Isn’t this pretty? Soon, it will be sanded and stained. I am looking at rubbing Briwax into it instead of sealing it with polyurethane. Yes, it would be more trouble…I would have to rub Briwax into the wood every year or so, but I think the wood grain would be prettier and more natural looking. After scraping off layers of paint and orange-ish puddles of yuck…I think I would prefer not to put any of that stuff back on there.
This is burley or curly pine (I guess depending on where you are from or who you talk to). Legend has it that only the wealthy in Central Louisiana had it in their homes since it is so rare. The curly pine comes from a diseased tree where the bark grows in wavy patterns instead of straight. I was also told that a certain affluent Alexandria family who owned one of the only local mills in the early 1900’s, kept all of curly pine found for their homes. The builder and owner of my home, Sally Hynson-Ringgold (who, from what I can gather, lost her husband in the Civil War), was the former owner of the Kent Plantation (she inherited the Kent Plantation from her father). She must have either had connections, or her husband’s family owned one or more of the sawmills in Ringgold, Louisiana, because there is curly pine throughout my house as well.
Andrea
Perpetual Renovator 
Heat the Briwax up and paint it on with a paintbrush, then rub it down with a rag. Faster than putting it on as a goo with a cloth.
Your wainscoting is gorgeous. I think I would opt for the Briwax as well. All the information you had is interesting. You’re lucky that you have it! I would love to know who built and owned our home!
You might consider a linseed oil finish in addition to, combination with, or instead of Briwax.
I’ve used linseed oil as a finish on oak, maple, cherry, walnut, and probably some other woods with excellent results. I suggest it because the oil can make for a more durable finish than that of wax alone. Ideally, one would heat the oil to 130F (according to Thomas Moser – and he knows a thing or two about finishing wood and having it look great) and then rub it into the wood with a rag. Two or three coats is the norm, though I usually decide how many based upon the color of the wood – if I want it darker, I go with a third coat. Once the oil has had some time to dry, I finish the wood with a thin coat of paste wax.
I’m not a huge fan of the maintenance involved with wax finishes, but I’ve yet to find a synthetic finish that looks and feels as good.
Wow! Thanks for all of the advice! And good advice at that!
The doctors put Melanie on restricted activity, therefore we have been playing LOTS of word crunch on the Direct TV Game Lounge. You take 7 letters and make as many 3 to 7 letter words as you can in 5 minutes. Thanks to your hall,we easily got burl and burled on one turn.