Third bit from the right

About 20 years ago I did an 8-part French polishing course. The instructor was a real craftsman, and he covered more ground than just ‘Applying Shellac for Dummies’. Most of the techniques I use for stripping and finishing furniture are ones I learned from him. This is what he taught me about applying beeswax. 

Beeswax gives a more sympathetic, though slightly duller finish than French polishing – and it makes the surface a bit more waterproof.

It’s best to make up your own beeswax to ensure its purity. Avoid any commercial products that aren’t pure (for example, ones that have paraffin added to them).

What you need:

• a lump of beeswax
• pure turpentine (or mineral turps will do)
• a container to put the wax in
• fine steelwool (000 grade)
• old cotton towelling (not flat-weave cloth) cut up into rags

Preparing the beeswax

1. Buy a lump of beeswax (hmm, I don’t actually know where you buy it. I’ve been lucky. A neighbour who kept bees gave me two huge chunks many years ago. I’ll never run out)
2. Break it up in a container with a screwdriver and cover it with pure turpentine preferably, or ordinary turps if you really must
3. Put the lid on and leave it for a day till the wax turns to a mushy consistency. It’s easier to apply this way

My beeswax container and the wax itself always look pretty manky (as you can see in the photo below) but I just use the wax as it comes. It never seems to affect the final result.

Applying the wax

1. Grab a wad of the 000 steelwool and wipe it across the wax. Make sure you don’t get too much chunky wax on it (unlike in the photo on the right)
2. Rub the steelwool over the surface of the timber in the direction of the grain, applying a very thin coat of wax as you go
   Tip: A thin coat is very important, as you’ll find when  it comes time to buff the wax. Too thick and you’ll be buffing forever
3. Use your hand to warm the wax and spread it evenly if you need to. This gets the wax into the surface, and it also allows you to feel for lumps of excess wax
4. Add more wax to the steelwool as you need it
5. Allow the first coat to dry (that is, allow the solvent to evaporate) for 15 minutes
6. Buff firmly with pieces of towelling
7. Keep checking the towelling – use a different area of the rag once one area is full of wax
8. Apply a second coat of wax, allow it to dry for 15 minutes and then buff again
9. Let the wood sit for at least 2–3 hours to allow it to dry thoroughly and then give it a final buff.
   This buff is very important. It must be vigorous, firm and prolonged. You have to get rid of any waxy feel and you shouldn’t be able to leave any fingermarks

A thin layer of wax has been applied to the timber

Buffing creates a lovely sheen

Some final tips:

• If you reckon the surface looks too shiny, you can dull it back using 000 steelwool or some paper towel
• You’ll probably need to rewax the furniture at some time; for example, twice a year, every two years … depending on how much it gets used, and whether it’s kept close to a heater etc.
• If you need to get rid of old beeswax rub it back with turps. Using pure turpentine to do this is better than using mineral turpentine