PSA: I saw a guy at the Mid-Atlantic Woodworking Expo use a hair dryer to check for wax.

Quinn Coleman · 2026-04-13T00:35:05.761105+00:00

I was at the expo in Baltimore last month watching a demo on French polishing. The guy doing it kept having trouble with his pad sticking. He grabbed a cheap hair dryer, turned it on low, and gently warmed a small area of the piece. The pad stopped sticking immediately because the heat pulled the old wax to the surface. I always thought you needed mineral spirits and a ton of elbow grease to find wax. Now I keep a little dryer in my shop just for that quick check. Anyone else use a heat trick like that?

stellat464mo ago

Isn't that just adding moisture to a piece that's better off staying bone dry?

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nathankim5mo ago

Seriously? That sounds like a great way to accidentally melt the finish or warp the wood.

1

mark_green5mo ago

Wow, that's so clever... it's like how the best fixes are always the simplest ones people overlook.

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cole_murphy5mo ago

Right? Classic overthinking.

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