Maintaining stock with carving ?

[M. De Land]

The renaissance wax turns white in the carving. I cleaned it out with a tooth pick and used the dark wax. It turned out well

It needs to be rubbed out not left in gobs in low spots. Perhaps a brushing out with a tooth brush would solve the trouble which is what I use for checkering.

 

[Tumbledown]

I like to seal my stocks with 2-3 spray on pollyurethane coats that is water proof and soaks into the wood pours after final sanding. When that dries and any whiskers are cut I apply Tru-oil rubbed out to 3-4 coats which makes it look like a authentic hand rubbed oil finish. When that is dry I use Renaissance museum grade wax on wood and metal for final preservation. Applied correctly and rubbed out should leave a low luster smooth clear finish.

Poly doesn't soak into wood but is just a plastic topcoat. I find it also changes the feel of wood, being plastic, and it's waterproofing ability is questionable.

Have you ever tried Danish oil? It seals well, is easy to apply, and dries fast. I use it, then top with Ren wax.

 

[Robin101]

I also have some renaissance wax and mixed it with some shoe polish, I also use a toothbrush around the carving and checkering and still would get some white here and there till I mixed it with the shoe polish.
Robin

 

[M. De Land]

Poly doesn't soak into wood but is just a plastic topcoat. I find it also changes the feel of wood, being plastic, and it's waterproofing ability is questionable.

Have you ever tried Danish oil? It seals well, is easy to apply, and dries fast. I use it, then top with Ren wax.

Looks like the aerosol polyurethane soaks into the wood as well as pours to me but I will test it on a piece of walnut and then cut into it to see if it penetrated.
I'll test it against cut True-oil for penetration to see if what you say is so.
The Renaissance wax is working beautiful for me when applied and buffed out as per instructions and brushed out of checkering. I'm not getting any white gobs left in checkering. Read the instruction pamphlet that comes with it!
I've used True-oil for years cut for penetration and by itself, hand rubbed in multiple coats and there is no question any longer in my mind of the superior water proofing of the aerosol grade poly for a seal coat. I rough the poly up with steel wool after drying before adding the True-oil coats then hand rub them out.
The True-oil top coat adheres well leaving an authentic oil look and feel.
The wax adds another layer of protection and makes the oil finish stand out. One mans opinion.