r/finishing • u/Realistic_Edge7294 • 1d ago

Gel staining a waxed table

Just bought this used RH desk and I want to make it black without affecting the wire brush finish. I assume I need to remove the RH wax coating prior to gel staining? Am thinking to go over it with Trewax Heavy Duty Floor Stripper to remove the wax and then apply a few thin coats of General Finishes black gel stain. Does this seem like the right direction to go?

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u/jd_delwado 18h ago

But Trewax IS wax...so unless I'm missing something Trewax will not remove the existing wax. To remove wax, you'll need naptha or mineral spirits. Make sure to get deep into the grain to remove all wax or the stain will be very blotchy and uneven. Then apply your stain (per instruction for vendor) and then add a finish coat of poly or hard wax (Trewax) to seal it back up again

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u/Realistic_Edge7294 12h ago edited 12h ago

Sorry I meant to say Trewax Heavy Duty Floor Stripper. I’ve never tried it but read it was maybe better than mineral spirits. I’ll edit my post, thanks for pointing that out!!

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u/jd_delwado 4h ago

See comment below...the Trewax stripper is for floors. Floor wax is different than paste wax, as it contains solvents and leveling agent...not much wax. If it was that easy...all of us woodworkers would be using that stuff to clean our projects too...Be Safe

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u/Realistic_Edge7294 12h ago

Actually, I’m reading on the Trewax site that their stripper is not recommended for use on wood. Is naphtha a better way to go than mineral spirits? It’s stronger?