Beeswax

Most experienced people seem to agree that beeswax is too soft for most anything. I almost agree.

Bjarte.

Thats what i needed to know.. thanks much

That said, my kitchen table, (7'x3') is massive larchwood, made from 2 planks; is treated with beeswax.

I used natural beeswax, from the beehive, rubbed it into the previously untreated wood, and melted it into the table with a heatgun. Dry off overflow, repeat until the table is saturated, polish; and the table is a beutiful golden colur, unlike anything I have seen before.

Problems: Putting hot things on the bare table _always_ leaves rings or marks, so I try not to do that. I expect to have to brush up the coat in a year or so, and I do not use detergent when cleaning the table, only lukewarm water and a clean cloth.

But what the heck, the wax is cheap, the heatgun is mine, and the colur and smell is worth it!

Bjarte

Many commercial waxes use beeswax to soften much harder waxes, like carnuba. Wax can be CAREFULLY mixed with mineral spirits, using various waxes, to come up with a formula you like. Use an electric source of heat only. If you are looking for a natural, food safe finish, you might consider Mike Mahoneys boiled walnut oil. Actually cures over time. My daughter, who lives off the land outside Santa Cruz, swears by it. (no affiliation)

I use an electric baby bottle warmer to melt bees wax and add to it about 4 to 6 parts of a 50/50 mix of mineral and vegetable oils and stir well. It gives a good, all purpose, paste wax. The armer is the same one I use to melt hide glue.

Doesn't FWW mention this finish, and says it does not harden? The author had it on a rag, and the rag did not harden, so he claims.

What wasn't mentioned was his violation of the directions.

The garden-variety walnut oil from the grocery hardens into a film when applied to a smooth surface, but remains supple, and seldom surpasses crusty if you soak a rag in it.

You've got to get the oxygen working for you, so hiding the oil in a rag is not an analog of what happens at the surface of wood.

One of the myths of a finish is that it "must" harden. Who says so? There are occasions when a hard finish is desired and some when it is not. My assumption, backed with an information card, is that customers who buy a salad bowl will be frequently washing and re-oiling it. A hard finish is not necessary nor is it desired if you wish the bowl to acquire a character of flavor over years of use. On the other hand, an ornamental piece which may be more or less frequently handled and infrequently cleaned, may require a much harder surface finish.

I have used quite a lot of walnut oil. Especially I prefer it when I want to seal and protect more expensive woods, and _not_ changing the color is important.

My last item was a beautiful gunstock that had been mistreated with lacquer. Only problem is, that one must let the walnut oil cure at a relatively high temperature and long time. 28 degrees centigrade seems to be a minimum for curing, and 4 to 6 days, depending on the wood.

For the impatient, this probably equals "not curing".

Bjarte

Darrell Feltmate has replied a couple of times here. Take a look at his website. Threre are some great tips. I've used several myself.

Bob Darrah West Linn, Oregon

George wrote: