# Here's a Fun one!



## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

So we are doing a custom home in Newport Beach (7+ Million Dollar deal) The windows were manufactured and shipped in from Italy. White Oak and they only have a paste wax on them. 

We are doing the White Oak Siding throughout the house, and the homeowners have opted for Rubio Monocoat as the the finish. We formulated a match for the windows and things have been moving along nicely. 

Now they are wanting to strip the wax from the interior Windows and use Rubio as the finish there as well...

OK, not the end of the world, just need to get some Mineral Spirits to remove the wax. Oh wait, Mineral Spirits is not compliant in Southern California (SCQAMD) 

I really don't want to break out the White Vinegar, but it's looking like I may have to. 

We are not Residential guys, but this is a friend of the Owner. 

Any recommendations? I realize that switching and trying to coat over wax is a terrible idea, that aside, any luck with removing wax from furniture in the past? @Redux ? Anyone?


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

kentdalimp said:


> So we are doing a custom home in Newport Beach (7+ Million Dollar deal) The windows were manufactured and shipped in from Italy. White Oak and they only have a paste wax on them.
> 
> We are doing the White Oak Siding throughout the house, and the homeowners have opted for Rubio Monocoat as the the finish. We formulated a match for the windows and things have been moving along nicely.
> 
> ...


Citrus solvent would be my first choice. I’ve used a product called Di-Citrusol. Ammonia would work too, but would also darken white oak similar to fuming. The RMC contains an engineered wax, so I don’t think trace amounts of wax after cleaning will affect the drying/curing and/or performance of the oil to any noticeable degree. I’d probably hit everything with a couple of grits after de-waxing. 

I’ve stripped temporary factory applied sanding sealers plenty of times on new custom window packs due to manufacturers not wanting to release them without some sort of protection, knowing they’ll be stripped, but never had to deal with wax removal on new units...on refinishes, yes..


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Redux said:


> Citrus solvent would be my first choice. I’ve used a product called Di-Citrusol. Ammonia would work too, but would also darken white oak similar to fuming. The RMC contains an engineered wax, so I don’t think trace amounts of wax after cleaning will affect the drying/curing and/or performance of the oil to any noticeable degree. I’d probably hit everything with a couple of grits after de-waxing.
> 
> I’ve stripped temporary factory applied sanding sealers plenty of times on new custom window packs due to manufacturers not wanting to release them without some sort of protection, knowing they’ll be stripped, but never had to deal with wax removal on new units...on refinishes, yes..







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Other Products | Green Gobbler







www.factorydirectchemicals.com





I guess citrus solvents are not SCQAMD compliant.



https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/regact/2009/cpmthd310/cpmthdisor.pdf


_Response: D-limonene is a highly reactive VOC that contributes significantly to ground level ozone formation. Also, none of the products reported in the Survey Update were formulated with d-limonene. The commenter did not provide a definition for natural solvent or any data about the attributes of natural solvents. Therefore, we do not believe it is appropriate at this time to consider this exemption. _


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

cocomonkeynuts said:


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 I see that!


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Since you're in California, I have no idea what you can and can't get, so I would contact a local floor or furniture refinisher to see what they use to remove paste wax. I would think they'd be able to offer some sound advice. Might be a long-shot, but any chance you could reach out to the window company in Italy? It can't be the first time they've been asked this question by a California resident.

Not like I'm telling you anything that you don't already know, but testing is key throughout the process in order to confirm sufficient removal of wax. I'm always a little on edge while having to coat something that was once waxed.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

cocomonkeynuts said:


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Why didn't I think of that? I've even bought food-grade d-Limonene off Amazon in a pinch. I only needed 4 gallons, so it wasn't a big enough order to go to my local chem supplier, ($500 minimum). 

Here's what I got:
High Purity Food Grade d-Limonene


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

Gotta be careful of metal contamination if using vinegar on white oak, especially iron. The following is a pic of a white oak window stop which had been cleaned up with a carbon steel chisel by the manufacturer, sanded, then washed with vinegar. The purple-gray iron tannate stain is due to the vinegar reacting with the tannins & trace amounts of iron from the chisel. If you were to take a steel putty knife (not inox steel), rub it somewhat aggressively on a piece of white oak, wash the wood with vinegar, it would result in similar staining. Same thing will happen with zinc EP steel fasteners...


