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

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.


My Dad used turpentine, mixed in after removing the beeswax from the heat.

Sheila

S Viemeister wrote:
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.


My Dad used turpentine, mixed in after removing the beeswax from the heat.

Sheila

Yup. Isnt it cheaper to buy ready mixed beeswax polish now though?


NT

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

"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl. I don't
know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of that. Just liked
the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself really. What company do
ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

wrote:
S Viemeister wrote:
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.


My Dad used turpentine, mixed in after removing the beeswax from the
heat.

Sheila

Yup. Isnt it cheaper to buy ready mixed beeswax polish now though?

Absolutely. That programme makes me laugh. Cleaning things with vinegar &
baking soda FFS. They have absolutely no bloody idea about cleaning, they
have just jumped on the green, natural is best bollox bandwagon. They need
to pop down to Tesco & buy some decent products.

Modern polishes, hard surface cleaners & detergent sanitizers leave any of
these old wives tale cleaners in the dust. Vinegar & baking soda clean
bugger all.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 21 Jan, 00:00, "Samantha Booth"
wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message

...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

Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl. I don't
know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of that. Just liked
the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself really. What company do
ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Doesn't it have to be 'real' turpentine, not the substitute variety?

Rob

Samantha Booth wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl. I don't
know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of that. Just liked
the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself really. What company do
ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Screwfix sell it, I forget the brand.

Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.


NT

The Medway Handyman coughed up some electrons that declared:

Absolutely. That programme makes me laugh. Cleaning things with vinegar
&
baking soda FFS. They have absolutely no bloody idea about cleaning, they
have just jumped on the green, natural is best bollox bandwagon. They
need to pop down to Tesco & buy some decent products.

Modern polishes, hard surface cleaners & detergent sanitizers leave any of
these old wives tale cleaners in the dust. Vinegar & baking soda clean
bugger all.


When you don't have any "Silver Dip" to hand, ali foil, boiling water, salt
and baking soda do work a treat on silver (plated) items.

Cheers

Tim

wrote:
Samantha Booth wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl.
I don't know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of
that. Just liked the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself
really. What company do ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Screwfix sell it, I forget the brand.

Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
m...
wrote:
Samantha Booth wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl.
I don't know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of
that. Just liked the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself
really. What company do ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Screwfix sell it, I forget the brand.

Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk


Do you have PMT today?

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
...
wrote:
S Viemeister wrote:
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.


My Dad used turpentine, mixed in after removing the beeswax from the
heat.

Sheila

Yup. Isnt it cheaper to buy ready mixed beeswax polish now though?

Absolutely. That programme makes me laugh. Cleaning things with vinegar
& baking soda FFS. They have absolutely no bloody idea about cleaning,
they have just jumped on the green, natural is best bollox bandwagon.
They need to pop down to Tesco & buy some decent products.

Modern polishes, hard surface cleaners & detergent sanitizers leave any of
these old wives tale cleaners in the dust. Vinegar & baking soda clean
bugger all.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
I disagree. I have cleaned lots of things with Vinegar and baking powder.
Does the tops of my cupboards much better than any supermarket rubbish.
I think the old fashioned methods are absolutely great and will always chose
to use them before any Tesco products.

robgraham wrote:
On 21 Jan, 00:00, "Samantha Booth"
wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message

...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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl. I don't
know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of that. Just liked
the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself really. What company do
ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Doesn't it have to be 'real' turpentine, not the substitute variety?


I've only ever used 'real' turpentine, but I don't see why the
substitute wouldn't work.

wrote in message
...
Samantha Booth wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl. I
don't
know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of that. Just
liked
the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself really. What company
do
ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Screwfix sell it, I forget the brand.

Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.


NT
Thanks

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
m...
wrote:
....
Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

That product will have been developed to give quick results for the easily
pleased. No modern substitutes can match the depth of shine achieved by
repeated applications of a good beeswax polish.

Colin Bignell

On Jan 21, 1:23*am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in edia.com...

wrote:
...
Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

That product will have been developed to give quick results for the easily
pleased. No modern substitutes can match the depth of shine achieved by
repeated applications of a good beeswax polish.

Colin Bignell

On Jan 21, 1:23*am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in edia.com...

wrote:
...
Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

That product will have been developed to give quick results for the easily
pleased. No modern substitutes can match the depth of shine achieved by
repeated applications of a good beeswax polish.

Colin Bignell

Yes ,
keep it old fashioned. Supermarkets must go away in the end

wrote in message
...
On Jan 21, 1:23 am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
edia.com...

wrote:
...
Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

That product will have been developed to give quick results for the easily
pleased. No modern substitutes can match the depth of shine achieved by
repeated applications of a good beeswax polish.

