removing anchorseal/paraffin

I was once advised that one of the best ways was to go to the local DIY Car Wash. Hose off the Anchorseal with hipressure, hot, soapy water. You'll only be wetting the surface (unless you let the pieces sit in the puddle for hours.

No I haven't tried it, but the idea sounds reasonable. Anchorseas is a Water Based sealer.

mike

It is a water emulsion of wax, but once the water has evaporated it is just wax. No harm trying, though. It probably has a surfactant or detergent mixed in with it, so it may re-distribute in water under those conditions.

Here is a wild hair idea. I use cheap kitty litter to soak up spilled motor oil on the driveway. It is mostly just clay granules. Here is the thought: perhaps HOT kitty litter could be poured on the wax coating to melt and absorb it. Never tried this so I would experiment on some cheap wood.

Solvents, such as paint thinner will slowly dissolve the wax, but I think this would just encourage penetration into the wood.

===================== You'll lose most of any bark left on it plus most loosely attached artifacts. Some Car washes have 2 pressure settings, alow for prewash soaping and the other for hi pressure dirt and debris removal. The low setting might work without fear of damage.

I think paint thinner will dissolve waxes, so it might be a better way to go. Just give it overnight to evaporate off. Lacquer thinner should definetly do it, but it has it's own hazards as far as breathing and flash point.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX.

I don't know if this would get ALL of it off, but I've cleaned it off of log ends before with a heat gun, putty knife and paper towels..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Oil will remove the wax. It just doesn't evaporate as fast as mineral spirits.

Soak 'er in oil and scrub off with a good stiff brush. Once the big stuff is gone, the oil won't care, if you don't

"Ken Moon" wrote: (clip) I think paint thinner will dissolve waxes, (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The problem is that paint thinner will dissolve the wax, and then penetrate the wood, so after it evaporates, you will have wax in your wood. I would do a test on some other wood (of similar porosity).

But I don't see this as a problem as the OP is looking to use an oil finish anyway - and oil finishes use paint thinner, turps or petroleum-type thinning agents as components. At the finishing stage, the oil finish would re-dissolve any remaining wax which would just be mixed into the finish. Heck, a common finish recipe on this group is beeswax mixed with thinner and oil - one could even put in a bit of varnish for protection and sheen.