Very very easy to apply, its a natural finish, retains the look and feel of the wood, very hydrophobic which is good and it’s inexpensive when compared to artificial alternatives. So far ive used it on lamp bases and pine stair treads tbh.

[@never2late289]

Great video. Just ordered your hard wax oil on etsy. Can't wait to try it on my dining table top which I just finished restoring. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us 🙏

[@lizhodges7899]

I’m just waiting for my order from you (to Australia). I can’t wait to get started. Your videos are so informative 🤩

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you Liz. I hope you enjoy using it when it arrives. I've just checked the tracking, it's in the airport departure lounge. 🙂 ✅

[@lizhodges7899]

@@GilboysRestoration 🥰🥳

[@Kathyoftheglade]

i do a lot of topographic carvings of states and love to use walnut and paduak woods. ive tried a few different coatings for these. i prefer yours. thank you from the US. and the sunflower seeds are planted in our garden.

[@SarahZunigaMusic]

You guys are my favorite KZbin channel!

[@KevinAmatt]

I’ve used it on church floors. Started with a couple of thin coats (with white spirit) then one or two full coats.

[@fastra3621]

Can I use this on oak kitchen worktops that have already been oiled, every 6 months, for the last 3 years?

[@gav2759]

I have used Osmo since it was a niche product. While I tend to "stick to what I know", I will certainly give your hard wax oil a go, on the next likely candidate to pass through my workshop.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Thank you Gav. I hope you like it when you do get it. 🙂

[@elizebohmer5012]

I live in South Africa. Do you have any distributors here? Thank you

[@andygreen5970]

Can you apply it over stain?

[@angelinaklineburgess5286]

I have a sewing box with a slated top. It’s from about 1900 or before and I am repairing and refinishing. It will hold threads , scissors, cloth pin cushions, buttons etc.. It is a constant discipline to keep anything from getting on cloth or thread as there can be a permanent stain. If thread/cloth/knitting yarns and all of the above are put into a sewing box finished with a hard wax oil, will there be a transfer stain?

[@jgprice9990]

It dries hard, i believe, ive used it on a chopping board (its food safe btw) and its never stained the tea towel when drying.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Angelina It's a good question. It's something I think I will be talking about tomorrow when I visit the restoration headquarters of 'The Landmark Trust'. I'll expand a little on this.. When it comes to conservation, restoration or refinishing of period furniture the consensual agreement with professionals is to use methods and materials that were used at the time it was made. Now, if you Angelina employ this methodology, where do you start? Unless you have been formally trained in the dark art of wood finishing and have attained knowledge and experience of period finishes, you may be a little bit stuck. 😳 You now have two choices...🤔 A) Take it to a professional B) Do It Yourself But it's not as easy as that, is it? The piece of furniture you have inherited or bought may have little financial value but you still very much want to use it for its intended purpose, you may also want it to look nice. Also, with the cost of living, you're not prepared to pay 100’s of $£ on something that will not financially return to you. (I’m leaving emotion out of this for now) *In decades past, this financial decision of whether to pay to have a period piece of furniture restored was made easier due to the value of the majority of antique furniture being much, much higher compared to now. £ Antique dealers managed to convince buyers, their potential investment in antiques was only ever going to increase. After all “They can’t ever be made again”. I used to hear this all the time, along with lots of other cringeworthy statements. 🤪 But now we live in a time where “brown furniture“ in real terms, has little value and more often than not is almost valueless. I know of local auction rooms that have turned away Victorian furniture that once sold for hundreds of pounds. I’m not saying that all antique furniture is valueless, thankfully there will always be pieces that hold a ‘good value’ ✅ The knock-on from this drop in value presents the furniture restorers and french polishers, that at one time you could choose your favourite one, are no longer an easy find. So back to you Angelina. You have made the ‘B’ choice and want to ‘Do It Yourself’ and the first port of call, which we all have become accustomed to, is the internet and the valuable resource that is KZbin’ ▶️ I try to produce a mix of informative balanced videos that give just an insight into the world of restoration mixed with ‘How to’ videos where I intentionally demonstrate simple methods of furniture care and conservation that can be easily followed with little or no prior experience and yet will leave you with a professional result. (they take a huge amount of time to produce) Sorry I have digressed.. Can you use our Hard Wax Oil on your sewing box? The simple answer is YES. Maybe I should have said that at the start Traditionally this probably would have been french polished (shellac) but as I have just said above. It's not just a case of brushing it on. French polish is not cheap nor is it a tough finish, it certainly hardens and gets tougher with time but it’s mainly all about showing off the wood. It's a beautiful finish, but it's also tricky to get right Our Hard Wax Oil is a blend of oils and waxes that is easily applied by anyone. It will give you a finish that will look ‘in-keeping’ with the period of your sewing box. It will also be hard wearing, water and stain resistant. I would give it two coats, waiting a day between each. I would apply it with a brush or lint free cloth, wiping the excess off as you go Once dried I would wax polish it with our antique gold polish. This will give you a lovely antique look and feel to your sewing box at the same time as being a very practical, period looking finish. As I say in the video, why would you bother with anything else? There are any amount of alternative finishes out there, but why would you use them when you have the perfect compliment to the original finish with hard wax oil? Sorry I didn't mean to hijack your question, but I do often see and read, people recommending the benefits of using high build polyurethane varnishes or aerosol finishes or brushed on lacquers. All of these have their place, well they used to. Kind regards Simon

