I believe that this will end up in the wood working SE, but it should be noted that furniture wax is really wax like from a candle; it could be beeswax or petrol (it's not like floor wax which is definitely not wax). Wax is "non-polar". Wax can be cleaned with naptha or paint thinner, which are also non-polar molecules (like dissolves like), but that might make cause the wax to penetrate more deeply into the wood. The same might be true with heating (as Ed Beal suggested) but I wouldn't dare use a heater (or even a hair dryer) near acetone (boom).
The Zinzer BIN shellac is true shellac (meaning it comes from the insect) and it is alcohol (semi-polar) soluble. Wax will not readily dissolve (well) in alcohol and shellac will not dissolve in anything but alcohol (not water nor naptha). So you need to use a non polar solvent, something like naptha to remove wax, and then you will need to remove the naptha or paint thinner from the wood. Acetone mixes with both nonpolar and polar subtances. Acetone can dissolve a naptha-wax mix, and it will dry more quickly than naptha, and acetone and ethanol (shellac base) are miscible.
And acetone can help (a little) with allowing ethanol and naptha to mix (but not very much). After stripping the furniture with a non polar solvent, you should use acetone to rinse out the non polar solvent, then let it dry (kiln dried would be best). Another non-polar solvent that might help would be diethyl ether, but that's even more flammable than acetone.
Prepping the wood for asorbing ethanol: I would consider (as a last step) applying/cleaning the wood with a 50/50 water alcohol mix (with a rag) a few times, and then letting the wood dry. After a few treatments it might help prepare the grain for absorbing the alcohol/shellac. Water will probably discolor the surface of the pine, so you should be prepared to sand (lightly) before applying the shellac.
Answer from Ben Welborn on Stack ExchangeI was going to remove the varnish but I heavily underestimated the job on the banister with varnish remover, it will take me at least a week!
I have seen people skip the removal and just use Zinsser BIN primer which you apply straight to the bannitster with no sanding and once it dries just paint over it with anything? Can it be painted over with a different varnish colour or does it have to be emulsion paint?
Are there any other solutions people have to painting / varnishing a different colour onto existing varnish?
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I believe that this will end up in the wood working SE, but it should be noted that furniture wax is really wax like from a candle; it could be beeswax or petrol (it's not like floor wax which is definitely not wax). Wax is "non-polar". Wax can be cleaned with naptha or paint thinner, which are also non-polar molecules (like dissolves like), but that might make cause the wax to penetrate more deeply into the wood. The same might be true with heating (as Ed Beal suggested) but I wouldn't dare use a heater (or even a hair dryer) near acetone (boom).
The Zinzer BIN shellac is true shellac (meaning it comes from the insect) and it is alcohol (semi-polar) soluble. Wax will not readily dissolve (well) in alcohol and shellac will not dissolve in anything but alcohol (not water nor naptha). So you need to use a non polar solvent, something like naptha to remove wax, and then you will need to remove the naptha or paint thinner from the wood. Acetone mixes with both nonpolar and polar subtances. Acetone can dissolve a naptha-wax mix, and it will dry more quickly than naptha, and acetone and ethanol (shellac base) are miscible.
And acetone can help (a little) with allowing ethanol and naptha to mix (but not very much). After stripping the furniture with a non polar solvent, you should use acetone to rinse out the non polar solvent, then let it dry (kiln dried would be best). Another non-polar solvent that might help would be diethyl ether, but that's even more flammable than acetone.
Prepping the wood for asorbing ethanol: I would consider (as a last step) applying/cleaning the wood with a 50/50 water alcohol mix (with a rag) a few times, and then letting the wood dry. After a few treatments it might help prepare the grain for absorbing the alcohol/shellac. Water will probably discolor the surface of the pine, so you should be prepared to sand (lightly) before applying the shellac.
The wax has to be removed. It's too slippery for anything to stick to it. Paint thinner will liquefy the wax and you can soak it up with newspapers or paper towels. The shellac primer will then form a barrier to seal the latex paint from getting down into the wood/wax/finish. I like to use it in spray can and put on several light coats.