Colin Bignell

Yes ,
keep it old fashioned. Supermarkets must go away in the end

not everyone can use supermarket products with chemicals. I know if I use
any my daughter always has asthma problems again. I can only use the old
fashioned methods which I find work very well indeed despite going to Tesco
and buying chemicals to do the work in just about the same time.
I am sure they wont go to the wall if some of use use our preferred methods
rather than their chemicals

S Viemeister wrote:
robgraham wrote:
On 21 Jan, 00:00, "Samantha Booth"
wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message

...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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl. I
don't
know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of that. Just
liked
the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself really. What
company do
ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Doesn't it have to be 'real' turpentine, not the substitute variety?


I've only ever used 'real' turpentine, but I don't see why the
substitute wouldn't work.

It might work in the sense of making the polish soft enough. But I would
not wish the smell to pervade the house - and would prefer the
(different-but-still-strong) smell of real turpentine.

One of our school punishments was to polish dormitory floors with wax
polish and a very heavy buffer. Standard paraffin was added to soften
that when it got too thick. Horrible smell for days after.

If it does not cause any problems, have you considered adding a few
drops of lavender oil?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

On 21 Jan, 02:44, "Samantha Booth"
wrote:
wrote in message

...
On Jan 21, 1:23 am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:



"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
edia.com...

wrote:
...
Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

That product will have been developed to give quick results for the easily
pleased. No modern substitutes can match the depth of shine achieved by
repeated applications of a good beeswax polish.

Colin Bignell

Yes ,
keep it old fashioned. Supermarkets must go away in the end

not everyone can use supermarket products with chemicals. I know if I use
any my daughter always has asthma problems again. I can only use the old
fashioned methods which I find work very well indeed despite going to Tesco
and buying chemicals to do the work in just about the same time.
I am sure they wont go to the wall if some of use use our preferred methods
rather than their chemicals

Now, now Girls and Boys, lets keep it calm! There is no rational
reason to debate so-called natural products such as baking soda and
vinegar against "chemicals". Both the aforementioned are chemicals.
Nature is full of "chemicals" and indeed we are composed of (bio)
chemicals. There is simply no rational distinction other than to look
at, say, LD50s (a measure of toxicity) for active ingredients or
mixtures of chemicals to grade them for risk in use. In this case it
is quite simple to assess which product works best and simply use it.
There is a cogent argument for using easily and cheaply obtained
ingredients ( I use lemon juice on a brass strip to clean it up
nicely) on the basis of cost. However, some cocktails of specially
formulated chemical mixtures are better/quicker/ safer performers than
the "older" methods and one can therefore move with modern scientific
progress.
From my own experience, IMHO, there is no question in terms of end
product that beeswax polish will produce a better protection and
finish than Mr Sheen
Chris

Samantha Booth wrote:
wrote in message
...
On Jan 21, 1:23 am, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
edia.com...

wrote:
...
Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a
few recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

That product will have been developed to give quick results for the
easily pleased. No modern substitutes can match the depth of shine
achieved by repeated applications of a good beeswax polish.

Colin Bignell

Yes ,
keep it old fashioned. Supermarkets must go away in the end

not everyone can use supermarket products with chemicals. I know if I
use any my daughter always has asthma problems again. I can only use
the old fashioned methods which I find work very well indeed despite
going to Tesco and buying chemicals to do the work in just about the
same time. I am sure they wont go to the wall if some of use use our
preferred
methods rather than their chemicals

Wot? Chemicals like acetic acid, sodium bicarbonate, citric acid? The term
'chemicals' doesn't equate with 'bad'. Unless its the deadly dihydrogen
monoxide of course http://www.dhmo.org/


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Samantha Booth wrote:
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in
message m...
wrote:
Samantha Booth wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl.
I don't know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of
that. Just liked the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it
myself really. What company do ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Screwfix sell it, I forget the brand.

Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk


Do you have PMT today?

No, just a qualification as an approved trainer for The British Institute of
Cleaning Science.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

And here is one recipe:

"To make wax polish melt 100 g of Purified Beeswax in a container.
Remove from heat and stir in 100 ml of Liberon Pure Turpentine. Pour the
liquid into a suitable sealable container (not plastic), seal and allow
to cool before use. For a harder polish added 10 g of Liberon Carnauba Wax."
http://www.jpennyltd.co.uk/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=6&=SID

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

wrote:

From my own experience, IMHO, there is no question in terms of end
product that beeswax polish will produce a better protection and
finish than Mr Sheen

But you are talking about three different applications here. Surface
finish, surface protection & surface maintenance.

Beeswax may well provide a pleasant finish, but it gives a very poor level
of surface protection compared to a modern varnish or laquer. Try putting a
hot cup of tea on a table with a wax finish.

