Furniture polish

[POPZ]

Having had some great replies to my query regarding sore throat remedies, I now have another, not quite so important but nevertheless as far as household equilibrium is concerned, very important!

Has anyone got a good and workable solution to making a fine furniture polish from good beeswax. I have sorted of mastered the art of producing some lovely wax minus bits of wings, comb, the odd leg or two etc etc.

I ask this, as the task of polishing the furniture seems to be on my list (which gets longer and longer by the way! and now includes some WASHING UP!!!) and I dislike the squirty things that we seem to get nowadays. They do absolutely nothing for the wood and smell horrendous.

[Rosie]

My method for making furniture polish is as simple as my throat gargle. I just mix wax with pure turps at 1 to 1 by weight. I also add a drop or 2 of lavender oil. You need to heat the wax and turps to get them to mix properly so you obviously have to be careful because both are highly flammable.

I don't wish to teach Granny to suck eggs but I will add my method of application, just in case it's of interest.

I dab the polish over the surface and then rub it in with a tight cloth along the grain. I then leave it over night to allow the turps to evaporate. The film of hard wax that remains on the surface can then be lightly buffed with a soft duster. That will give it a sheen without removing too much wax. Next time it will just need another buffing as the wax will stay in place for many months.

I prefer not to add hard wax such as carnauba because when it builds up in thickness it can craze, or so it is claimed.

Rosie

[Calum]

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/117508/making-beeswax-furniture-polish.pdf

[POPZ]

Calum - Happy New Year to you and how are you and your ladies?

Thanks for the link, some interesting ideas there. Seems some experimentation is in order. I guess I am fortunate in having some lovely old 'real' furniture to look after.

Thanks and all the best - Richard

[Calum]

Hi
happy new year to you all too!
My ladies are fine, no losses so far.. all 21 were going strong when I treated them with oxalic acid in Dec.
This weekend the temp should be +10°C so I'll chance a knock on their doors and check their weights.

November seems to have been really bad here for losses, March - April will probably be hairy as well...
I am in great form, buying a house as the flat is too small since we had a daughter in Aug... Hopefully the worst of renovating and moving will be over in early april, no need to explain why..
ttfn
Calum

[necterboy]

Hey POPZ: Here's one thats solvent free that I found works quite well.

4 ounces oil (2 1/2 ounces olive oil or jojoba, 1 1/2 ounces coconut oil)

1 ounce beeswax

1 ounce carnauba wax

4 ounces distilled water (well water works fine)
Melt the oils and waxes in a double boiler over medium heat. Remove from the heat, pour in the water, and mix with a hand mixer until thick and creamy. Dab some cream onto a soft cotton rag and rub into the furniture. Buff and polish until the oils are well worked into the wood.

Shelf Life: 6 months to a year

Alan

[POPZ]

Good evening Necterboy - or maybe afternoon in your case? Thanks for that recipe. I aim to have a shot at some of these recipes once I have the materials - not easy here on the island! Will advise once completed!!

Weather here is warming up for a day or two this week, but of course will bring the inevitable rain with it. Despite still hovering around the 4 degrees today, my black ladies were flying - well not in huge numbers but cautiously exploring around the area. The other hives of mixed breed were still snoring their heads off.

Richard

[necterboy]

Amazing that your bee's are flying at all this time of year. You're weather is quite varied than ours. All my colonies are in their cluster and staying home. The current weather is snow -4C. I'm interested in this black species you refer to. Time to do some research.

Alan

[POPZ]

Alan - for more information there is a section on the forum called 'Native Honey Bees' Lots of good chat on there, some of it gets a bit technical but I am sure that you will be able to handle that. Some of us trying to build their populations up and in so doing avoid imports etc. They are the indigenous species of northern Europe.

I imagine there will be some colonies your side of the water - same sort of latitude as ourselves.

[necterboy]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check into it....

Alan

[POPZ]

My method for making furniture polish is as simple as my throat gargle. I just mix wax with pure turps at 1 to 1 by weight. I also add a drop or 2 of lavender oil. You need to heat the wax and turps to get them to mix properly so you obviously have to be careful because both are highly flammable Rosie

Rosie I know it is a long time since you sent me this recipe but it talkes me a while to get myself into gear at times - actually it has taken me all this time to find an old double boiler. Anyway, just given it a try and wahoo - we have great polish that seems to polish. So many thanks to my ladies that produced the hardcore stuff and thanks to you for the recipe! Not sure about trying to gargle with it though.

[Rosie]

Popz

I had forgotten that I had contribute to this thread. I'm glad it worked for you. For goodness sake don't gargle with it!

All the best

Rosie