How to Use Silver Wax on Painted Furniture

Denise Hardy
by Denise Hardy
5 Materials
$60
3 Days
Medium
I purchased this chest of drawers from a secondhand shop in Spain. It's made of solid oak with 'dovetail' drawers and was in fairly good condition. It was just needing some TLC and some updating.
BEFORE
Step 1. Because this chest was in good condition it did not need to be sanded. I went straight in and used 2 coats of my usual Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 primer/sealer.  For me, this is the best on the market and sticks to anything and you get no 'bleed through'.  I always leave the primer overnight to let it dry thoroughly.
BEFORE
2 coats of primer applied
Step 2: The next day I then gave it 2 coats of Rustoleum Chalk paint on the base of the chest in Winter Grey.


TIP - when using Chalk Paint I personally like to add small amounts of water.  As all Chalk Paints I have used are rather thick and when it is watered down it flows much easier and personally it looks and feels better.  Just go sparingly with the water, as you don't want to go too overboard with the water so add little by little. You can always add but you can't take out!!  It is much preferable to have two thin coats than one thick!



2 coats of Chalk White Applied
Step 3: After removing the handles and also putting 2 coats of primer on the drawers, I then applied 2 coats of Rustoleum Chalk Paint in 'Chalk White'.
AFTER - with Silver Wax
Step 4: The thing is with me I always like to add some depth to a piece of furniture.  I don't like to use clear wax, hence I make my own glazes and use different coloured waxes.  I was in my local DIY and was looking at some different coloured waxes and saw some Liberon Wax and thought I would try it and purchased it in Silver. It goes on like a 'dream'. I just used a wax brush and slightly brushed it width ways only on the drawers. I left the base without any wax.



AFTER with silver wax applied and varnished
Step 5: To give the base of the chest of drawers some protection I applied 3 coats of Polyvine Decorator's Varnish.  The chest of drawers also came with a marble top, which I placed on top after the varnish was dry, which I waited 3 days to place it on top.  Although this varnish is very quick drying, I like to be on the 'safe side'
Step 6: Before I started with the primer,  I removed and cleaned the handles with some vinegar and then covered them with some of the silver wax.   You can see the difference in how the handles looked before cleaning then applying the wax. You will see the one in the top right hand corner that I used the wax on.  



Step 7: Cleaned and waxed handles - ready to put back on the chest - what a difference!
A few photos of the finished Chest.
AFTER with the Marble placed on top
This cost about £46 which is approx. 60 dollars. But... there is loads of paint, varnish, primer and wax left to use for lots more pieces of furniture. I already had some of the products, which I use fairly regular i.e. paint, primer and the varnish and the wax brush - so the only product that was new when doing this was the wax. This price is if you are only starting from 'scratch' with no products!
Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 18 questions
  • Annie Annie on Dec 31, 2018

    Very nice job could you tell me how you make your glaze please

  • Rosalyn Mays Rosalyn Mays on Feb 19, 2019

    To clean handles ? How ?

  • Hannah Hannah on Mar 16, 2019

    Basic question here - what type of brushes/sponges did you use to paint? It looks very clean and not streaky - I will be going the eggshell route on a large desk/credenza - any tips on making sure it comes out looking professional? And no varnish needed with eggshell...so does the finished product still look “complete” without varnish or do you recommend a clear wax or something else to finish it off and look polished?

Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 157 comments
Next