Mr Sheen is a maintenance product, not a final finish. Beeswax is
unsuitable for a quick wipe over to remove dust & isnt multi surface.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:21:38 +0000, Tim S wrote:
The Medway Handyman coughed up some electrons that declared:

Absolutely. That programme makes me laugh. Cleaning things with vinegar
&
baking soda FFS. They have absolutely no bloody idea about cleaning, they
have just jumped on the green, natural is best bollox bandwagon. They
need to pop down to Tesco & buy some decent products.

Modern polishes, hard surface cleaners & detergent sanitizers leave any of
these old wives tale cleaners in the dust. Vinegar & baking soda clean
bugger all.


When you don't have any "Silver Dip" to hand, ali foil, boiling water, salt
and baking soda do work a treat on silver (plated) items.

On a more practical note. If you don't have any silver dip handy, don't try to
polish your silverware. Do something else instead - another day of tarnished
silver won't kill you.

Samantha Booth wrote:

wrote in message
...
Samantha Booth wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl. I
don't
know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of that. Just
liked
the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself really. What
company do
ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Screwfix sell it, I forget the brand.

Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.


NT
Thanks

Beeswax does have unique properties visually (lustre I think they call
it) but, used on its own, it's way too tacky . Normally combined with
carnauba and paraffin wax to make the typical furniture wax

Samantha Booth wrote:

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.

As others have remarked, you need a solvent. If you want to try a
traditional recipe you might be interested in the following extract from
the 1946 edition of "Charles Hayward's Carpentry Book". I make no claims
for or against it's merits.

---8----------8----------8----------8----------8----------8---

It should be shredded into a tin, just covered with turpentine, and allowed
to dissolve. The procedure can be quickened by standing the tin in hot
water. Never place it over a flame; it will inevitably flare up. When ready
it should be in the form of a paste of medium consistency, and is applied
either with a brush or a rag. The brush is handy for working into corners
and dealing with carved work.

The wood must be quite dry, and in the event of being stained with an oil
stain, plenty of time should elapse before the wax is applied. It is a good
plan to rub over the surface with a rag to remove any trace of oil. At
least 24 hours should be allowed for the turpentine to evaporate, after
which the whole can be polished with a rubber free from fluff. Probably the
first application will not produce much of a shine, but the advantage of
wax polishing is that it can be repeated at any time.

---8----------8----------8----------8----------8----------8---

--
Mike Clarke

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.


Thanks Sam

Turpentine or white spirit IIRC.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
wrote:

From my own experience, IMHO, there is no question in terms of end
product that beeswax polish will produce a better protection and
finish than Mr Sheen

But you are talking about three different applications here. Surface
finish, surface protection & surface maintenance.

Beeswax may well provide a pleasant finish, but it gives a very poor level
of surface protection compared to a modern varnish or laquer. Try putting a
hot cup of tea on a table with a wax finish.


Well after my wife ironed off the modern varnish on a table where the
candle wax had ruined it, I prefer the old beeswax and french polish.

Every time she ruins that with watery coffee cups, I simply rub it hard
with methylated spirits, and then add beeswax, and its perfect again.


Mr Sheen is a maintenance product, not a final finish. Beeswax is
unsuitable for a quick wipe over to remove dust & isnt multi surface.


exactly. Mr sheen simply is a dust grabber/mild solvent for a modern
hard finish.

For trad, you need to use a wax. or if its shellac underneath, repair
with ethyl alcohol (yes, I have used gin)

On 20 Jan, 23:30, "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.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.k...08ade8f97dc04c

"Turpentine" means genuine turpentine, not petroleum-based "turps sub"

On the whole it's easier to buy this stuff ready made. It's not worth
making your own unless you're doing a pound or two in a batch.

http://www.rydenor.co.uk/ are good suppliers of such waxes, if you
nee mail-order

On 21 Jan, 00:21, Tim S wrote:

When you don't have any "Silver Dip" to hand, ali foil, boiling water, salt
and baking soda do work a treat on silver (plated) items.

They're also highly damaging long-term. This electro-polishing hack is
an abomination.

Silver Dip (thiourea inhibited with citric acid) has the great
advantage of not being damaging to silver, even when you're cleaning
considerable sulphide tarnish off it. OTOH, it's toxic. Sainsburys
sell it, but not Tesco.

On 21 Jan, 00:32, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

Funny thing is that my polishes (I can confidently claim to have a
greater stock of assorted obscure polishes than most other posters,
including Mary & Spouse) are made up by a "knowledgable & experienced
chemist in a modern lab", and _he_ does them using ancient copies of
the Chemical Formulary etc. out of beeswax and turpentine.

