[Kimberly Dow]

For anyone interested....

I ordered some Dorland's wax and used it today in some Retouch. I use the bottled retouch, not the spray.

I am VERY pleased with the results.

I was concerned because when I melted the wax, it didnt melt runny like I thought it would. I mixed it into the retouch, and mixed, and mixed some more....and there were still small pieces of wax kinda floating around. I decided to try it on an older piece anyway because the pieces seemed to blend in as soon as my brush picked them up. It looked great - gave a nice even sheen that is more matte than it is shiny.

I also used a cheap black foam brush today for the first time. It worked wonderful. Ive never found a decent varnish brush that didnt lose hairs while varnishing.

I agree with Virgil that if you dont have to use retouch it is best to wait, but I have a couple pieces going out to shows that had uneven shiny vs. matte areas and Ive never had much luck with oiling taking care of that completely. So, since it was too early to do a final varnish - this has done the trick.

Now I just need to find a better area to do this in. Im fairly certain I lost a few brain cells today while varnishing. Im not sure I have any extras to spare, so I best shape up.