[@JesseFFT]

water based finish doesnt darken the wood, giving it that raw wood look. With that being said, just ordered some of this to use on a black walnut table top. I've used Odies, Rubio, Tung oil, Danish oil, and lots of polys. Excited to see how this performs and applies.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Farmer Jesse. Have you tried it yet? Simon

[@therebellion6911]

and?

[@marissakeynes2532]

Can this be used on scratches on hard wood floor?

[@None-685]

Could it be tinted with a white paint for a milky kind of glaze? For a beach wood look.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi, Yes in theory you could add a small amount of white to it. I have have not tried this yet.

[@None-685]

@@GilboysRestoration Because of linseed oil, possibly a small mix of quality white oil paint. ?? Would be a nice floor finish.

[@GilboysRestoration]

@@None-685 Yes it would have to be an linseed oil based paint. 👍🙂

[@iamchris73]

⁠@@GilboysRestoration I add a little white Mixol

[@antonzemanek7770]

Thank you for this very interesting topic! How actually easy is to repair it if applied to a floor? I presume after some rather short time it will be worn and mixed with some dirt, especially at the entrance of the room. So what exactly you need to do in order to make such a repair?

[@johannes.f.r.]

You can spot sand and then apply a new coat locally for repairs. But dirt doesn't really mix in. These are drying oils and are quite good at repelling dirt and moisture. Edit: Was still in the middle of the video. He adresses it too, at the end.

[@andychapman3100]

Could you apply this to seasoned old oak floor, or would you have to sand it all back first? Thank you

[@christopherthaley]

Thanks. Love your videos. Could this be put on over French polish? I have step stool I made recently that I finished following your French polish videos; it looks beautiful, but I need to recoat it with something more durable (French polish probably wasn't the best choice--but I couldn't resist at least seeing it like that first!)

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Christopher. I think it will work. Apply a very thin coat to the stool seat. it should adhere to the French Polish. ✅ Back in the late 90's, there was a trend in wealthy areas of London for front doors to be french polished. The technique used, was to finish the door in a really tough lacquer or varnish, and then the French Polisher would turn up and lay a good few wet rubbers on top. This would give the french polished look and effect. Because the amount of shellac that was being applied had no real depth, it worked. You would have though it would have water marked and bloomed but it didn't. there wasn't enough polish on there. It's this similar technique you can try with your stool. Kind regards Simon

[@christopherthaley]

@@GilboysRestoration Thanks for the reply. That's really interesting about those doors. I wouldn't have thought that would work, but I bet it looked great. Now I'm curious to try that!

