What's wrong with this finish?

[Fred Oliver]

I shaved 2 oz carnuba wax and 2 oz of parafin into a double boiler, melted the wax, stirred in 2 oz turpentine, poured it into a plastic bottle, let it harden, and cut away the bottle.

The result is very crumbley and wasteful, so I tried wrapping it in a piece of cotton knit. Apparently I'm not getting enough friction heat through the cotton to melt the wax mix into the wood.

Using the bare wax against the wood I don't get a smooth finish in all areas and waste a lot of it. In a few areas the wax "gobs up" in lumps.

Is there a technique I should know about for using this concoction?

Richard Raffan mentions in his book that he stopped using carnuba because it's so difficult to apply well. The instructions that came with the wax indicate it is usually mixed with softer wax to make it easier to use.

Should I melt this back down and add more turpentine? How about adding a couple of ounces of boiled linseed oil? Add more parafin? What else would make this a softer mixture and easier to apply?

You advice, comments and suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

[Bernie Weishapl]

Fred I am not sure what the answer would be. I have stopped using carnuba wax. I just got tired of trying to get a shine. I either use beewax or I use clear shoe polish which is a beeswax/carnuba wax mixture. Cindy Drozda put me onto it and said to contact Bonnie Klien about it. I contacted Bonnie Klien about it as she said she uses it on about everything. I use it over minwax antique oil, lacquer, etc. If you let it dry then buff it it sure puts a nice sheen on turnings. I have never tried it on just bare wood. I generally do like Raffan does and just use beeswax on bare wood.

[Curt Fuller]

"What's wrong with this finish?" I don't know if anything is 'wrong', it just seems like too much work to me. There are too many good and easy finishes available to spend that much time trying to make your own, in my opinion at least. For waxes there are ones like Briwax or Mylands or like Bernie suggested, clear shoe polish, that you can just wipe on with a paper towel and polish on or off the lathe. I'm not sure what's available up in Canada but if you can get Minwax Antique Oil or Olympic Antique Danish Oil they both contain dryers that make them easier to use than plain linseed oil. There is also the Minwax wipe on polyurethane finish that gives a similar looking finish to the antique oils. And Deft spray or brush on lacquer gives a nice finish, especially if you're going for a glossy finish.

[Reed Gray]

If you want a good carnuba wax finish, search for Butchers Bowling Alley wax. Carnuba, turpentine, and mineral spirits. Great stuff, and easy to apply. I believe that Kiwi neutral shoe wax is similar.
robo hippy

[Glenn Hodges]

Fred, in my opinion wax offers little protection to wood as a finish. It gives some protection to a finish like polyurathene. BTW I think to much wax is bad for a piece, but that is only my 2 cents. I like it for the shine it gives.

[Allen Neighbors]

Fred, I've made my own wax a few times. I believe the problem is that you've mixed two hard, brittle waxes with not enough turpentine. Here's just a couple of useful hints about waxes:
Carnauba makes the finish on the piece hard.
Paraffin makes the finish on a piece slick.
Beeswax helps the texture of the wax to be smooth when it's being applied.
And the turpentine is what makes the wax soft enough to apply.
I'd re-melt it, and add an ounce of beeswax (it'll make the application smoother) and 2 more ounces of turpentine (If that doesn't work, add another ounce of turpentine, and so on... until it cools to the right texture. I usually mix three or four times that amount, so I'm not sure about how much you should add, but I'd start with at least 2 more ounces of the liquid. (Mineral Spirits will also work, and doesn't stink as bad as the turps.) :)

[Fred Oliver]

Reed & Bernie, I'll pick up some natural shoe polish next trip to Wally's World.

I like the Renaissance Wax. It polishes easily and resists fingerprints, but it's pretty pricey at $20 for 7 oz. I'm not sure it's that much better than the Minwax paste - or even good old Johnson & Johnson.

I've also gotten some good finishes with the HUT Friction polish, and I can see using that for small turnings, particularly spindle work. However, it takes a lot of polish for a bowl and a faster RPM than I'm comfortable with to polish well.

Great information, Allen. What's the formula for your mixture? I was going to add more parafin and turpentine - what I mixed was straight from the instructions that came (from Woodcraft) with the carnuba. (2 oz carnuba, 2 oz paraffin, 2 oz turpentine.) From what you say, it seems I should order some beeswax before remelting my mix.

I'm also glad to know about the mineral spirits. LOML has a very acute sense of smell and was rather unhappy about the kitchen smelling of turpentine. If I can just as well use low-oder mineral spirits, that will promote domestic tranquillity. :D

What's the best way to apply the mixture, and how long do you wait to buff it?

Fred