As a beekeeper and woodworker, I put my cappings and such in an old tube sock then place it in the water. The wax that comes out of the sock is almost clean. The added bonus is the chopped up sock makes a good fire starter.
that's a great idea. I was using sections old cotton sheets over a strainer but inefficient as heat isn't maintained as you pour it. But your method, the wax is under constant heat.
Thanks so much for the "buy it if you want, make it if you want" approach. Totally the opposite of the "this is secretly an advert thinly disguised as a tutorial" approach. And with wax from a pal with bees and oil from a pal with a press, I never felt less advertised-to!
If you want to filter raw dirty wax in ONE GO, here's what we do with our wax (we keep bees): 1. Find a metal pot or tray that fits into your oven 2. It needs to be deep enough to hold some water in it and hold some kind of a metal strainer - it doesn't matter if it's fine or not 3. Put a few inches of water into the pot, put the strainer on it, put 2 layers of kitchen towels across the whole strainer and put the wax onto that 4. Put everything into the oven and set it to 155-160F (65-70C) and check periodically if there's any wax left in the strainer. 5. When all the raw wax is gone, turn off the oven and let everything cool down The wax slowly melts and runs through the towels, dripping into the water below. All the impurities and stuff are left on the towels in the strainer. When you let everything cool, the wax in the water solidifes into a puck and floats on top of the water, but it's clean, all that dirt and stuff is on the towels. You just throw it away and voila, a pot full of nice clean wax. The 155-160F temperature is the melting point of beeswax, when it flows nicely, cause it needs to get thin in order to go through the towels. Beeswax is flammable and it does not boil, just gets hotter and hotter and then ignites, but don't worry - the flashpoint of beeswax is 400F (204C), so you're nowhere near that. Also, the 155-160F range won't damage or discolor the wax, it won't ruin it. When I first tried this, I wasn't expecting results, really, I thought I was going to get a bunch of hardener wax towel mess, so it was pretty much a surprise when it worked. I've been using this method every since cause it removed any neccessity for cheese cloths, rags, multiple meltings and a bunch of water I used to use, and - it comes out yellow and clean. Hope this helps, thanks James for making this video!
I tried this method a while back, but maybe I had slightly higher temperature as my wax was duller in colour and not as bright yellow when I have done it with water. Will have to try again to see, although I'm thinking of using a solar melter as well to see how that goes.
I am using your hard wax recipe for waxing my plane soles. I had an idea to pour it into a clean and empty twist up refillable deodorant container - should be less messy to handle :)
@@nickgardner1705 worked very well - a couple of things worth noting: 1) I used Jojoba oil instead of linseed (what I had on hand). 2) bees wax melts at around 70C or 160F. I recommend monitoring the temperature and pouring the wax at slightly above that. the first pour I did the wax was way to hot - it melted the plastic of the container and made a smelly mess. the second one I made sure the wax was much cooler (under 200F) and I pored it. works amazing. I was using my No. 8, then added some wax to the sole - it shot forward so fast I almost lost control :) also, keep a bowl of cold water with ice at hand
Sadly my workshop is outside and pretty much all tools are staying outside. I made some with beewax pellets and vegetable oil. Isn't perfect but will prevent a lot of rusting especially for my chisels.
Great recipes! Another I like to use is a mix of roughly 3 parts beeswax to 1 part USP grade mineral oil. I adjust it until a sample of the cooled mix is like a thick grease or old Johnson's paste wax. At that point it can be easily massaged by hand into the wood. It's a great idea for food contact wood items like cutting boards, spoons, spatulas and salad bowls. And unlike the tung or other nut oils I used to use the beeswax and mineral oil is not a strong allergen in case someone in the family or a visitor is allergic to nuts. The mixture is surprisingly tolerant of being washed. But make at a dunk, wipe, rinse, dry sort of deal as any long term soaking will obviously soak into the wood after a while. So yeah. Beeswax. It's good for more than just in the shop.
Thanks for the good instructions, James! I ordered some pure bees wax and cold pressed linseed oil from a local health shop right away, will be making my own hard wax as soon as that order comes in!
This is exactly what I needed! Some time ago, I got 2 blocks of bee’s wax for lubricating my planes and that does not work at all because the wax is way too hard. As is so often the case, I thought this was a good idea at the time. Oh, well. We’re traveling right now, but first thing I’m gonna try when I get home is to make the hard wax according to this recipe! Looking forward to it!
I did this yesterday. Took like 10 minutes for the wax to dissolve or melt, plus another 1-2 hours for it to cool down again after the pour. OMG, this stuff is sooo good and so so much better than the obvious crap I used to use. Thank you so much!
I love your instructional video:. It is simply wonderful to hear international traits coined into the narrative. Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous data. Best of luck.
