buffing - what wax?

For what it's worth. I do not use a buffing wheel only several clean pads of wadding after I have melted pure beeswax on to the turning piece. The results can be sticky but perseverance can be rewarding. I may have to change the pad 4 or 5 times. Allow the piece to cool before attempting more polishing.

On items that have corners or holes or are generally dangerous I always use Liberon Paste wax polished up with soft cloth, OFF the lathe.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Peter Charles Fagg Freshwater, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.

What he said. Softer waxes respond better to a hand buff, harder waxes may defy it. It's a question of personal effort. If what you're putting on shows streaks after what you consider a reasonable buff, take it to power, keeping RPM and/or diameter low, so you don't just melt and move it.

Wehn I buff on the lathe I like my standard paste wax made with 1 part bee's wax, 2 parts canola oil and 2 parts mineral oil.

For what it is worth I have been using parfin wax with good results so far. It seems to hold up well and has a nice sheen. I first melt a small amount and with the lathe running I buff it into the piece that I am working on. See my website for some examples of how it turns out.