Wax Removal

[Frank Warta]

Hoping to do a bored out box for my niece for Christmas, this is basically my first project that's more complicated then flooring, so I'm definitely a beginner. I purchased a turning blank at Woodcraft today that is covered in a pretty thick layer of some kind of wax. Basically my question is what's the best way to clean it up to get started?

I don't have a lot of tools, and like most beginners a limited budget, if there's a good manual method I'm happy to put in the time and elbow grease just need some advice.

Thanks in advance!

[glenn bradley]

I use ebony blanks to mill small decorative pegs. To clean them I use a card scraper to remove the bulk of the wax then scrub with mineral spirits.

[Frank Warta]

I kind of figured this was going to my opportunity to pickup a scraper and burnisher, but wanted to make sure I was getting the right tool for the job. (I also considered sand paper but I figured I just ruin the sand paper and be left with a slightly thinner layer of wax.)

So that leaves me asking what feels like a silly question given how mechanically simply these tools are, but can you recommend a decent scrapper and burnisher? I guess this is probably a question for the hand tool section.

[Scott Conners]

Anything by Lee Valley is going to be quality. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/index.aspx?c=2&cat=1,310

Another option is http://www.mannyswoodworkersplace.com/scrapers---accessories.html

[Prashun Patel]

To remove wax, there's no reason to gunk up a good quality scraper. You can use a beater putty knife. There are 2 ways to do this:

1) Sharpen it like a card scraper: mill file at 90, then burnish a rough hook. You then either use it on the pull or push stroke at an acute angle to the wood like a scraper

2) Sharpen it like a chisel or plane blade: Grind a 25ish deg angle on the end, and then use it bevel up on the push.

I was able to strip the majority of the spar varnish off a park bench with this.

[Jon Adams]

If it is a small enough chunk of wood you can just put it in boiling water for a minute or so and the wax will come off. You may want to use a old pot, the wax gets kind of hard to come off.

[Brian Brown]

How big is the blank? I would use the putty knife/scraper solution above, and when you have removed as much wax as possible, if the blank is small enough, run it through the table saw, and trim the wax and 1/16-3/32 wood off the end grain ends. Then use a jointer or planer to trim/clean the other sides. Just be sure to get as much wax as possible first with the scraper. You don't want to gunk up your blades.

Now for the bad news. The reason the wax is there in the first place, is that the wood was very green when it was coated and shipped. The wax slows the drying process so the wood is less likely to crack. Turners like green wood because it is softer and easier to turn. The green wood will warp move and crack like crazy if not handled well. Handling it well will only help in the cracking department. Some species dry better than others. You need to find out if your blank is dry by using a moisture meter. If it's dry, enjoy, if not, you need to dry it before you start. If it is not dry before you start, it will most likely warp and CRACK as it dries. Drying is a science/art, or in my case, total luck. Search for green wood drying on the turners forum. It is a really huge topic there. Good luck!

[Frank Warta]

How big is the blank?
It's 6"x6"x3", I should have figured the wax was to keep it green, but didn't even think about it. I figured it was just to prevent checking on such a short thick piece, which like you said is part of it, but not the whole story.

My question now is, do I have any shot at getting this thing dried out soon enough to be able to build my box by Christmas or should I start looking for other options?

I probably should have just gotten a short piece for 8/4 stock and built the bottom and lid from similar pieces of wood but I'd hoped to try and blend/hide the seems as much as possible. C'est la vie.

[Stephen Saar]

Frank I'm not certain what type of box you are referring to, but if it's a turned box then what I would do is just leave the wax on there, and then mount the unit in my lathe and just start turning it. You then turn it to 15% bigger than you need and let it sit for at least 3-4 weeks, longer is better, but normally 3-4 weeks will work. This will allow the wood time to dry out. After it has dried out and mostly finished moving you can do you final turning.

If you are building the box using flat tools (i.e. table saws, band saws, etc....) then you might want to follow a similar path with rough shaping the box and then letting it dry. The reason that we normally rough shape the blank before letting it dry is that it will dry much quicker when it's not as thick.

Also note that the 3-4 weeks depends very heavily on how thick the piece is. The thicker the piece the longer it takes, and even with a thin piece 3-4 weeks is just the time it takes to get it mostly dry, it can still dry a good bit more, but usually 3-4 weeks will give you something pretty reasonable to work with.

