Jonathan - 6-27-2005 at 10:04 AM
I know we have touched on this area before, but I couldn't find this specific question on the old posts. Is there anything wrong with using a paste
wax on the bowl of the oud? It seems like it would be protective, and bring out the beauty of the wood, without gunking it up with a bunch of oil.
Any thoughts? I have an older oud, and I think the wood could look just great if it was cleaned up and some wax applied, but I don't want to do a
thing without your thoughts.
Thanks
Jonathan
Haluk - 6-27-2005 at 10:24 AM
Hi Jonathan,
If the bowl varnished,you can apply paste and polish.
If the maker used gomalacca,paste and polish may be harmful.
Regards.
Jameel - 6-27-2005 at 10:27 AM
There's nothing at all wrong with using paste wax. Make sure it's just standard paste wax, though. Some paste wax has abrasives in it that is designed
to buff out the finish. Stay away from this unless you know what you are doing. Remember that applying a paste wax is temporary. It's not a finish. It
will bring up a nice shine on an already finished surface. If your oud has lots of dull spots, it's better to refinish the bowl or add to the finish.
The wax is just temporary, and in the case of an oud bowl that gets much more abrasion than say a cabinet or table leg, very temporary. Oud bowls that
are finished well do not really need a paste wax. You can probably get Minwax wax at any hardware store. Just like waxing your car. Rub a lint free
rag into the wax and wipe it on in a thin coat. Let it dry a couple minutes and buff with a clean rag. You should look into finishing info at http://www.taunton.com. The back of an oud is really no different than a peice of fine cabinetry and can be maintained the same way.
Jonathan - 6-27-2005 at 10:31 AM
Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
Jonathan - 7-21-2005 at 07:33 AM
The paste wax works fine, but I think I found something even better. It is called Guardsman Cream Furniture polish. Another oud player told me about
it. He used it on his Karibyan, and on an old Manol, and I swear it looked like they had just been re-finished. A really awesome glassy finish.
It's easy to use, and I can't get over the results.
billkilpatrick - 7-21-2005 at 10:46 AM
jonathan - i prefer a slightly matt finish to the wood. i don't know if it's wise to do this but i put a thin layer of pure bee's wax on the bowl and
rub it in for hours - could be psychological ... i don't know. not on the neck, as it tends to retain grime from one's hand - no matter how much i
wash my hands prior to playing - particulary in hot weather. i don't think putting any sort of wax on the face would be a good idea but if there's a
good protective layer of varnish between the wax and wood, bees wax gives a lovely deep, lustrous shine on the bowl.
- bill