Furniture Polish

[Widdershins]

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Turpentine
4 oz Beeswax
2 TBS Carnauba Wax

■Melt the wax in a double boiler then remove from heat.
■Add the turpentine and stir well with a wooden spoon. Pour into jars, seal and allow to cool before use.

*found this recipe on TipNut, not tried it myself yet.

 

[Poly Hive]

Seems a lot of turps.

I used Clara Furness's recipe for years very successfully.

PH

 

[Widdershins]

thats not really very helpful is it? why are you constantly negative about others posts? You make me

the very least you could have done was post the recipe which you use.

 

[Poly Hive]

Let me take this complaint in order.

I do not feel I am consistently negative. If I think something is wrong I will say so. Not to spare feelings but to save the bees.

As for the recipe do you think I have nothing better to do than to research and post?

As for posting an untried recipe is that not a waste of time?

If I can find it I will post it for the general benefit. Any other moans you may have please pm me and I will be delighted to discuss them.

Mean while I have three floors of stairs to paint.

PH

 

[Poly Hive]

Having spent 20 minutes in the freeze looking for the Furness leaflet which I remember buying from Steele and Brodie (remember them)? I can say I no longer have it.

Try looking here: http://www.northantsbees.org.uk/waxrecipes.html

Definitely less turps.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Seems to be not far off, what with the extra(?) carnuaba; Northants BKA says "Ingredients are ½oz. carnauba wax, 4½oz. beeswax, and 1-pint solvent." Perhaps depends really on the size of your cups? The Boss says a cup is a third of a pint, so right ball park, as far as I can see.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Having measured "cups" I find it to be 240ml. A half cup of a difference is 120ml which in terms of polish is actually rather a lot.

The point being here the more solvent the softer the polish and the harder work to actually get a shine.

PH

 

[Lois]

Whats more to the point is, who polishes anyway?

 

[oliver90owner]

Peoples wiv proppa wood furniture, of course.

Regards, RAB

 

[wightbees]

I used to polish, and it was a very good finish.
Not done it for years now though, but when i get some wax of my own i'm going to build something just to make some polish up lol

 

[Poly Hive]

Just a thought but when I sold direct to the public furniture polish was a very good seller, and we also sold furniture cream.

PH

 

[rowbow]

rowbow

One thing I have not seen mentioned is the type of turpentine, it must be pure turps not the decorating brands.

CHILL life is too short.

 

[Poly Hive]

Actually......................................

You can cut the turps by 50% and use white spirit to make it up. The smell is the selling point you see.

PH

 

[crazy_bull]

Actually......................................

You can cut the turps by 50% and use white spirit to make it up. The smell is the selling point you see.

PH

I tried that once and the polish seemed to have a more curdled texture to it, no idea why, but i blamed the white spirit so never tried it again but could have easily been another element in the mix, i might try cutting the expensive turps to make it go further.

Has anyone found a cheap source of good smelling turps? i once bought a 5 gallon drum of the gear from a chemical lab but the smell was just not the same, it still made good consistant polish but as PH says the smell of good turps is the selling point, you can't beat the sweet smell of really good turps,

C B

 

[thurrock bees]

I tried that once and the polish seemed to have a more curdled texture to it, no idea why, but i blamed the white spirit so never tried it again but could have easily been another element in the mix, i might try cutting the expensive turps to make it go further.

Has anyone found a cheap source of good smelling turps? i once bought a 5 gallon drum of the gear from a chemical lab but the smell was just not the same, it still made good consistant polish but as PH says the smell of good turps is the selling point, you can't beat the sweet smell of really good turps,

C B

when i see you next i will bring a recipe with me

 

[Poly Hive]

What ever you do, do not miss out the carnuba as it is the wax that gives the "hardness" to the shine.

I used to say to customers, apply iwth soft cloth then have a brew, as that gives time for the turps to evaporate. Rubbing vigorously does not create the shine as such but evaporates off the solvent...

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

Nice one PH,I understand exactly what you are saying

 

[fincaazul]

I have for some time simply put shredded beeswax into a jar to almost fill it, then added pure turpentine almost to the top. Put lid on and leave in a warm place for a few days. If resulting mixture is not a creamy texture but sloppy, either add more wax (reccomended) or leave lid off so some of turps evaporates. My local gunsmith specialising in gunstock repair and refinishing is always glad of a jar this polish, tho' I have to dissuade him from sniffing it too much. Seriously now, I bought a jar of beeswax polish from local shop and half of the label was devoted to warnings about the hazardous nature of the product. The other half told me that this was a natural product thanks to the millions of bees who had made the wax.

 

[For want of a better word]

OLD & WISE ONES

any recipes for elbow grease... my gran, bless her, used to sware by it

 

[Adam]

Actually......................................

You can cut the turps by 50% and use white spirit to make it up. The smell is the selling point you see.

PH

I've cut the turps with white spirit. In fact I prefer to do it like that.

Adam