Also works great on screws and drill bits, especially in hardwoods. And when I worked in the commercial glazing business (long, long time ago) we always used beeswax when cutting or drilling aluminum.
Just an idea, have you thought about using a cheese slicer to clean the entire top one time? You could make a large enough one to clean it in one swoop. I made one for cutting clay. :)
I use bees wax with pine turpentine and works very well. Also it depends from the postions of these two elmements to be hard or very soft. I will try also your recipe. Thanks for the video and ideas
I of course made a mess in the kitchen. Thankfully my wife and I don't share a kitchen. We'll see how it goes. I made the harder version,and made it into this wafers, because that's what I had. Summers here are upper 90s and low 100s daily, so I might have to melt it into a bigger chunk. Vamos a ver. Thanks for the instructions. I'll do better next time.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo hey james, great video, thank you for sharing. ive been using polymerized oil for years, but it isnt cheap stuff. i'm thinking about trying your slowcooker method to make my own. can you tell me if you separate the fats out of your flax oil before you put it in the slow cooker, or do you not bother with that step? also, how long do you cook it? on high or low?
First time I tried this the worst part was cleaning the pot. Second time I tried I boiled water and put the wax in one of those metal pie pans and set it on top of the boiling water pot. Worked great and clean up was easy peasy.
Wow I just went and checked out the prices and your cheaper than store bought wax. Next time I need some you will have my order I can promise that!! Keep up the awesome work James!
I made few ratios: - only candle - very hard to apply to the sole and can't feel glide differences . - 1:4, 1part liquid paraffin with 4 parts melted candle - the mixture stays hard like candle and feels little bit oily. Better apply to the sole than the pure candle, but still not good gliding. - 1:3 - the mixture stays hard and feels more oily in the hand. Good apply to the sole, little bit better gliding. - 1:2 - the mixture stays hard again and feel very oily in the hand. Very good apply to the sole, very good gliding. - 1:1 - the mixture stays hard at first look, feel very very oily and feels like starts to melt in the hand. Apply to sole very easy and glide like 1:2 mixture. 1:2 think is the best mix for me. Twist cans from paper glue were filled, so the wax will stay clean and easy to use. I'm pretty sure Rob Cosman's wax is on the same base. Not so much variants for wax i think. The bees wax i will use for wood protection, just doesn't work for me as lubricant. Happy planing guys! :)
Very nice tutorial video, thank you for taking time to film, edit and post this video. Liked and subscribed. I also ordered both of your waxes from your site.
Thank you James. A needed topic. A note, linseed oils of store bought types. Boiled Linseed Oil is not boiled, but treated with a chemical, thereby it's not to be confused with the real thing, yours. Where in Hawaii could I find pure Linseed oil is anyone's guess.
I wonder if you could get raw oil there. I know they had both "boiled" and raw in Tonga, but they definitely don't have the same laws as the US does though. And I think the name stuck around from when it USED to be boiled. And now they just call it boiled when they put a chemical in it to do the same job. Much like the British call flashlights "torches," even though the ONLY similarly is that they both produce light.
Awesome video as usual. I think I’ll just keep buying from you to support the channel. My wife was listening and cracked up at the Brazilian wax joke. 😂😂😂😂😂😂
I think you have answered a question I have had since the early 80’s. In high school woodworking, we used a soft wax that smelt like turpentine and looked like bees wax. I do believe it was essentially like your soft wax. I’m tempted to make my own now, but am more likely to buy yours, if it can be shipped international, and our Border Control doesn’t consider it a biohazard (Australia)
Also, would a lipstick holder be a good container for this sort of thing, or would a roll on deodorant holder be a better size? If I can get hold of some local apiaiaiaiaiairists, I'd like to experiment.
I have tried finding a canister like that but have not found one economical enough yet. i know Rob Cosman uses a glue stick canister. If I were to do them one off I could use old ones.
Thanks, I’m going to order some of your 2:1 hard wax with raw linseed oil, looks useful, and plain beeswax is way too hard. FYI, I made my own soft wax following an old “colonial” recipe I found online, and it is basically 1:1:1, (or in your example 2:2:2) with beeswax, BLO, and mineral spirits in equal parts. I’m not sure what the extra half measure of mineral spirits does to the hardness compared to your recipe, whether it makes it harder or softer (?) but it seems to work ok on my wood projects. Thanks. 👍
I've just received some Bees wax that I ordered from a local bee keeper to make some polish up - I will be following your recipe. (Seeing as I'm over in England I figured the shipping cost of buying yours would be prohibitive!).
@@WoodByWrightHowTo I will be trying it using a old cast iron 'glue pot' that I have restored using electrolysis, and that will be on top of our log burner, so I will need to keep a close eye on temperatures. If all else fails I will have to stump up the money and order some from you!