-Stephen

[Frank Warta]

That sounds like a good plan, in looking around online it looks like there are a number of methods, including the use of Denatured Alcohol that look interesting. There was even one reference to using a microwave?!? So I think I may try to rough cut and bore out the interior and then use the DNA method to speed up the drying so I can clean it out and finish it up. Hopefully it's a workable solution.

My goal is to do something similar to a band saw box, but rather then having drawers slide in the kerf space, I'll use a thin backless handsaw to cut the lid off, rough bore it out with a fostner bit, and cut a half dovetail style slide. For the bottom I'll also bore it out with a fostner bit and I'll attach the oposite dovetails to the inside lip of the long edges. Hopefully that kind of makes sense, my goes is to have something that looks basically like a simple finished block of wood, possible with a simple handle on top of the lid without a highly visible seem.

I have some ideas for ways to make it lock with a magnet, springs and some dowels but I'm not sure if I'll try that or not just depends on time probably. Anyway, I think I'll try to cut the lid off and then rough bore everything with fostner bits and try and use DNA to speed the drying hopefully in time to finish by Christmas. At least I'm starting feel like not all hope is lost. I guess it's time to go "tune-up" a putty knife and get to scrapping. Sorry for the long post, I'm not really known to be short-winded.

[Brian Brown]

My question now is, do I have any shot at getting this thing dried out soon enough to be able to build my box by Christmas or should I start looking for other options?



Frank,

You're not totally out of luck, assuming you don't mind trying to finish Christmas Eve. :eek::D First, find out how dry the wood is. It may be dry even with the wax. Most likely it will run at least 10-12% moisture, maybe more. The drier it is now, the faster it will finish drying. There are lots of methods to speed drying and minimize craking. Thats why I suggested searching the turners forum for ideas. There is boiling, microwaving, DNA soak, soap soak, pentacryl, and the ever popular standing on one foot at 3:00 am during a full moon under a dead sycamore tree while chanting Moody Blues lyrics and spitting red kool aid at a passing squirrell. The last one is my favorite, especially when the koll aid is mixed into a bottle of jack Daniels. It virtually guarantees that the neighbors will not bother you during your drying rituals. We won't mention anything about visits from the local constabulary.

Most of these drying methods are in some part based on science, but have been simplified to make them easy, and in the simplification process have lost some of the pure science that make them predictable (except for the squirrell spitting of course which is pure science all the way). There is an enormous amount of information at the turners forum. It is possible you can dry it in time for gift giving, but it may just be easier to find a nice piece of 10/4 or 12/4 kiln dried wood, and you won't have to trust in luck that a marauding bushy tailed rodent will grace you with his presence at the predetermined time coordinate. Kiln dried is not as much fun, but sacrifices have to be made.

[Robby Tacheny]

I made two bandsaw boxes last year out of turning blocks made from Padauk. They were approximately the same size.

1. I scraped the wax of with a sharp 1.25" chisel. It took maybe 5 minutes.

2. After that, I cut off 1/16" from all sides with my bandsaw and then sanded the block smooth again. (it is possible I didn't even need to scrape them)

3. There was a fair amount of moisture left in the wood which made them harder to work with. In the end, they were ok and there was no cracking. I could only use an oil finish on them though, as there was too much moisture for polyurethane to properly dry.

I would highly recommend drying out the wood as much as possible NOW so that you have stable wood to work with. It does make it much easier and much less nerve racking.

-R

[glenn bradley]

can you recommend a decent scrapper and burnisher? I guess this is probably a question for the hand tool section.

I have scrapers that were $10 for three and use one from that set more than any other. Lee Valley makes some super thin ones (they're only "super" thin compared to a regular scraper) that are easier to work with if you are just learning. I haven't really heard anyone curse a particular brand. As you say, they are pretty basic. The quality of the cut comes more from the edge prep than anything else as far as I can tell.

P.s. The learning curve isn't real steep, even for a schlep like me. Just scrap away on a piece of hardwood scrap for awhile to develop the feel for it.

[Wayne Cannon]

It sounds like a waxy coating used to slow down drying to minimize cracking. Is there a reason why you don't want to just chuck it up in your lathe and start turning, wax and all? That's what I do.

[John Thompson]

When I purchase Gaboon ebony blocks with the wax.. it gets clamped in my vise and I scrape it off with the back side of an old plane iron. You could use the back side of a wide chisel.. stiff putty knife or even a flat piece of steel as long as there is no burr on the steel plate. 10 minute max to 4 sides of a 2" x 2" x 12".