[Rwhpi]

Instead of discarding used stick candles used in our household, I put them to many uses in my woodshop.

They're handy for waxing table saw miter bars, miter tracks, drawer runners, metal rules (with & without slides) – and great for use as a quick woodscrew lubricant. A few swipes with the end along drill bits, countersinks and plug cutter edges helps to prevent residue buildup. And between those paste wax applications, a few swirls with the end on a metal tool table, followed by a quick buffing, not only reduces friction but helps to resist rust.

Also, try swiping the threads of a new heat-bearing incandescent bulb, when changing. The next time changed, it will be much easier to remove. Their uses become unlimited and they last forever!

 

[Horseapple Man]

I put the scraps in an old crappy pot on the kitchen stove and melt them, remove the wicks, and pour the wax into a little sour cream container. I forgot how many ounces but it was the smallest size Daisy brand.

When it cools, I stick it in the freezer for about 5 minutes and that makes it pop out easy.

Yesterday I lubricated a drawer my grandpa made 30 years ago for the table/cart thing he attached his planer to. The drawer is made out of plywood and it slides on pine.

I used the heat gun to melt the wax block a little bit to make it rub on the wood easier, then I waved the heat gun over the wood to melt the wax into the wood.

Some of it was thirsty, the wood absorbed the molten wax like a sponge.



Another thing I tried was chipping little pieces off the wax and putting it on the wood & melting it with the heat gun. That doesn't work very well because the wind from the heat gun blows the wax chips away before they melt.

 

[Horseapple Man]

My shop is in the south third of a pole barn. There's a walk-in door on the shop but I usually enter through the north door and go through the unheated side into the shop.

That north door gets frozen shut at the bottom & I have dents in it from kicking it open.

2 years ago I rubbed a candle on the aluminum threshold and it solved the freezing problem, until recently.

This time I'm going to use the heat gun to make sure it's uniformly covered and not simply covered with flakes that will fall off.

 

[Horseapple Man]

Another use for paraffin wax that I haven't tried yet, is to use the heat gun to melt it into the end grain of cut hardwood limbs to seal them & prevent splitting as it dries.

I've been using Danish oil for that, but I still get split ends.

 

[Rwhpi]

Instead of discarding used stick candles used in our household, I put them to many uses in my woodshop.

They're handy for waxing table saw miter bars, miter tracks, drawer runners, metal rules (with & without slides) – and great for use as a quick woodscrew lubricant. A few swipes with the end along drill bits, countersinks and plug cutter edges helps to prevent residue buildup. And between those paste wax applications, a few swirls with the end on a metal tool table, followed by a quick buffing, not only reduces friction but helps to resist rust.

Also, try swiping the threads of a new heat-bearing incandescent bulb, when changing. The next time changed, it will be much easier to remove. Their uses become unlimited and they last forever!

Away from recycling and staying on the waxing topic: I use blocks of canning Paraffin, also. A box is rather cheap and the larger blocks save time when using on metal table tops and lathe beds for a quick waxing.

 

[4DThinker]

Had to re-read the thread title. Thought it read "stick candies". I envisioned popsicle sticks and rolled paper lolly pop sticks, but couldn't figure out why anyone would wipe either on threads.
In our college shop a bar of soap was always close by for wiping on threads to make screws easier to drive in.

 

[Steve Neul]

Instead of discarding used stick candles used in our household, I put them to many uses in my woodshop.

They're handy for waxing table saw miter bars, miter tracks, drawer runners, metal rules (with & without slides) – and great for use as a quick woodscrew lubricant. A few swipes with the end along drill bits, countersinks and plug cutter edges helps to prevent residue buildup. And between those paste wax applications, a few swirls with the end on a metal tool table, followed by a quick buffing, not only reduces friction but helps to resist rust.

Also, try swiping the threads of a new heat-bearing incandescent bulb, when changing. The next time changed, it will be much easier to remove. Their uses become unlimited and they last forever!

Candles are kind of small, I prefer to use a stick of gulfwax.