Just got some pure beeswax and need some info on mixing it with BLO or walnut oil. Do I mix half and half or ? Melt beeswax in a microwave on low or double boil it ? Etc.
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Just got some pure beeswax and need some info on mixing it with BLO or walnut oil. Do I mix half and half or ? Melt beeswax in a microwave on low or double boil it ? Etc.
ThanksAttachment 378548Attachment 378548
Can’t wait to see this answer. I have the same question
I thought the bees wax was mixed with mineral oil. Anxiously awaiting the answer.
That's the classic "board butter" sold for cutting boards, (and used & recommended for other wood products too.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Perry Hilbert Jr
Linseed oil & beeswax is also a thing, e.g. Chris Schwarz wrote about it. (Though without mentioning a recipe.) Don Williams has talked about beeswax & oil or other solvent mixes too, but I don't (quickly) find Linseed & beeswax specifically.
There are as many ways to mix beeswax with something else as there are woodworkers, maybe more. I like 1/1/1 ratio of sun bleached BLO, turpentine and beeswax. But for items I also like to add a little bit of canning paraffin wax. Then to keep the food safe addicts happy, I use mineral oil from the drugstore instead of the BLO and leave out the turpentine. I have also been know to add a little liquid paraffin oil, the stuff that is used in paraffin lamps. It does dry. The secret of Renaissance Wax is the micro crystalline wax that is in it. It is a super refined paraffin wax, I use canning wax, the closest thing I can find so I think it the same stuff, or pretty close. But I have also been known to add palm wax crystals from the candle crafting market.
I melt the wax or combination of waxes in a double boiler, remove from the heat and add the "secret" ingredients. Buy a hot plate, don't do this in the kitchen, no matter how careful you are, you will eventually make a mess. Cold wax is tough to clean up. Also buy your own set of pans, at the Goodwill stores they are cheap.
Do your research on the different waxes. You want a hard, but not too hard of wax mixture. Carnauba the hardest, beeswax close to the softest. That s the reason I use different mixes of waxes. Beeswax mixed with anything is a soft wax, I use it mainly for my homemade hand tools, it protects and feels good, but isn't very durable.
As you play with this, keep notes, a concoction will last awhile, and if you like it, you need to remember the formula for your secret wax mix. Same goes for the mix that sucks, you don't want to make that one again, but with the research, you will know what you did wrong. You will make some weird stuff.
Last thing, do not mix in any varnish stuff, it is the pits, I accidently picked up a can of homemade oil finish and add it instead of BLO, wasted time and wax.
I modified a recipe I found in, IIRC, an old Fine Wood Working magazine in an article about folks who made kitchen utensils. It was one part beeswax to four parts mineral oil. I mark five equal increments on old Pyrex dish, fill to the fourth mark with oil, shave in bits of beeswax until the mixture hits the fifth mark. Then I heat the mixture in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the oil gets warm enough to melt the wax. Stir, let it cool and use it as a paste coating for bowls, spoons etc. I apply it on the lathe while the piece is spinning so the heat generated helps the mixture penetrate into the wood.
Instead of mineral oil, which in my experience leaves an oil stain on everything, I use a heat treated walnut oil, like that from Doctor's Woodshop or Mahoney's Utility Finish because of its ability to harden in the wood. I tried using a carnuba wax but found that water left spots on it.
A year or so ago I sent Bill White some beeswax (from my hives) to experiment with. He wrote back with the recipe he liked the best:
40% wax/60% BLO.
Added a splash of EV olive oil to retard any drying from the BLO.
Mixture seems to be top notch.
But as mentioned, there are many ways to use beeswax. Some people add mineral spirits. Another recipe I've heard is 1/3 each beeswax, BLO, and mineral spirits.
I sometimes apply it directly to wood, especially to Eastern Red Cedar, sometimes just buffing with a cloth and sometimes melting it with a heat gun until no more will soak into the wood. Each method gives a different look. I like the soft sheen of beeswax on wood. Remember that any wax finish is not water proof or particularly durable.
As for melting, I use an old small crock pot to melt quantities. For smaller quantities I would neat in a container set in a pan of water. Most waxes can ignite and burn with vigor when melted and even more so when heated to the flash point. I think the melting point of beeswax is about 150F, the flash point around 400F. However the beeswax will change color long before it reaches 400F.
That's some nice and natural looking beeswax! Some people like the white beeswax but it is made white by bleaching, often with chemicals.
JKJ
if you are looking for a friction polish here is one
4 oz -- Zinser Bullseye clear Shellac
2 oz – Denatured Alcohol
½ of a small bar of bees wax. The bar of wax is about a 1 inch square by 4 inch long (heat and let cool to warm before adding) I usually heat this I a small glass dish in a pan of water for a double boiler. Heat till was it melted and let cool to just warm condition before adding.
2 Tablespoon of clear mineral oil
Mix and shake well.
I usually make up a double batch of this in a large mason jar and I will let this mixture sit for a week and shake it each day before using in on wood. This will allow for the wax and the solvents to combine and even
Thanks everyone.
Here is one to try, I have been using it for almost 10 years now with great success. Food safe and the Walnut Oil from the Food Store is apparently not allergenic.
In a small pot on low heat:
add 8oz of Walnut Oil, 3oz Bees Wax and about 1/2oz of Carnuba Wax. Let it dissolve and cool a little, then pour into a wide mouth (jam jar). Let cool completely and it should be a little harder than Vaseline in the jar. Adjustments are easy if you want another consistency.
Apply with a small square of terry towel to bowls, cutting boards, DropSpindles etc. for a nice soft sheen, natural feeling and safe.
Thanks, Peter. I'm keeping a file of beeswax recipes for the next time someone asks (and for me to try!)Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Fabricius
JKJ
Thankyou....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Fabricius
I need to refill my Jam Jar that I do about once per year. This really works well. I try to put at least three coats on over a week to make sure the Walnut Oil has a chance to dry and the wood has a chance to absorb all that it wants.
There may have to be some adjusting to the volumes to get the consistency you want. Good luck.