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

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## Masterwork (Sep 13, 2020)

Dish soap takes wax off my car. There are also specific car soaps to de-wax your car, for when you want to start fresh.


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## Packard (May 2, 2018)

White vinegar removes wax and is relatively safe (but you do smell like a salad afterwards). Vinegar is used in Europe like ammonia is used in the USA. A few drops of Dawn dishwash soap plus 50% vinegar and 50% water is an effective wax remover. 

When I had my picture framing shop we used 10% vinegar and 90% water and a few drops of Dawn to clean the glass. Very effective. Don't use too much soap it leaves a residue. 

I think you will have to use a pan of the cleaner and a brush if it is oak to get into the pores. Then wipe with clean rags or paper towels. I would still lightly scuff the surface.

Note: I've used vinegar to remove oil and wax from glass, but I have not tested this on finished wood.

General Fiinshes recommends a similar method (but no Dawn): *How Do I Remove Wax from an Existing Finish?*


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

If using vinegar, I’d make certain that if any metal fasteners were used in the fabrication or assembly of the windows, that they were stainless steel & not electro-galvanized steel. The following is what vinegar can do to electro-galvanized steel fasteners in tannin rich species such as white oak. The black stain is the result of trimmers using electro-galvanized steel wire nails rather than the #316 stainless specified. The vinegar dissolved the plating on literally thousands of fasteners, and reacted with the tannins & iron in the steel, resulting in dark gray halos around all the nails.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

Redux said:


> If using vinegar, I’d make certain that if any metal fasteners were used in the fabrication or assembly of the windows, that they were stainless steel & not electro-galvanized steel. The following is what vinegar can do to electro-galvanized steel fasteners in tannin rich species such as white oak. The black stain is the result of trimmers using electro-galvanized steel wire nails rather than the #316 stainless specified. The vinegar dissolved the plating on literally thousands of fasteners, and reacted with the tannins & iron in the steel, resulting in dark gray halos around all the nails.


What do you even do in a situation like that, pack up and move to omaha?


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

cocomonkeynuts said:


> What do you even do in a situation like that, pack up and move to omaha?


Ended up punching them with an oversized nail set and figured I’d punch the trimming contractor too...taped around each hole to keep the filler out of the surrounding open grain, & filled w/a lacquer-sawdust type filler. There were close to 8K 23 gauge pin nails used on the applied door & window trims which were initially not to be filled (was supposed to be a fastener-free installation but did specify 304 stainless for the pin nails & 316 for 18 gauge wire nails just in the case). Charged heavily for it..


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## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

So we are using 100% Vinegar with a white scotchbrite pad to cut the wax off. Then is gets sanded a couple times and finished off with Acetone cut with Lacquer retarder. We did our first test and didn't get any leopard spots so life is good.

Of course the 100% Vinegar wants to wreak havoc on the Poly Window Seals so we are having to be very careful in our approach.

Thanks everyone for the recommendations and insights!


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## cardgunner (Feb 29, 2016)

kentdalimp said:


> So we are using 100% Vinegar with a white scotchbrite pad to cut the wax off. Then is gets sanded a couple times and finished off with Acetone cut with Lacquer retarder. We did our first test and didn't get any leopard spots so life is good.
> 
> Of course the 100% Vinegar wants to wreak havoc on the Poly Window Seals so we are having to be very careful in our approach.
> 
> Thanks everyone for the recommendations and insights!


So mineral spirits is not compliant but acetone is?


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## kentdalimp (Aug 15, 2013)

cardgunner said:


> So mineral spirits is not compliant but acetone is?


Yeah. Acetone is a Group 1 Exempt Solvent. [LINK] Kind of a weird deal but it's what we've got!


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

If all else fails, you could use good old gasoline.  That's not illegal yet. It cuts through wax like hot butter!


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## PPD (Mar 19, 2018)

Redux said:


> Ended up punching them with an oversized nail set and figured I’d punch the trimming contractor too...taped around each hole to keep the filler out of the surrounding open grain, & filled w/a lacquer-sawdust type filler. There were close to 8K 23 gauge pin nails used on the applied door & window trims which were initially not to be filled (was supposed to be a fastener-free installation but did specify 304 stainless for the pin nails & 316 for 18 gauge wire nails just in the case). Charged heavily for it..


OMFG! I love me some satisfying detail work but in this case I’d choose @cocomonkeynuts route & move _back_ to Omaha


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