Comments on: Wax Mix http://toolmakingart.com/2008/08/06/wax-mix/ Timeless Tools, Speculation, Husbandry, Making hand tools. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:35:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: BobStrawn http://toolmakingart.com/2008/08/06/wax-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-148 BobStrawn Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:00:45 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=30#comment-148 Looking it up, some countries us borax as a preservative, often in caviar. Borax can be used as a cleaner, but might not be ideal. Turpentine may well have issues as well. It used to be used in cough syrup, but not so much any more. I will probably go with safflower, beeswax and vodka for cutting boards in the future. Bob Looking it up, some countries us borax as a preservative, often in caviar. Borax can be used as a cleaner, but might not be ideal. Turpentine may well have issues as well. It used to be used in cough syrup, but not so much any more.

I will probably go with safflower, beeswax and vodka for cutting boards in the future.

Bob

]]> By: Skip J. http://toolmakingart.com/2008/08/06/wax-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Skip J. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:52:28 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=30#comment-147 Thanks Bob; I have on hand several of every size of ferrule that LV makes - so if I boil any of the tanged ones, I'll wait on the ferrule 'til after. Eventually I'll get to the socket handles tho and just throw'em in. However, I plan to use my mesquite on those and you say the mesquite soaks up (the) wax like a sponge? And, while we're on the subject - I'm not sure I would want borax in a mix for a cutting board???? You also mention heating the mix several places - I have done well by using a heat blower for several seconds on a waxed handle to stiffen up the surface before buffing out.... I guess if it was heated very much the wax might melt again - so would you say a quick'n dirty wand-waving of the blower is what works to dry it out??? Skip Thanks Bob; I have on hand several of every size of ferrule that LV makes - so if I boil any of the tanged ones, I’ll wait on the ferrule ’til after. Eventually I’ll get to the socket handles tho and just throw’em in.

However, I plan to use my mesquite on those and you say the mesquite soaks up (the) wax like a sponge?

And, while we’re on the subject - I’m not sure I would want borax in a mix for a cutting board????

You also mention heating the mix several places - I have done well by using a heat blower for several seconds on a waxed handle to stiffen up the surface before buffing out…. I guess if it was heated very much the wax might melt again - so would you say a quick’n dirty wand-waving of the blower is what works to dry it out???

Skip

]]> By: BobStrawn http://toolmakingart.com/2008/08/06/wax-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-146 BobStrawn Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:36:25 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=30#comment-146 Unlimited supply and better control of the actual contents! And yes, Skip, I too use this stuff on an amazing range of goods. I love the look of it, I love the feel. While I did make an effort to show a casual stance towards purity, the stuff I have made for others, and the stuff I would use on a cutting board are quite a bit cleaner. I would not add the camphor to it if it was going to be a food surface or given to someone else either as I try to maintain a food surface contact grade of materials. This batch is going on garden planters, so they are going to get dirty and stay dirty. For food surfaces, I try to use the paraffin that is sold for canning. A valid caution however would be if you boiled a tool with brass on it. Brass usually has a reasonable percentage of lead in it, so boiling the brass in oil, might not be as safe as a bit of honest dirt on a candle, that will mostly settle to the bottom. I am not sure of the probable leeching of lead that might occur, so I would err on the safe side. Bob Unlimited supply and better control of the actual contents! And yes, Skip, I too use this stuff on an amazing range of goods. I love the look of it, I love the feel.

While I did make an effort to show a casual stance towards purity, the stuff I have made for others, and the stuff I would use on a cutting board are quite a bit cleaner. I would not add the camphor to it if it was going to be a food surface or given to someone else either as I try to maintain a food surface contact grade of materials. This batch is going on garden planters, so they are going to get dirty and stay dirty. For food surfaces, I try to use the paraffin that is sold for canning.

A valid caution however would be if you boiled a tool with brass on it. Brass usually has a reasonable percentage of lead in it, so boiling the brass in oil, might not be as safe as a bit of honest dirt on a candle, that will mostly settle to the bottom. I am not sure of the probable leeching of lead that might occur, so I would err on the safe side.

Bob

]]> By: Skip J. http://toolmakingart.com/2008/08/06/wax-mix/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Skip J. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:10:27 +0000 http://toolmakingart.com/?p=30#comment-145 I have collected the ingredients recommended by Bob in preparation for making his standard mix, including a hot plate and some borax powder. However, Bob provided some of us with gifts that included some wax mix he had poured up into the tins he shows here. The problem is that the wax mix is so useful that I have been using mine in place of several different products, as well as the Minwax I usually finish furniture with. Having the ability to make my own unlimited supply from now on has been the greatest benefit of his whole program. I also noticed that he gives a variation here with beeswax where he adds paraffin and carnuba to offset the softness of the beeswax. Thanks Bob, another problem solved for me... I'll let you know how it turns out. And, I guess if you throw in a few tools to treat while boiling up the mix - then you're not wasting a lot of wax mix to finish the tools, just taking care of business as you go. Skip I have collected the ingredients recommended by Bob in preparation for making his standard mix, including a hot plate and some borax powder. However, Bob provided some of us with gifts that included some wax mix he had poured up into the tins he shows here. The problem is that the wax mix is so useful that I have been using mine in place of several different products, as well as the Minwax I usually finish furniture with. Having the ability to make my own unlimited supply from now on has been the greatest benefit of his whole program.

I also noticed that he gives a variation here with beeswax where he adds paraffin and carnuba to offset the softness of the beeswax.

Thanks Bob, another problem solved for me… I’ll let you know how it turns out. And, I guess if you throw in a few tools to treat while boiling up the mix - then you’re not wasting a lot of wax mix to finish the tools, just taking care of business as you go.

Skip

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