Hey James!! I´ve just made your misture, actually its in the fridge right now. I made the soft wax, but insted of mineral spirits, that i dont know what that even is eheh i used mineral oil!
Mineral spirits is also referred to as white spirits in the UK. Mineral oil will make it very soft but mineral oil does not polymerize so it will stay liquid on the surface rather than hardening over time.
If you crush the puck before heating it up for the secont time you"ll use less energy and time to melt it again. If you manage to doubble the surfvavae area it will melt in half the time so I imagine only 4 good centre brakes should do it.
Hopefully you will reply on an old video. Will store bought Boiled Linseed oil work for this recipe? Love all your videos and they are helping me build my workshop!
Unless you have a beekeeper friend you'll pay more for wax than for honey. Also I'm told you want to warm the wax at the lowest possible temperature. Cooling from a high temp makes a harder wax.
ive gotten a nice waxed surface by letting the wood sit in the sun and getting really hot then applying the wax and letting it sit for a while then letting it cool and then buffing it out. I tell myself the heat helps the wax penetrate, but idk, it might be the placebo syndrome
That's actually a pretty decent method. A lot of people use a heat gun to work it down into the wood. The old-fashioned way is to use a friction polisher.
Is the ratio of wax to linseed oil measured by weight or by volume? Excellent video by the way! I'm always impressed when people show step-by-step videos on how to make the same product that they also sell.
I wanted to buy some of your hard wax but unfortunately shipping to the UK is really expensive, so I'll see if I can get hold of some raw materials and follow your recipe instead! Thanks for the info
@@WoodByWrightHowTo around $7 shipping to UK isn't that bad to be fair James it would cost alot more in gas and electricity to make it yourself sir great video
Yes. It has a lot of nice turning aspects. It's a great wood for hand tools and carving as well. And all around very simple easy wood to work with. depending upon where on the tree it may also have a decent amount of figure to it.
I don't know where is my mistake, but my bees hard wax stops the plane instead to move smooth and faster. I will try to melt candle and mix it with liquid paraffine. I will share what will happen.
I made few ratios: - only candle - very hard to apply to the sole and can't feel glide differences . - 1:4, 1part liquid paraffin with 4 parts melted candle - the mixture stays hard like candle and feels little bit oily. Better apply to the sole than the pure candle, but still not good gliding. - 1:3 - the mixture stays hard and feels more oily in the hand. Good apply to the sole, little bit better gliding. - 1:2 - the mixture stays hard again and feel very oily in the hand. Very good apply to the sole, very good gliding. - 1:1 - the mixture stays hard at first look, feel very very oily and feels like starts to melt in the hand. Apply to sole very easy and glide like 1:2 mixture. 1:2 think is the best mix for me. Twist cans from paper glue were filled, so the wax will stay clean and easy to use. I'm pretty sure Rob Cosman's wax is on the same base. Not so much variants for wax i think. The bees wax i will use for wood protection, just doesn't work for me as lubricant. Happy planing guys! :)
bit late after the making of the video, but I made my own hardwax with linseed oil & beeswax (would have bought yours, but shipping it to Europe seems a bit over the top), but when I put it on my tools, it sort of seems to attract dust and stuff. Am I putting it on too thick (or not rubbing it out enough) or did I do something wrong in making it?
where did you get that can for your wax? Also what purpose does the mineral spirit serve in your wax creme? I ask because I've see DIY recipes for wax creme that just uses wax, coconut oil and some other oils.( I'm trying to save a buck or 2 if I can) thx again for this video♥☻☺ I really enjoy watching this video double time. In fact the next time you make these videos if you can say the work puck🐔🐥🐔🐥 ALOT... it would be super entertaining. 🐔🐥🐔🐥You did a FEW times this video.. but many pucks in a row often makes my memory retention GREAT!!! 🐔🐔
The mineral spirits makes the wax softer and easier to apply. It then will evaporate them away leaving the hardened wax behind. It's not necessary but it makes it easier to apply.
Not that I'm aware of. There's so much other stuff in it that it's not really viable for human consumption but I'm sure if we thought about it long enough there would be some use for it.
Great video! One question: Why do you use raw linseed oil for the hard wax and the boiled for the soft wax? I assume there is a reason since you mentioned that you go through the trouble of boiling it yourself. Is it that the boiled penetrates wood better?
The hard wax I use for two lubrication and rust prevention. In that case I would rather the oil stay liquid and softer longer. The boiled linseed oil will polymerize in a day or two. And that's what you want on wood finishes. So that's what I use in the soft wax that gets used for finishing projects.
