Renaissance Wax - restorers' wax and more

A few years ago, talking to someone who did restorations, he came up with a wax he used and really liked, but unfortunately it was very expensive. It was called Renaissance Wax and was a very popular product with connoisseurs. My curiosity piqued, I tried to find out as much as I could about this wonder product. Time passed and the information remained there, somewhere, in a drawer of the mind and was reactivated when I saw, on a profile site, a discussion between wood enthusiasts. I thought that maybe there were others eager to know more about Renaissance Wax, so I decided to tell you a bit of what I learned.

It is not a ordinary wax used for finishing wood. It was formulated in the early 1950s by technicians and museographers at the British Museum. They raised the problem of the lack of a conservation product that would be as inert and protective as possible, following meetings with representatives of the art world. The waxes used until then, beeswax and carnauba wax, either contained acids or became acidic over time.

The product invented by the museum's technicians is based on stable microcrystalline waxes derived from refining crude oil. Unlike paraffin wax, which is also made from crude oil, it is much finer, with very small crystals. It is pH neutral and contains polyethylene wax, making it very stable over time.

Renaissance Wax protects products against moisture and the corrosive action of oxygen in the air. It also protects them from possible contamination due to various and repeated touches. All kinds of materials can be treated with it: metal, wood, precious stones, ivory, marble, leather, bronze, mother-of-pearl, paper, cardboard. It is a polishing product used in the restoration of old objects and for the maintenance of those in museums. This protects old weapons, armour, coins, old furniture, jewellery, treasures, documents written on leather, paper or cardboard and other such objects, which are a testimony to times gone by.

Over time, however, the wax has not only remained with antique dealers. It has also reached wood enthusiasts who, despite its not-so-low price, use it to protect objects they make. It can be applied directly to wood or over other finishes: oil, epoxy resin, lakes. The amount applied should be very small, and 5 minutes after, it polishes very well.

Both application and polishing can be done with soft, fine cotton cloths. If required, polishing can also be done with brushes. After polishing the wax becomes perfectly transparent, colourless and does not change colour over time, protecting the object to which it has been applied (it does not change colour either). It is like protective glass with UV filters.

In the case of large-pored wood (nuc, oak), great care must be taken with the amount deposited on the wood. It must be very small because there is a risk that the wax will get into the pores and remain white because it cannot be polished.

Applied directly to the wood, it may change the colour of the wood a little, but it recovers as soon as the thinner has evaporated (over a day or overnight). It is very good for protecting reclaimed wood from old buildings, which has that typical grey colour of weathered wood. The wax retains the colour and protects it.

If applied over oil it is best to let the oil layer dry thoroughly for 2 to 3 weeks. The sealing properties of the wax can prevent the solvent from evaporating and thus causing problems in the wood.

Musical instruments can also be protected with Renaissance Wax. It is a very good way to prevent the sweat of the user being transferred to them, thus prolonging their life.

Treated surfaces can be cleaned with a wet cloth without fear of damage. A refresh can also be done 5 years after the first application. I have read of people who have protected objects and after 20 years they were as beautiful as the first day.

Renaissance Wax is primarily a protective product. It's not that coloured wax that rustically finishes beams in the attic or wood floors in the living room. It is colourless, inert, neutral, elastic and adhesive, with very good polishing properties, so that a treated product will still have the same beauty after many years.