Attn: Woodworkers... homemade furniture polish recipe?

[Dede]

Originally featured in Fine Woodworking:  http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/article/food-safe-finishes.aspx

...and reviewed here:  http://www.humblebeeandme.com/beeswax-furniture-polish/

Beeswax Furniture Polish

50g mineral oil
10g beeswax
I used a ratio of 5:1 oil to beeswax, but next time I may go with a 4:1 ratio to give me a thicker polish.

Melt together. Remove from heat and stir until cooled. It should be thick and creamy. Decant into a small jar.

To use, buff onto a wooden surface with a clean cotton cloth. Let dry for about 15 minutes, and return to re-apply or buff off any leftovers (I like to apply a thin enough coating that this is not necessary to remove visible excess, but it is necessary to remove the stickiness so dust doesn't stick to your furniture). Let the surface dry for a few hours before using.

Because this is from a blog, people chimed in with more "natural" oil alternatives to mineral oil, such as walnut, grapeseed, jojoba, and refined coconut but the author did note:  "You'll just have to watch for rancidity (though you generally don't have to worry about it once it's on the furniture, which is nice)."

Before I go melting down beeswax, what is the general opinion of this recipe?  Thanks!

[SteveA]

Sounds like a special recipe -
Not to diminish your enthusiasm but I simply use Pledge in the spray can - performs fine .

SA

[Dede]

Not to diminish your enthusiasm but I simply use Pledge in the spray can - performs fine .

Doesn't Pledge contain silicone?

[SteveA]

Yes it does but that has no concern for anyone other then a refinisher and refinishers know how to deal with silicone contamination.  If you need a good polish that shines well - easy to apply -  use Pledge.

SA

[MinUph]

I also use pledge but hate when I go to touch something up. It is hard to remove. Laq thinner does but needs to be washed well.

[MinUph]

I use to have a product that was made by our refinisher in Syracuse but he is I'm sure gone by now. It was excellent. White creamy but did attract dust.

[byhammerandhand]

Beeswax is sort of meh as a polish, in my opinion.   I kept bees for 12 years and have a bunch of it but don't use it on furniture.

I do hate Pledge.  I can handle it when refinishing, but makes an extra step.  It's awful when you have to do spot touch up work.   I do also hate the way it makes things feel greasy.  Over long periods of time I've also seen it attract and hold dirt and dull the surface.   I've rubbed with silicone removal cloths and they come up black.

All that said there are several camps on furniture polishes:
- Use waxes
- Use a non-silicone polish (emulsion like Oz or Guardsman)
- Use Pledge
- Don't use anything, USA seems to be the only place in the world that feel the need to use polishes

The absolute worst is an old recipe for
- Linseed oil
- Vinegar
- Turpentine
Over time it creates a dark crusty surface that makes a real mess

[SteveA]

When a touch up is appropriate there's an approach to observe -
Generally you will not know what is on the finished surface anyway in terms of polishes. Could be oil, cream, wax ? Therefore it is necessary to wash the surface with naphtha or mineral spirits.  If you miss that step you could have trouble. 

if your looking for easy  - uncomplicated -  use pledge. 

SA

[byhammerandhand]

Silicone oil is like herpes -- once you have it, you never get rid of it.

Naphtha and mineral spirits do not remove it.   Strippers and acetone do not remove it either.

[SteveA]

Hammer - both you and Min mentioned that silicone causes problems with touch up. I disagree -  When you're touching up there is a finish in place and it's easy to wash the finish down in preparation for touching up no matter what contaminate is present.  The finish is a sealer over the wood.  You're washing the finish - not the wood. 

Regarding silicone is like herpes - maybe to some but not to finishers.  In pro shops it's one of the least of finishing troubles that cause problems. 

SA

[byhammerandhand]

Try wiping of a silicone contaminated piece then spraying on a toner.   You'll see immediately what a problem it is.

Hammer - both you and Min mentioned that silicone causes problems with touch up. I disagree -  When you're touching up there is a finish in place and it's easy to wash the finish down in preparation for touching up no matter what contaminate is present.  The finish is a sealer over the wood.  You're washing the finish - not the wood. 

