- Joined
- Nov 9, 2011
- Messages
- 254
Not to burden with yet another formula, but I've been inspired by this thread to try my own recipe. It works pretty well : In a double boiler (to control temperature) mix (by volume) three parts beeswax, two parts anhydrous lanolin (tip: it's gooey, leave in the fridge a while and it solidifies) , one part way oil (with tackifier). Remove from heat to avoid any chance of spillage of flammable material and add one part gum spirits of turpentine (said to be best solvent for beeswax, which doesn't like mineral spirits) and one-half part DOT3 brake fluid (for the glycol ethers recommended by Pontiac428, earlier). Let cool and then thin with more turpentine to suit your purpose. Applied to metal surfaces (thin application is all you need) it solidifies as it dries (a day or two) and then you can gently wipe any excess off. Makes a non-sticky, polished and pleasant coating. Also worked wonders on the dried-out wooden handles of an antique bench plane I tried it on. I have not had this long enough to report it's long-term rust proofing but the coating left seems to be quite durable.