....and a dash of Ear of Bat, recycled toxic waste etc.

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
m...
wrote:
Samantha Booth wrote:
"Samantha Booth" wrote in message
...
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
Brilliant thanks. Sounds like that's the one. Will give it a whirl.
I don't know if its cheaper to buy it ready done never thought of
that. Just liked the idea of using a raw beeswax and doing it myself
really. What company do ready made stuff?

Thanks again you peeps xxx

Screwfix sell it, I forget the brand.

Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

and pay the premium price because of its expensive advertising campaign on
the telly.

Not everything you can buy in the supermarket is superior to the old
fashioned way, some of it is snake oil (the problem is in telling which is
which)

tim

On 21 Jan, 09:06, Stuart Noble wrote:

Beeswax does have unique properties visually (lustre I think they call
it) but, used on its own, it's way too tacky . Normally combined with
carnauba and paraffin wax to make the typical furniture wax

That's horribly difficult to make up and really only worth it if
you're making it by the ton and care about raw-material costs.

For home-made polishes, stick with beeswax as your main wax, hardened
with carnauba or candelilla as necesary. But keep paraffin waxes and
stearin well away, or the stuff will curdle and be impossible to apply
smoothly.

Microwaxes can be useful too, but they're hard to obtain except in
large quantities, hard to make up into an applyable polish, and you're
better buying in Renaissance Wax ready made.

Andy Dingley coughed up some electrons that declared:

On 21 Jan, 00:21, Tim S wrote:

When you don't have any "Silver Dip" to hand, ali foil, boiling water,
salt and baking soda do work a treat on silver (plated) items.

They're also highly damaging long-term. This electro-polishing hack is
an abomination.

Silver Dip (thiourea inhibited with citric acid) has the great
advantage of not being damaging to silver, even when you're cleaning
considerable sulphide tarnish off it. OTOH, it's toxic. Sainsburys
sell it, but not Tesco.

Most interesting - one for the archive

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

On Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:05:52 GMT, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:


Absolutely. That programme makes me laugh. Cleaning things with vinegar &
baking soda FFS. They have absolutely no bloody idea about cleaning, they
have just jumped on the green, natural is best bollox bandwagon. They need
to pop down to Tesco & buy some decent products.

Modern polishes, hard surface cleaners & detergent sanitizers leave any of
these old wives tale cleaners in the dust. Vinegar & baking soda clean
bugger all.

.....yet these ingredients are commonly used in "Modern polishes, hard
surface cleaners & detergent sanitizers"

Almost all modern household cleaning products are pure spin and
contain nothing new or improved. In many cases using products now
banned by COSHH and other namby pamby legislation produce better
results.

Even beeswax isn't what it used to be.


--

On 21 Jan, 12:00, Stephen Howard wrote:

You'll get better and quicker results with a professionally made
polish, such as those sold by Liberon or Renaissance.

I'd agree with the recommendation to use these (esp. Liberon) for
initial finishing work on new cabinetry. I still prefer beeswax for
maintenance and cleaning use, particularly as most of my high-end work
is repro in oak.

Renaissance (read Wikipedia) is an oddity though, as it is a different
wax and not just a different solvent. I know there are people who
swear by it on wood, but I can't say I've ever seen the point. Best
thing for metals though.

These polishes tend to be thinner ( they use better solvents and have
additives that *keep the mixture stable )

For Briwax, there's also the issue that UK-spec wax uses toluene,
whilst US-spec wax doesn't and isn't thought to be such a good wax.

In article ,
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Might be worth consulting Mrs Beeton online, ISTR her offering a few
recipes for beeswax polish with varying properties.

Or you could just go to a supermarket & buy a product developed by a
knowledgable & experienced chemist in a modern lab.

Hmm. Despite all the ads showing grease etc on a cooker coming off with
one wipe of a new magic product, I'd say they're much of a muchness. So
all those chemists and labs don't actually seem to do a lot. The ad boys
are more creative, though.

--
*It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 21 Jan 2009 12:10:47 GMT, Huge wrote:

Dean Inge he say "There are two kinds of fool. One says 'This is old,
and therefore good', and the other says 'this is new, and therefore
better'."

That is wonderful.

As for beeswax polish we use "Wood Silk" a bees wax and oils polish in an
aerosol can. The modern convience of being avialable in the supermarket
and being easy to apply but doesn't have those horrible silicones or
require messing about with hot wax and turps. Wood really does come up
well with it.

We do have a can of Mr Sheen, it's used to lubricate curtain tracks or
poles nothing else and most definately not "polishing". It's terrible
stuff, if repeatedly used it builds up to an uneven hard misty layer.

--
Cheers
Dave.