Uses for beeswax: DIY leather care product and saddler's wax/coad

[Alisdair]

Hi Guys,

So, having received a nice big block of beeswax, I spent a bit of time this weekend mixing up some leathercare product and saddler's wax/coad.

 

The leathercare product can be used on leather, wood or shoes. It is a mix of 1/3 beeswax, 1/6 turpentine and 3/6 flax-seed oil. You melt the beeswax, then add the turpentine and flax-seed oil to the mix...be careful, it's highly flammable! But once you've done this, a pot of the stuff will last for years.

 

With respect to the saddler's wax/coad, I use a 2/3 rosin to 1/3 beeswax mix. Crush up the rosin and melt it, then add in the beeswax...again this is highly flammable, so be careful! Once melted, pour the mix into a bucket of warm water. Gather into a ball and kneed it continuously. When it starts getting to the consistence of soft toffee, start "taffy-pulling" the stuff, over and over again. You have to do this, otherwise, the rosin and beeswax will separate again, as they have different setting temperatures. When it reaches room temperature, gather into a ball and keep it in a baggie or other container.

 

I absolutely love passing any thread I use through this stuff: the thread holds its shape nicely, and the stickinesss helps to get a nice hold for your stiches.

 

Any other uses for beeswax in leathercraft that I should know about?

[toe2short]

I did almost the same to make a finish for my stamping table I made. It is 1/3 boiled turp.,  1/3 boiled leanseed oil and 1/3 Bees wax. It smells the same as paste as you buy in Home Depot. It works really good, it protects from any spills. I did not boil the turpentine by the way. I purchased it that way from HD. I only melted the wax with a pot of boiling water and a bowl on top of the pot. They also sell boiled Leensead oil at HD, it is to dangerous to boil the turp. or the leenseed oil.

Jim

[Alisdair]

Yep, by  varying the turp to linseed oil ratio, you get something more or less liquid. I used raw linseed/flax oil...I've been told that the boiled stuff sometimes contains nasty additives. 

[rodneywt1180b]

The boiled linseed oil has metallic dryers in it so it will cure hard. You don't want to drink it.  Probably not great for leather either unless you want it rigid.