DIY Waterproof and Conditioner works

[Tacblades]

Well i was playing with some beeswax and made some waterproofer / conditioner. 

45% beeswax 55% neatsfoot oil

End result is like a firm butter or sno seal. Melts eaisly without being greasy or oily.

Just rub it on then heat with a hair dryer and buff.  

This is a video of testing on raw veg tan after two coats. 

 

[NVLeatherWorx]

Biggest problem is finding the Beeswax that doesn't have that overly smoky smell to it when you melt it down.  Several sellers of the raw blocks but the chief complaint, and this is from every source so far, is that there is a very strong smoke smell to it which most find unbearable.

[Tacblades]

15 minutes ago, NVLeatherWorx said:

Biggest problem is finding the Beeswax that doesn't have that overly smoky smell to it when you melt it down.  Several sellers of the raw blocks but the chief complaint, and this is from every source so far, is that there is a very strong smoke smell to it which most find unbearable.

I have never had that?  I use raw beeswax filtered from a local bee keeper,  when you melt it it kind of smells of honey. 

[NVLeatherWorx]

There are so many sellers of the beeswax out there right now that are even promoting their product as Organic and quadruple filtered yet the reviews, from cosmetics makers and candle makers, are not very positive at all.  I guess here on our side of the pond it is a different story.  I know when I was in Germany for awhile that I had no issues finding raw materials that had purity to them but it is a bit harder here.  Even trying to get some from a local farm where they also do their own honey and beeswax products, you can tell that they smoked the hell out of the hives before they processed them and it just doesn't come out very easy.  Also running across several raw materials suppliers that are cutting their beeswax with regular paraffin wax and trying to hide that fact, doesn't make for a solid product.

[Sceaden]

I just purchased some of this guy's stuff and I can't detect a hint of smoke smell on it. It has a pleasant, honey smell and for my purposes 5 oz shipped for $8 is great.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/211112524/100-pure-natural-beeswax-bars-1-oz-bulk?ref=shop_home_active_23

[Tacblades]

1 hour ago, NVLeatherWorx said:

There are so many sellers of the beeswax out there right now that are even promoting their product as Organic and quadruple filtered yet the reviews, from cosmetics makers and candle makers, are not very positive at all.  I guess here on our side of the pond it is a different story.  I know when I was in Germany for awhile that I had no issues finding raw materials that had purity to them but it is a bit harder here.  Even trying to get some from a local farm where they also do their own honey and beeswax products, you can tell that they smoked the hell out of the hives before they processed them and it just doesn't come out very easy.  Also running across several raw materials suppliers that are cutting their beeswax with regular paraffin wax and trying to hide that fact, doesn't make for a solid product.

I know what you mean,  as soon as some people find that there is money to be made they come up with all sorts of psudo science and ruin the products to make maximum profit.  Its very hard these days and a lot of research to actually find out what you are actually buying. 

This has the effect of spoiling the market for thoes companies that are authentic and usually are not chasing profit just happy customers. 

Makes me mad. 

[Mattsbagger]

Isn't the smoke smell from smoking the hives to open them? Really no way around that is there?

[NVLeatherWorx]

On 2/5/2017 at 10:50 AM, Mattsbagger said:

Isn't the smoke smell from smoking the hives to open them? Really no way around that is there?

There are ways for it to be filtered out but the vast majority of the new breed of keepers don't know how to to do it very well so they end over smoking the whole thing and that stuff stays in the wax and can find its way into the honey as well if they aren't careful.  Keeping bees and working out the products that they produce is much like out trade of leather work; you either learn the right way to do things or you just follow whatever the next person says and say to hell with learning.  With everything, there is a right way and wrong way and most of the newer keepers are not on the right path yet.

[Sceaden]

Though to be fair to our current day the problem of watering down, adulterating, etc, has always been a huge issue and was much worse in certain era's because of the lack of standards and testing. Read what they used to do to coffee to make an extra buck.

[NVLeatherWorx]

On 2/5/2017 at 10:43 AM, Tacblades said:

I know what you mean,  as soon as some people find that there is money to be made they come up with all sorts of psudo science and ruin the products to make maximum profit.  Its very hard these days and a lot of research to actually find out what you are actually buying. 

This has the effect of spoiling the market for thoes companies that are authentic and usually are not chasing profit just happy customers. 

Makes me mad. 

Much like those "leather kit masters" that have their stuff posted all over the internet for sale; they don't really know how to make anything and they don't really do anything with the kit that they put together aside from add some dye to it and called it a finished product.  Following someone else's instructions on how to put together their designs does not make one a leather worker.

I found a supplier for some beeswax that has received some very high praise so I will wait and see what the actual results are this coming weekend. 

[MADMAX22]

2 hours ago, Sceaden said:

Though to be fair to our current day the problem of watering down, adulterating, etc, has always been a huge issue and was much worse in certain era's because of the lack of standards and testing. Read what they used to do to coffee to make an extra buck.

Use to do? You mean still do whenever they get a chance. Only reason I dont buy preground beans if I can help it.