Patination wax is a well-known product that is used to decorate various objects. Patination wax helps to give objects a “dated look”, applying mother of pearl in layers of varying depths, and the object will take on a retro look. Patination wax can be used both in professional workshops and at home. Fortunately, today there are a large number of compositions to choose from; luxwax patination wax is one of the most famous. Today we will talk about what patination wax is and how to work with it. Read the next article on pages.
What is patination wax?
Patina refers to signs of aging on furniture or decorative household items. To artificially give the product an old look, patination is used. It involves gradually changing the surface of the wood by painting it. Patination is widespread in the practice of restorers. In this way they finish modern wooden objects, creating an imitation of the effects of time.
Water-based wax patina for highlighting cracks and patinaing any porous surfaces
Wax-based products are very well suited for patination: they dry rather slowly and have a thick, non-running consistency, which makes work convenient even on vertical surfaces. It is optimal to use wax patina to identify and emphasize surface relief and to imitate metal surfaces.
About special patination kits
To make the patination process easier, you can buy a ready-made kit. They are sold in construction stores. Thanks to the use of such a kit, you will be able to obtain the following effects:
- antique gilding;
- cracks;
- abrasions;
- natural green patina.
Typically, the kits are versatile and suitable for different surfaces - wood, plaster, metal.
What is patination wax for?
The waxy patina helps bring out the grain of the wood. It hardens for a long time, so it is easy to work with for beginners. The most common use for this type of patina is on small pieces of oak or ash. There is also an oil patina, which is similar in properties to wax, but is more versatile.
Patination is quite popular today, as it allows you to achieve a significant effect with minimal effort. Another advantage of the procedure is that it is easy to learn. Often even amateurs engage in patination.
If earlier the “old” style was given more to the interior of country houses, now it is becoming more and more in demand in apartments. Of course, to be able to implement this finishing method, you will need furniture made from natural wood.
Patina wax how to work
Previously, the word “patina” was used to describe the film that formed on the surface of copper products as a result of oxidative processes. It was immediately clear that the product was of a certain age. Today, to imitate such a process, special reagents are used or, in the case of wood processing, wax, paint and other materials.
Waxy patina helps reveal wood grain
The easiest and safest way to patina is to rub wax into the wooden surface. It gets into the cracks, corners and edges of the wood, creating the effect of mild wood contamination that naturally appears during the long use of the item.
Instead of wax, you can use ordinary paints with the addition of metal powder made of aluminum or bronze. All ingredients can be purchased in the store. This is how patina is created at home. It should be remembered that all procedures that are carried out independently are ordinary painting of wood. It’s just that instead of paint, specially prepared compounds are used. The structure of the tree will not change as a result of this procedure, so in the future it will be possible to “roll back” the changes by simply removing a layer of coloring material.
In the practice of restorers, patination most often involves furniture that does not fit into the existing interior. To make it suitable for the style of the setting, it is patinated, giving the desired effect. Another advantage of patina is that it protects the wood from external factors.
Features of the patination technique
Initially, the concept of “patina” characterized only a darkened coating on copper products - over time, a film of oxides gave the metal an “aged” appearance. Later, the word began to be used to reflect the vintage look of other materials - wood, bronze, iron, plaster. Recently, houses, cottages and even city apartments have been decorated in an antique style. Artificially aged wooden furniture with “antique” fittings looks especially stylish.
Modern technologies help to age – patina – any materials. Industrial methods are difficult for home use, but there are various patination compounds on sale that allow you to increase the age of materials in a simpler way. They help imitate the natural color changes of products by applying special coatings. When patination, conventional paints are replaced with specialized compounds without affecting the internal structure of wood or other material.
The simplest aging method is to rub wax into the corners, raised protrusions, and edges of the product. The result is an effect of “age-related” changes in the surface, ideal for decorating a room in a retro style. Such a coating also has a practical function - it protects the base from external influences and imparts water-repellent properties. If the result is unsatisfactory, the home patina can always be removed without significant harm to the product.
Patination wax how to use
Bituminous varnish, acrylic, and wax are applied quite simply. The compositions are applied with a brush. You can apply it with a sponge or cloth, wiping off the protruding parts, so the patina will remain only in the recesses. You can, on the contrary, apply only to protruding parts with a dry brush. Excess is removed with rags.
If necessary, after drying, apply a second or third layer. Shading is in progress. The dried surface is treated with fine sandpaper. Shellac varnish is applied on top. To create the effect of an old oak surface, stain is used. Water stain is applied to the brushed surface. To highlight the relief, remove excess paint with a sponge. A white spirit-based fixing compound is applied on top.
To remove the texture, wax is applied to the surface with the stain applied. Everything is fixed on top with shellac. A more expensive finish is craquelure. It uses patina and beveled varnish. First, bevel varnish is applied in two layers; when it dries, you can begin patination.
We recommend reading: Waxing laminate flooring
Patinating wax luxwax
Patina based on water-soluble wax. It is used for decoration using patination techniques, tinting relief elements, highlighting cracks. On untreated wood it reveals its structure and also creates a protective water-repellent layer. Dries slowly and does not smear. Does not require fixing with varnish, it is a finishing coating.