[@annasnyder5332]

Can it be used on Rubberwood? I want to refish my dining table with this product

[@SarahZunigaMusic]

Sir, I was wondering what your favorite way to apply the hard wax oil onto a wooden desk/table is?

[@Nettle314]

Nice video! Is there anything special about the process of how this oil is mixed together? Cheers:)

[@woodenidea4819]

How resistant is Osmo hard wax to drawing a line with a nail?

[@Ian-l4d5k]

how do you clean your brush after using hard wax oil

[@MrSeanc1972]

Hi Simon. Great video, I’m wondering if this could be applied on top of something already treated with Danish oil?

[@mrstandfast2212]

I'd like to know that as well.

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Sean. In the same way I have just answered Christopher Haley's question above. Yes it should work for you. ✅ *thin coats* Simon 🙂

[@pgreenx]

@@GilboysRestorationI heard you say it must be applied to bare wood in the begoning

[@GilboysRestoration]

@@pgreenx I know, but it does need to be highlighted, as I am often asked if it can be used over an existing finish.

[@pgreenx]

@@GilboysRestoration so it can be applied over either and not just bare would.

[@becwilletts8392]

Just wondering if this would be suitable for outdoor application? If not, do you know what might be similar with outdoor wear?

[@Vlad65WFPReviews]

I have the same question - for garden boxes. Interesting that he does not really talk about outdoor application here. (the details for the product in Canada does say it is formulated for indoor and outdoor use)

[@maxshep2829]

Ooohh, perfect timing! I have an old 1920's or 30's oak fire surround that i'm stripping back and restoring, and i was wondering how to finish it... I might give hard wax oil a go, it looks like it gives a fantastic professional looking finish that even an eejit like me can apply! 😂

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi Max. It will be perfect for it. ✅ 🙂 Simon

[@jonathanm9436]

Based on this very recommendation/advertisement I ordered this product. I thought it would be excellent, but I'll never know because these guys just cancelled my order. Why? Well, after a bit of email back and forth, they told me that the specified $20AUD for freight to Australia doesn't go anywhere near covering the cost. So Gilboy's just cancelled my order. Poor form. And I'm three weeks behind on the project 'cos I've now got to find something else. Gents, if you can't mail it to Oz (or maybe anywhere else), then don't offer the service.

[@johncycling6299]

Is your product low VOC? VOC free?

[@woodenidea4819]

هارد وکس اوزمو در برابر خط کشیدن با ناخن چه قدر مقاومت داره؟

[@jasonsmithgooner]

We use bona natural at work which is water based looks like bare wood

[@losttheplot26]

I love Osmo. Apply thin professional use only.

[@GilboysRestoration]

I'm not sure about the professional use only. In fact I would say completely the opposite. Hard wax oils provide you with a superb finish, you don't need any prior experience or training. Just read the label. Kind regards Simon

[@losttheplot26]

@@GilboysRestoration says on the tin.

[@iamchris73]

Hi Simon, Do you have any recommendations on a tannin stain blocker under hard wax oil? Have used many hard wax oil brands on our oak worktop but over time get minimal tannin stains. TIA

[@paulwheelhouse7090]

You like it then, so do I

[@antonzemanek7770]

❤

[@aok2727]

I enjoy using hard wax oils as you said, so easy to get a pro finish. You said to use it over bare wood so I assume you add pigments if you want to change up the color. I have used over stain and it looks good but I hear this is not recommended. Please advise

[@GilboysRestoration]

Hi, Yes you can add pigments if you want to make coloured HWO. Traditional oil stains would probably work best. But I would always stain the wood to the colour you want and then finish it. If you have use an oil based stain to the colour the wood you can always seal it in with a few fads of shellac (french polish ) and then apply the hard wax oil. ✅ Kind regards Simon

[@losttheplot26]

Never have to sand it down again

[@travisedwards9983]

A soap finish will get you the closest to the natural color. Very old finish thats still used today, even on floors.