How to tell the difference between oiled and waxed table?

aliasojo

Recently bought an oak table. Shop told me it was waxed (which I was surprised about at the time as most of their stuff came in two options of finish, either oiled or laquered) but as it was the owner I was speaking to, I assumed he knew what he was talking about. He told me if the table needed buffed up, to use beeswax.

Anyway, someone has just visited and insisted the table is not waxed. I tried to search for the manufacturer online but can only find other places selling this range of furniture. I found the table online, listed as a oiled finish. Cue even more confusion.

A lot of stuff I looked at came in different finishes so just because I saw it as oiled doesn't necessarily mean this table is oiled too iyswim.

How on earth do I find out which it is?

Russe11

Good question, really does help to know what the original finish is.

Is the oak yellowed in colour? that would suggest danish oil, if its lightly tanned then it could be a wax-oil, if it laquered then it will be quite netural but with a greater depth than a unfinished sample(maybe on the bottom of the leg)
Waxes don't tend to harden as much as oils, but then theres so many different sorts, even wax-oils which are like a thick gel.

If it is laquer then if it scratchs back to bare timber you can't rub the surface scratch out like you can with wax. You can get special little pens to correct spray finished scuffs.

If it commercially made it would most likely be a polywax oil, liquid wax or some sort of sprayed on finish(laquer).

If you had some very fine 300-400 grit paper you could try a light sanding and if the sand paper clogs very quickly its likely a wax, if it does not clog so much it could be a oil or a wax-oil that goes to a hard finish.

Theres nothing wrong with buffing a oiled finished surface with some finishing wax.

Do you have the link to the table in question?

aliasojo

Only found this one so far.....can't really see the table well I'm afraid.

http://landoffurniture.ie/highcross-2100mm-dining-table.html?RycoID=884e7df21e1c9f95a0c5f9c896cc9f5e

I should add, my table colour is nothing like that, the pic doesn't show the oak properly iyswim.

I tried to take a pic of my table but the colour isn't coming out well at all so I gave up.

The table has a very, very faint sheen to it. It's definitely not laquered, that much I do know.


Edit: Just called the shop who sold the table, seems the table was listed by the manufacturer as oiled but the shop felt the finish appeared more of a wax than an oil so they have been advising using a wax to buff up if need be.

Any advice on a specific product to use on it?