Hi J. Do you think I could achieve similar results if double boiled some pure beeswax and mixed it with mineral oil and kept the ratio of the beeswax just below the point of the mix solidifying when cool? I think whatever method I choose, I would like the initial sealer to also be the finish...
Hey Curt,
Oh Please...!!!...
I love it went someone gets into making there own traditional finish blends...:vs_OMG::grin: That would be awesome for sure.
You really don't need to "double boil" anything...just simply melting slowly (don't stop stirring) and then add the oil and/or solvent mixture recipe you wish to employ to the melted wax...off the heat source of course. Citrus solvent will soften wax all on its own without heat, just time...which I have also achieved with turpentine also...
There are all types of "beeswax" mixes in the old recipe books around the globe. I had learn a half dozen my mother and grandmother taught me before I was even in my teens. Most traditional solvent will just natural melt beeswax into a spreadable mixture. Some are more effective than others, or (??) perhaps I should say more efficient.
Many today will use mineral spirits for this, as you have thought about.
I can't recommend it at all. For one, it's not the traditional formulation for a beeswax finish, the other is simply I have found it to be smelly and less effective. I use a citrus oil thinner, and have use turpentine in a pinch if I have to. Both botanical based and historically proven over the millenia of applications from several cultures.
A natural oil and wax (bee or carnauba...or both) is a great wood finish all on its own for work like your doing...Do share what you learn and choose for your formulation. You can purchase these raw materials from several good vendors, including the one I shared earlier. If you need more let me know, but find them isn't hard at all. Just make sure your materials are pure and not adulterated...
As to application, that is just a simple matter of rubbing it in. Since its a wax finish it will be paste like and not something you can spread well with brush (typically some you can like the formula I use recommended in the last post.) It all depends on how much solvent you mix with the wax. Some (me included) like to use the thinner (brushable) form first then the thicker version. I apply by hand and rub in...
Since this is a sculpture and not a piece of furniture that sees a lot of wear from traffic or will be outside...
you can easily do this finish just once and be done with it. Wax is one of the few finishes that can yield an true 100% waterproof finish. It only issue is sensitive to wear, and high temperatures, which isn't a concern at all in your case with a sculpture. If you choose to rub this off in the future to apply another traditional oil finish type that is an option. It will not however effectively take a good stain after this method of treatment. Oil/wax stains are another topic, but I did not get the notion you had such interest...???...I would also note, even in a really fresh piece of wood (of many species) that is well treated from the point of harvest till the end,
virtually no splinting/checking takes place at all. This is rather self evident, since most wood turning (a form of carving...:grin
is done in green wood and they would not be effective at all if splitting and checking was normal. With large wood sculptures there well may be some, but these to can be greatly mitigated with the finish and a few other tricks like
背割り (Sewari) modalities. If you wish to explore these just let me know, yet these typically must be done to carving blank before carving layout and shaping begins...Perhaps for another project if checks concern you?
Another trick that you can employ to get a good start to the process is warming the wood. My mother would actually make a small bonfire to to warm some of her work when the weather was cooler, otherwise should would do strange things like park her van in the sun, or place the project in a glass tank in the sun with the first coat on it and rub it in during the "warm up." Between the solvent and the warm temperature, the material was well soaked with finish...
Good Luck!
j