Regarding silicone is like herpes - maybe to some but not to finishers.  In pro shops it's one of the least of finishing troubles that cause problems. 

SA

[SteveA]

Let me say this - if you get your information from reading Flexner or Jewitt you'll tend to look upon minor finishing issues with distain.  If you've worked in a shop for over 40 years you'll know silicone is not a problem.
No one has to do refinishing or touch up following a silicone wipe - that is not an ordinary situation.  Further if you wiped oil, wax, silicone or anything on a surface (and didn't clean it off)  you'll have  issues spraying clears or toners. 

I appreciate being able to post here for my upholstery needs and get help - I'm no upholsterer but I'd love to be and education here is great.

Folks post here asking for help or suggestions and if they are given over embellished fears about something that isn't a good thing. If silicone was so deadly to finishers and restorers you'd see it talked about a lot more and every finishers contract would have a disclaimer. 
Silicone is no more of a problem then dust, water in the line, cold air, cheap thinner, dirty needle, gasket drips, orange peel, air pressure, humidity, stain not fully dry, unclean surface, sanding through the sealer, drips, and customers who want to pay less for services  ......
SA

[kodydog]

Originally featured in Fine Woodworking:  http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/article/food-safe-finishes.aspx

...and reviewed here:  http://www.humblebeeandme.com/beeswax-furniture-polish/

Beeswax Furniture Polish

50g mineral oil
10g beeswax
I used a ratio of 5:1 oil to beeswax, but next time I may go with a 4:1 ratio to give me a thicker polish.

Melt together. Remove from heat and stir until cooled. It should be thick and creamy. Decant into a small jar.

To use, buff onto a wooden surface with a clean cotton cloth. Let dry for about 15 minutes, and return to re-apply or buff off any leftovers (I like to apply a thin enough coating that this is not necessary to remove visible excess, but it is necessary to remove the stickiness so dust doesn't stick to your furniture). Let the surface dry for a few hours before using.

Because this is from a blog, people chimed in with more "natural" oil alternatives to mineral oil, such as walnut, grapeseed, jojoba, and refined coconut but the author did note:  "You'll just have to watch for rancidity (though you generally don't have to worry about it once it's on the furniture, which is nice)."

Before I go melting down beeswax, what is the general opinion of this recipe?  Thanks!

To get back to Dedes question, I've never used beeswax but on intricate carved pieces I have used 100% mineral oil with great success. With a tooth brush to get into the cracks and crevices it'll pull all that accumulated dirt and clean it good as new. Wipe it down with a soft cloth and see the difference. On most pieces it'll bring it back to the point that no spray laq or touch up is needed.

That's how I cleaned the carved base of this 1920's sofa. Mineral oil, nothing else. And the nice thing is the original finish stays intact. No striping and no spraying over.

[gene]

Folks post here asking for help or suggestions and if they are given over embellished fears about something that isn't a good thing.

Let me say this - if you get your information from reading Flexner or Jewitt you'll tend to look upon minor finishing issues with distain.

We don't get very many condescending and insulting posts on this forum. It's kind of like spam: no problem mate as long as it doesn't spread like herpes.

Actually, I've never had herpes so I can't really relate to my own example. (Yes, it's an example and not a metaphor.)

But I have had fish eyes caused by silicon on wood furniture when trying to refinish or repair the finish.

I wonder if 2 different situations are being talked about here.

1. Finishing bare wood that has not been contaminated with silicone and touching up finishes that are still in good condition that have very little silicone accumulation on them.

2. Refinishing wood or repairing the finish on wood that has a build up of silicone from Pledge and other polishers that contain silicone.

google "is silicone in wood cleaning products a problem". There are a "h e double hockey sticks" of a lot of people out there that hate having to deal with silicone on wood. Are we all just living in fear whilst looking upon minor finishing issues with disdain?

I know what fish eyes are, and I know why they are staring at me.

gene

PS: When Keith visits my studio I always put out a can of silicone spray where he'll see it. He looks at that can the exact same way he looks at the squirrels in his yard - with disdain.

[gene]

Beautiful work on that sofa Kodydog.

That fabric looks like a poly or acrylic with no cotton? If so, that's a great job of getting it to lay perfectly.

gene