Beeswax Furniture Polish

Illtyd Perkins' Family Beeswax recipe, passed down through generations, is hand made on Salt Spring Island. Illtyd enjoys making the polish.  Perhaps it's the sweet resinous smell of hot beeswax and turpentine...not to speak of the exciting possibility that the whole batch will turn into a ball of flame.

In addition to the regular furniture polish, Illtyd offers a second finish for cutting-boards, salad bowls and any other natural wood surfaces that come into contact with food.

Thess well-tested recipes are now available for sale in 4 oz. tins at West Wind Hardwood.

Find out more about Illtyd Perkins and his work.

  Beeswax Polish Application:

Polishing works best in a warm room! The aim is to apply a thin but even coat of wax. Too thick a coat will be difficult to shine, and will take much longer to harden.

Apply the wax with a cotton cloth with a reasonably open weave; old dish towels work well, cut into 12" squares. Fold the cloth to make a pad about 3" square. Transfer a little wax to the cloth, and then apply thinly and evenly to the object to be polished. Try not to leave any spots starved of wax, and follow the wood-grain direction whenever possible.

The wax must now be allowed to dry before buffing. About ten minutes should be enough in a normally heated room, but this time can vary with humidity and ambient temperature.

An alternative application technique is to put a small (walnut sized) lump of wax inside a single layer of open-weave cloth. Twist the cloth around the wax.

Squeezing should result in tiny wormlets of wax sprouting from the cloth surface. Use this pad to apply a thin coat of wax as above. This is a good technique for larger surfaces.

BUFFING:

Buff with a large piece of cotton cloth - an old sheet or tea-towel work well. Turn the cloth frequently, and shake out occasionally. Rub vigorously, again following the grain direction. Finish off by buffing again, with a new soft cloth.

If the surface seems a bit patchy or uneven, wait for twelve hours and re-wax the surface, again buffing vigorously after application. New work may require three coats.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Wax should be applied over a sealer coat of lacquer, sanding sealer, varnish or shellac. Oil finishes can be waxed when thoroughly cured (allow a week for newly oiled surfaces). Waxing over new oil will dull the shine. Wax should not be used as the only finish on bare wood.

"SALAD BOWL" FINISH:

This is a beeswax and mineral oil finish. It should be applied quite liberally to bare wood, allowed to penetrate for ten minutes, and then rubbed hard with a coarse cloth. This will give a matt or satin lustre, and partially seal the surface. It is food safe, and can also be used for toys or other items used by young children.