Friday, March 25, 2005

Minding ones own Beeswax...

It is time to make some more so here is a recipe for Beeswax polish that I used when I sanded and polished the kitchen beams. I also used this on some other wood surfaces that I wanted to leave in a natural finish, such as the back stairs to the third floor and the beadboard hatch to an attic crawl space. It works quite well but I would recommend using less water (maybe a cup less) and don't store it in a coffee can like I did because it will rust!

3oz. Beeswax
1oz. white wax (a candle)
2 1/2 cups turpentine
1 tbsp. dish washing detergent (don't ask me why)
2 1/2 cups water

Using an old saucepan over moderate heat, melt the wax. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the turpentine. Mix detergent with water and gently add to wax mixture. Let cool stirring occasionally. Put in screw top jars and label clearly. When using, allow the wax to penetrate into wood before polishing.

Isn't it just amazing what I come up with?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gary - You're so crafty! Love it.

P.j. said...

I started reading your blog from the first post & just found your recipe for beeswax polish. Is the dishwashing detergent the type you use to handwash dishes, or the type you add to a dishwasher? I'm inclined to think it is the first option, but thought it's better to ask than to assume.

Gary said...

First option is what I used!