At my first woodworking job—at a door manufacturing facility—we sprayed finishes with solvents that had been so poisonous we needed to put on full respirators and physique fits. Even with all that safety, I may nonetheless scent the solvents, they usually made me queasy. Since that have in my 20s, I’ve switched to finishes which have little or no nasty chemical substances akin to unstable natural compounds (VOCs). Which means shellac, waxes, pure oils, linseed oil paint, and cleaning soap.
All these finishes will be made with out poisonous VOCs or driers that include heavy metals. My favourite of those finishes is smooth wax, a end made out of beeswax, uncooked linseed oil, and citrus solvent. A batch of soppy wax takes about quarter-hour to make, is cheap, and is simple to use. Plus, you don’t have to decorate like an astronaut to make it or use it.
Mushy wax doesn’t create a tough movie end like lacquer or shellac, so it’s not terribly sturdy. However it’s simple to restore—simply add extra smooth wax—and the end seems higher and higher the extra the article is used. I apply it to every thing, from tabletops to bookshelves to chairs.
Uncooked substances and equipment
I make (and retailer) the smooth wax in a quart-size metallic paint can that I warmth on the range or on an induction cooktop. Different vital gadgets embody a kitchen scale, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, and a meals thermometer.
I exploit beeswax granules, that are offered to make candles and make-up. These can be found in both yellow or white. I don’t discover a shade distinction on the wooden, so I decide the inexpensive choice.
I exploit purified linseed oil, which is uncooked oil that has been defatted or degummed. Not like the hardware-store model of boiled linseed oil, purified linseed oil has no poisonous metallic driers, and it dries simply high quality when utilized in skinny coats. However you should utilize nearly any form of drying oil to make the smooth wax, together with boiled linseed oil, uncooked linseed oil, or tung oil.
The ultimate ingredient is a citrus solvent. This isn’t the citrus stuff from the house heart. It’s a solvent made totally from orange peels and a tiny little bit of water. It’s fully protected and makes the smooth wax simple to scoop out of the paint can. It additionally provides a pleasant scent.
The recipe
I measure the liquids—the oil and the solvent—by quantity, and I measure the wax by weight. Right here’s the recipe for one batch:
- 2 cups of purified linseed oil (473 ml)
- 3.8 oz. (by weight) of beeswax (108 g)
- 4 tablespoons (or extra) of citrus solvent (60 ml)
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Measure out your substances, then pour the oil into the quart can. Place the thermometer within the can and warmth the can to 150°F (65°C). That is often a low setting on a range. Don’t let the oil get above 185°F (85°C), which is the purpose the place it would change shade.
As soon as the oil is at temperature, add the beeswax whereas stirring. (I exploit the thermometer as a stir stick.) After the wax melts into the oil, add the solvent whereas persevering with to stir. I add 4 tablespoons to make a agency wax. Including extra solvent will make it mushier.
Take away the combination from the warmth. The combination will appear to be linseed oil till it cools, which is when it will likely be laborious and translucent. You should use the end whereas it’s heat when you like; in any other case, you’ll be able to retailer it and use it at room temperature.
Utilizing smooth wax
Earlier than you apply smooth wax to any mission, be sure you prep the floor as you usually would. When you’re making use of it to reveal wooden, aircraft, scrape the issue areas, and sand with 220-grit sandpaper. Then apply the smooth wax.
With milk paint, sand the primary coat of paint with a 330-grit sanding sponge. Then apply two extra coats of paint. After the milk paint has cured, mud off the floor with a tack rag after which apply the smooth wax. Scoop the smooth wax out of the paint can with a spoon and plop it onto an abrasive pad, akin to a Scotch-Brite pad. The slight abrasive high quality of those pads removes small nibs of wooden which might be left behind. You should definitely apply the thinnest coat doable with the pad.
After about 5 minutes, use a cotton towel with a huck weave—the place the threads are woven underneath and over one another—to take away the surplus. This type of towel shouldn’t depart lint behind. Plus, the slight tooth to the weave is ideal for buffing out smooth wax. Mushy T-shirt cotton material tends to only smear the oil and wax round. Huck-weave towels are offered at medical provide shops as surgical towels, or at automotive shops as wiping/buffing cloths.
Buff all surfaces till dry. When you miss a spot, the oil can really feel sticky and rubbery after a couple of days.
Dwelling with smooth wax
A smooth wax end can survive indefinitely if it’s not abused. In reality, I feel objects completed in smooth wax look higher with age, particularly chairs. The oil and filth from our pores and skin solely add to the patina and glow of a chair.
If the wax is ever broken (water is a typical offender), the restore is straightforward: Scrape and/or sand the affected space with high quality sandpaper, then apply extra smooth wax and buff it out.
When you begin making your individual finishes, you’ll be wanting to experiment (akin to including some carnauba wax to the combo so as to add some shine). And also you’ll have taken the primary steps to creating much more store provides—even, maybe, your individual glue.
Christopher Schwarz is a furnishings maker and author in Covington, Ky.
Positive Woodworking Advisable Merchandise
Bumblechutes Bee’Nooba Wax
Ease of Use = Superb
Sheen = Superb
Look = Superb
Non-Yellowing = Superb
Water/Stain Resistance = Glorious
Odie’s Oil
Ease of Use = Very Good
Sheen = Glorious
Look = Superb
Non-Yellowing = Superb
Water/Stain Resistance = Glorious
Foam Brushes
Foam brushes are nice for making use of a wide range of stains and finishes, and the two” extensive brush is probably the most versatile. Is available in a pack of 48.
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