How to make polish from beeswax

[woodfarmer]

I turn and like using beeswax polish but natural stuff is difficult to find. I do however have some big lumps of genuine beeswax so thought to grate it fine and mix it with medicinal paraffin. Would this work? Mostly bowls.

 

[marcros]

ideally mix it with real turpentine. add a bit of canubra wax (or whatever it is called!), which will harden it. http://www.honeyshop.co.uk/Polish1.htm

there are variations which add soap to make a furniture cream, and you can vary the mixture to make it harder or softer.

 

[deema]

I make it by warming the wax in a £1 pan until molten, and then take it very carefully outside and pour into final receptacle through a kitchen jay cloth or similar to filter out all the undesirable stuff which has also been warmed up avoiding at all cost spilling any as you won't clean it up very easily if at all and add an equal amount of natural turps, not mineral turps. Very combustible mixture so be v careful. Wait until solidified and keep in airtight jar.

Do not boil the wax or over heat, use either a fixed temperature to heat or water warming method, I.e.container floating in water within the pan.

You don't need to grater the wax using this method which is both messes and makes any grater unusable afterwards.

 

[blackrodd]

As I'm interested in this subject myself, I googled "How to make polish from bees wax", and it just seems
to be beeswax and oil melted together, Simples!
There are several "Hits", and no doubt one will take you're fancy!
Regards Rodders

http://lovelygreens.com/2013/04/how-to- ... iture.html

 

[Matt@]

adding carnauba is what gives hardness and longevity. Whenever I hear about beeswax polishes my heart sinks as invariably it means finished surface ending up with a sticky residue. Most wax polish suppliers go to great lengths to create products that work well so I am always puzzled as to why diy think they can produce a better product. That said, all wax polishes are not the same!

 

[Sheffield Tony]

2 parts beeswax to 2 parts natural turpentine to 1 raw linseed oil works for me. I use that blend for greenwood chairs, over Danish oil to reduce yellowing.

 

[Matt@]

2 parts beeswax to 2 parts natural turpentine to 1 raw linseed oil works for me. I use that blend for greenwood chairs, over Danish oil to reduce yellowing.

this surely fingerprints badly due to oil content?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Beeswax fingerprints badly anyway. Use microcrystalline and have done.

 

[woodpig]

Beeswax fingerprints badly anyway. Use microcrystalline and have done.

Like Renwax?

 

[Matt@]

Beeswax fingerprints badly anyway. Use microcrystalline and have done.

yes true in that respect but then you lose other qualities like adding lustre and subtle depth of colour/ shine which MC wax definately doesnt do. I have a 2.5L tin, at huge expense! 25% used and hardly use it!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Beeswax fingerprints badly anyway. Use microcrystalline and have done.

Like Renwax?

Yes. I use Chestnut.

 

[BearTricks]

I finished some bowls with a beeswax and safflower oil mixture. I had both left over from oil painting as they are used in painting mediums it gives a satin finish.

I just heated it in a pan and stirred in some of the oil. Be careful, the natural beeswax can give off some nasty fumes. I'm not sure if they're dangerous but I definitely found it hard to breathe.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Woodfarmer, you can make a good beeswax polish yourself but do not use beeswax on its own, it is horrible sticky stuff. You need to add a lot of carnauba wax, this makes for quite an expensive wax but it is also what makes it better than commercial waxes as they tend to skimp on the carnauba and pad out with paraffin wax. Here is my recipe, which I have been making for over thirty years...

60% Beeswax
40% Carnauba wax
1 x desert spoon turmeric
Melt gently together in a pan. When melted, remove from heat and add turmeric then stir.
Double the quantity with pure turpentine, stir, then pour into jar or tin and leave several hour to cool.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

2 parts beeswax to 2 parts natural turpentine to 1 raw linseed oil works for me. I use that blend for greenwood chairs, over Danish oil to reduce yellowing.

this surely fingerprints badly due to oil content?

I suppose I am not looking for a high shine on greenwood chairs, just a more resiliant surface than bare wood. The oil soaks in/dries before too long.

But ... did that recipe above really say turmeric ??? Is it not bright yellow ? I have seen a lot of discussion about AVOIDING yellowing by oil based finishes, first time I've seen something with yellow in it deliberately !

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Why turmeric? Just for colour, I presume?
Incidentally, it's a coagulant and mildly antiseptic and good stuff for sticking on a cut that won't stop bleeding.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

2 parts beeswax to 2 parts natural turpentine to 1 raw linseed oil works for me. I use that blend for greenwood chairs, over Danish oil to reduce yellowing.

this surely fingerprints badly due to oil content?

I suppose I am not looking for a high shine on greenwood chairs, just a more resiliant surface than bare wood. The oil soaks in/dries before too long.

But ... did that recipe above really say turmeric ??? Is it not bright yellow ? I have seen a lot of discussion about AVOIDING yellowing by oil based finishes, first time I've seen something with yellow in it deliberately !

Would it not dry quicker with BLO?

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Turmeric is used for colour, I work with a lot of Cuban and Honduras mahogany, the yellow of the Turmeric subdues the red and brings out the gold tones. It also enhances the gold tones of Satinwood, Oak, Elm and Camphor. It is not an essential ingredient and can be left out.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Ok, I see. Mostly I'm using mine on Ash, where yellowing is a thing to avoid.

I guess BLO would dry quicker. But I prefer an all-natural blend - it is to go on chairs made from a log, with no power tools, sandpaper, no nails, screws or glue, so it seems more fitting to me. I guess again, it depends on what you are looking for - I am applying a thin coat that is quite quickly absorbed, leaving the wood still feeling like natural wood, with a satin-ish finish, with a bit of resistance to water and dirty fingers. Agreed it might not be what you want on a fine mahogany piece !

 

[condeesteso]

I want to trial some home-made finish: carnauba, beeswax, tung oil (pure) - I've read the thread here and my first guess may be 50/50 carnauba / beeswax, and about 50/50 waxes to oil by volume. Just a starter position. The carnauba is obviously less marking, is it actually harder or is that just a thermal attribute? And why beeswax at all. Also if it ends up very thick I can thin with pure turpentine I suppose?

 

[Nelsun]

I've pretty much settled on a tung / carnauba concoction. Tried a beeswax and mineral spirits mix which was nice but not the hardiest, then tried a beeswax + BLO + turps which was similar finish but hardier and then settled on the tung + carnauba which gives a lovely warm tone and seams reasonably tough. 4 parts pure tung oil to 1 part wax by volume in a double boiler does the trick for me.