Is the hard wax good for rust prevention on power tool table tops? I have a 10" band saw and a bench top drill press, both with cast iron platforms. Right now I'm using 3 in 1 oil. It works, but I have to reapply it often. The tools are under a an awning outside (one day I'll have a climate controlled workshop, one day). I'm just wondering if the wax will last longer. Thanks! FYI, I just subscribed.
When I process my wax from honey extraction, I typically pour into ice cube trays after my final cleaning. just makes it WAY easier to get the right amount of wax you need instead of trying to break apart a big block of wax......which can be a real challenge....and a mess. OH.....just a warning.....DO NOT use your wife's favorite cookware to process the wax.......go to a thrift store and buy a cheap pot to do your wax processing in....you will thank me later. lol
Unfortunately for the video the silicone molds were in use as I use them as well to mold the hard wax. I just messed up my timing and it ended up hardening in the bucket.
Would I be able to substitute paraffin for the beeswax? I have a few slabs of gulf paraffin, boiled linseed & mineral spirits. Would this work or would the end product be to hard to buff as a paste wax?
Hi so I watched this. Do you think the tried and true danish oil old work here? The company told me that they use a different kind of linseed oil in their original finish which is basically a thin paste wax?
Greetings. Awesome video. Was wondering if rags used for the soft wax could be prone to self-combusting because of the boiled linseed oil, or is it stabilized because of the beeswax and mineral spirits?
there would be a little chance of it but only very slightly. Contrary to popular belief oil soaked rags will only combust under very specific situations. But unfortunately that is wadded up in the bottom of a trash can.
If you want it send out so that you can smear it onto the surface the mineral spirits will allow you to do that. Without the mineral spirits it is much harder and you generally have to keep it up to get it to work into the wood.
Thanks :) Also, would products finished with the soft wax be food/toddler safe when it hardens (and, presumably, the mineral spirits evaporated)? Or would you substitute the mineral spirits with something else for that purpose? Really like your channel, and just made the hard paste wax :)
Most of the time just by eyeball. It really doesn't matter that much. Initially testing them all I used a scale to weigh them but now I just eyeball how much I put in so I guess now it's by volume lol.
Hey James any downside to using tea light candle wax? Got a huge bag of these suckers and would like to put them to good use. Also what about using a store bought BLO? Trying to make a hard wax for planing and sawing
Cleaning can be difficult. I just bought cheap ones for 5 bucks at the resale store and dedicated them to the process. But if you were really careful with it, you can clean it out. If you heat it up until it melts you can wipe it out with a rag and then theoretically what dishwasher should be able to heat it up enough to clean out everything leftover.
I hope you might be able to help...but I made this board recipe and it seemed to have gone rancid. Did I do something wrong? Over a little bit of time it has a pungent smell.
Why don't you send me an email and we can hash it out. jameswright@woodbywright.com I don't always see responses on here. They tend to get buried quickly. First I would ask which recipe you're using. Second I ask where did you get your supplies and third I would ask how long did it take for the smell to start. most linseed oils are good to sit on the shelf for a year or two without any problem. Especially if they're kept in an airtight container.
Could the linseed oil be subbed out with another oil? Like coconut oil? I use coconut oil and beezwax to make my board butter so i have an abundance. I wanted to use what I have on hand if possible
Sure you can use any mixture you want. People use all different types of oils and different types of waxes. Just be warned with coconut oil it takes a long time to polymerize and will often feel oily for weeks or months.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Got it! I'll stick to the linseed oil then. Thank you so much for the response and the info. Your channel has helped me out so much as a woodworker!
As always james sir I spend couple hours each day just watching your videos lots of information and fun to watch can I ask when is the next 1 tool build sir realy like watching them
Wood flooring wax used to be like this and you would just reapply it every 6 months or so. Nowadays wood flooring wax is actually a polyurethane. Or something similar that actually adds a coating to the floor.
It all depends on what you want with it. You could add a trans tint dye to it and get whatever you want just to be careful when wiping it on to have gloves otherwise your hands will turn colors. I've known other people to mix in an oil-based stain but pretty much anything that is intended to color wood could get mixed in with it.
hi . nice video. i used parrafin wax ( candles) and coconut oil to make a hard paste wax in a 2:1 ration like you instructed , but the resulting paste wax came out crumbly ( when i tried to apply it ) . should i increase the ratio of parrafin wax to the oil and repeat ?Thanks
The how to make sense. Its the why I'm not clear on. Do you use a Beeswax & Linseed oil mix to save time from putting on Linseed Oil and then Beeswax or is there another reason for using a mix? Thanks
It does not save time or money. But some people like the enjoyment of making things from scratch. For me I sell it. The other reason people might make it is so they know what exactly is in it.