liquid wax grain sealer.

[Not your average framer]

I've got a massive amount of old pine, as a result of two very old massive external doors needing to be replaced togther with a even more massive regency looking door frame. These appear to be made from stone pine, which has a very different looking wood grain to the sort of pine, as supplied new these days. I have a few old tins of wax which have a little bit in the bottom which has dried out and I am thinking of melting this with a hot air gun and mixing the wax with a very generous amount of white spirit to thin it down quite a lot.

My thinking is for this thinned down wax to block the pores in the wood and prevent the wood absorbing moisture from the paint, or varnish and causing the grain to rise. Once the thinned down wax has soaked in, I intend to evaporate the white spirt in the thinned down wax using a hot air gun and lightly sand the surface to provide a key for the paint, or varnish to adequately adhere to the wood. If the concentration of wax is not that great, I am thinking that only a minimum quantity will remain of the surface and a light sanding should easily remove this.

I quite often stipple watered down paint into a brushed on layer of paste wax before it has had time for the solvent in the wax to evaporate and blast it with a hot air gun, which I learn to do when spending a weeks training with Pete Bingham and it works well. I am also already melting slither of solid bees wax in to the occasional gap, when a corn joint is a little less that perfect and provided that it is only a tiny gap this works well and takes spirit based stain very well.

Does this sound reasonable, or is it not such a good idea?

[prospero]

Not a good idea Mark.

[Not your average framer]

A lot of Pete Bingham's finishes were based on acrylic paint over wax and hey seem to stay stuck to the wax from years and years. Are you concerned about the paint adhesion, or is there most to it han just paint adhesion? I find that if the paint is dried with a hot air gun the paint and the wax seem to get baked together and it takes a serious sand papering to remove the paint.

[JFeig]

I would use shellac as a sealer, all 4 sides.

Some reading material re "sanding sealer" that can also be used. https://www.rockler.com/learn/when-to-u ... ing-sealer

[Not your average framer]

Yes Jerome,

This was the other most likely choice.

[vintage frames]

I agree with jFeig. A coat of sanding sealer will seal the wood and prevent any grain lifting. In fact, if you really wanted to play with the wax, then paint it on as you said and then cover it with sealer. The top paint coat will go on much easier. And to make things easier again, instead to a brush - pour some sanding sealer on to a cotton pad and just wipe that directly onto the wood.
You suggested sanding the waxed surface.
That might be interesting - have you ever tried that before?!

[Not your average framer]

No, I have not tried it at all, but it thought that it might stop the grain from being raised.