On Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:30:32 -0000, "Samantha Booth"
wrote:

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.


Pure Turpentine is the most appropriate solvent.
Warm the wax up in a tin placed in hot water and add the turps once
the wax has melted ( you don't want any naked flames about ).
Aim for a 70% wax 30% turps mix initially. If, when cool, the wax is
too runny just leave the tin open for a day or two - if too stiff,
reheat and add a little more turps.

I make and use my own beeswax polish for use on instruments that
require the use of only 'traditional' materials.
To be honest it's not a very good polish. Sure, it comes up lovely
with a good buffing but it's sticky and picks up fingerprints in no
time at all. It will also pick up dust and grime and tends to sweat in
the heat.
A large part of my restoration work involves removing years of
built-up beeswax polish that's full of trapped dirt - which typically
results in a lovely bit of wood having its grain and colour masked by
a grimy brown/black goo.

You can modify the mix slightly by blending in a little Carnuba wax (
which is rock hard when cool ) and a touch of non-drying oil - such as
sweet almond.
Bear in mind that these waxes are natural products and one lump of
beeswax might be softer or harder than the next one ( and nearly
always a different colour ). You will have to adjust your mixture
appropriately.

A good beeswax finish requires a lot of time and effort, though you
can speed things up a bit by applying it warm.
You'll also need to top up the turps from time to time to keep the
mixture supple.

If all that sounds like a lot of fuss and bother - it is.
You'll get better and quicker results with a professionally made
polish, such as those sold by Liberon or Renaissance.
These polishes tend to be thinner ( they use better solvents and have
additives that keep the mixture stable ) and are more accurately
balanced in terms of wax and oil - and require a lot less elbow grease
to apply. They also won't clog the wood quite so much, and can be
easily applied to tricky areas such as corners and carvings.

Better still, remove any existing wax polish and replace it with an
oil finish. Bare wood is an incredibly beautiful thing - even humble
Pine has a grain that shimmers in the light, and a good bit of Oak is
positively scintillating. Best of all, an oil finish allows you to
touch the wood and feel its true texture.

Regards,


--
Steve ( out in the sticks )
Email: Take time to reply: timefrom_usenet{at}gmx.net