Samantha Booth coughed up some electrons that declared:

I have been watching "How Clean Is Your House". In the programme they
melted in the microwave some Beeswax to polish some old furniture. It can
be heated over a pan of hot water too they said.

I ordered some from eBay and have a problem.

When I do that and leave it to go cool it goes rock hard. What do I need
to add to it to make sure the beeswax stays soft so I can use it. I am
sure they added some kind of oil to it?? Maybe wrong but they said it was
the best way to polish old furniture.


Thanks Sam

The stuff I got was a blend of beeswax and canauba wax which seems to work
quite well from the tin (being sold as furniture polish). Given the pungent
odour, I suspect it has some solvent in it as well to keep it soft. It
certainly goes on as a paste, and then becomes harder and harder as it's
polished, which suggests to me a solvent is evaporating off.

It sounds like Sheila's turps suggestion might be on the money.

Cheers

Tim