General characteristics:
- Type wax
- Water base
- Surface type wood
- Volume 40 ml
Additionally
- Shelf life 365 days.
- Country of origin: Russia.
Patinating wax price buy
You can find out the price and buy luxwax patination wax on Yandex.Market.
Find out the price on Yandex. Market
Patinating wax luxwax reviews
Tatyana, December 30, 2022, blue
Cool wax. I took four colors. Good quality. Satisfied. I recommend
****
Nina, December 04, 2022, green, golden
soft wax. patinas well...liked it
****
Sergienko Tatyana, December 15, 2020
Luxart Wax is an excellent decorative coating. This is not a thick paint, it is a modern water based wax. Dries in approximately 24-48 hours at normal temperatures. After drying, it can be coated with varnish, or acrylic. As a decorator, I have something to compare with. In addition, the wax in the jar does not dry out after a month, like, for example, Cadence, no matter how you close it. A very soft product rich in pigment, I am very pleased.
Varieties of compositions for patination of furniture
Patination of furniture surfaces can be carried out using different means. Each of them has its own pros and cons.
stain
This is the simplest and most common method of treating the surface of wood, which helps to achieve an aging effect. The stain penetrates into the deep layers of the wood and provides protection from ultraviolet radiation, moisture and pests. The compositions may differ in shade and, as a result, imitate different coatings. The color range varies from gray to green.
According to the formula, the following types of stain are distinguished:
- Water-based - used when you want to highlight the structure of the wood surface, as it raises its fibers and makes it more noticeable. This material gives the surface the color of fine wood. It does not require a solvent.
- Alcohol - has antiseptic characteristics that increase the service life of wood. Thanks to the use of the substance, it is possible to avoid the appearance of fungi in the structure of the tree. The basis of this stain is considered to be a dye in ethanol. To achieve a decorative effect, it is important to work as quickly as possible. The fact is that the composition dries very quickly. In most cases, the material is applied to wooden surfaces using a spray can or spray gun. It is used for small surfaces.
- Oil based – easy to apply and provides uniform coverage. The material does not lift wood fibers, but allows you to emphasize the pattern of the solid wood. To dilute oil stain, ordinary white spirit is suitable.
Wood stain is considered a very self-sufficient material. It is practically not combined with gold or silver patina, or with craquelure. It is also worth considering that the substance is not suitable for application to chipboard or MDF.
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Wax
This material is considered quite comfortable. In most cases it is used as a topcoat. A water-based wax paste or vintage wax is suitable for this purpose. Paints based on this substance take a long time to dry and rub easily. Therefore, they are usually used for relief surfaces. Also, the material can be used even for unpainted wood. This helps highlight its structure and create protection from water.
The paste is made by mixing natural wax and metal pigment. This material provides excellent adhesion even to the plastic surface of MDF panels. Therefore, it can be used on wood without a primer. The paste helps give the furniture a gilded effect. It can also be used to obtain a silver or bronze coating.
In addition, there are colorless waxy substances. They help give the coating a pearlescent shimmer and are actively used in furniture repairs. Working with such a substance is not difficult. It must be applied to the surface and rubbed in thoroughly. After which the area should be polished and excess removed. After 24 hours, the coating will dry and the product can be used.
Acrylic
This material is suitable for patination of almost any coating - from solid wood to MDF plastic panels. The advantage of acrylic dyes is their diversity. They differ in shades and effects. With the help of such substances it is possible to imitate burnout, rust, and darkening.
Acrylic is suitable for working on the entire surface or only on the relief parts of furniture. For this purpose, a gilding or darkening effect is often used.
In addition to simply applying paint, acrylic can be used in other ways. After applying and drying the substance, it is recommended to rub the surface with sandpaper. This will help to get the effect of wear that has appeared over time. Then the furniture needs to be varnished.
For patination, the following shades of acrylic paint are most often used:
- white;
- silver;
- gold;
- blue;
- black.
As a rule, when choosing a patina shade for painting, you should focus on the fittings and other elements of the room.
Bitumen
Bitumen is based on a concrete polymer. White spirit, water, and turpentine are used as solvents. The finished bitumen mixture has a special texture, which greatly facilitates the application process.
Bitumen helps create the desired effects when painting or patination. With its help, it is possible to easily obtain an imitation of an aged surface.
To achieve good results, you should carefully apply the composition to the wood. This should be done with a brush or cotton pad. Then you can resort to accelerated drying with a hairdryer or a longer process at room temperature. In the second case, this will take approximately 6 hours.
There is also a bituminous patina made on a wax basis. It helps to get rid of excess shine that occurs when gilding surfaces. The composition must be applied with a cotton pad. This layer takes 20 hours to dry.
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Shellac
This type of paint-varnish helps to achieve a yellowish or red-brown coating. If you use shellac as a stand-alone product, you will be able to maintain the basic shade and visible structure of the base. Most often, the composition is used as a covering layer for other compositions. It is often used for decoupage and coloring techniques.
Oil
The oil solution helps to favorably beat the structure of the wood, giving it a more saturated shade. The material resembles shellac mortar. However, it is prohibited to use it for the decoupage technique. Oil does not fix the paper, but dissolves it. Most often, the product is used to protect less resistant dyes.
