Furniture Paste Wax, Beeswax and Carnauba, 3.5 oz or 8 oz Tin

Once a chair frame is clean, repaired and, if it needs it, refinished, a coat of wax is the last step. This paste wax is made with beeswax and carnauba wax and contains no solvents. It leaves the wood with a soft sheen and a thin protective layer, and it brings back the glow of an old finish that has gone dull. It is meant for the wood frames of cane and rush chairs, stools and settees.

How to use it:

• Clean the frame first. Dust and old polish trapped under new wax stay there.
• Test on a hidden spot, such as the inside of a leg or under a seat rail, before you do the whole chair.
• Rub on a thin coat with a soft, lint-free cloth, working along the grain. A thick coat does not protect more; it only takes longer to buff.
• Let it haze, until the surface looks dull and cloudy.
• Buff with a clean soft cloth until it shines. For a deeper sheen, add a second thin coat the same way.

Keep the wax off the cane itself unless you have tested it there first. Cane has a glossy natural skin, and wax worked into the weave is hard to buff out and catches dust. If you are working right up to the seat, mask its edge with painter's tape.

Wax goes on last, because little sticks well over it: glue, wood filler, stain and most finishes need clean, bare wood. Do repairs and color work first, and let stain dry completely before you wax over it. When the shine fades, clean the frame and buff on a fresh thin coat. The clean and refinish project page lists everything for the whole job.

Both tins hold the same wax, so the choice is only how much you need. Because you only ever put on a thin coat, a little goes further than you might expect.

The 3.5 oz tin suits a single chair or settee and the odd touch-up later. The 8 oz tin is the one for a set of dining chairs, larger pieces, or if you keep several pieces of furniture waxed and come back to them each year.

Whichever you choose, keep the lid on tight between uses so the wax stays soft and easy to spread.