Beeswax application question

[xsailer]

I've applied BLO to Bald Cypress carved cane I've made and plan on application of Deft. When/if should I apply Beeswax and should it be melted first?

[Marvin Little]

Bob, I am not sure that I understand your question but any wax that you apply would have to be after you spray it with Deft. I would think that any wax coating would be the last thing that you would put on it.

Marvin

[xsailer]

You are right. I wondering about the hardness of the beeswax application. Should it be soften a bit so it will go into the carved crevices?

[Waitpinga Whittler]

I have made up beeswax with a little vegetable oil mixed in to make it a bit more plyable. The degree of this plyability is up to you. The more oil the more plyable the mix will be. You have to heat the wax in a double-boiler and add the oil a bit at a time, allowing it to cool each time to test the plyablility of the resultant mix. Takes a while...

Maybe someone out there has been a bit cleverer than I was and measured your components so you have a formula which would make this process quicker.

As for getting it into cracks and crevices... I find a shoe polish brush works well both to apply and to buff the wax.

[xsailer]

That sounds like a good idea. I've really nevery used beeswax on carvings but read many do. Thank you for your response. I'm waiting for the final coat of Deft to dry. Wish I had thought of shoe polish before I applied 1/2 of Watco dark and light oil. I'm happy with it but shoe polish is good also. I've used it on clay sculptures so I should have thought of it. Senior moment I guess.

[RUssL.]

Someone her on the Message Board took the class in Maine with Chris Pye last year and was either showing or talking about how he (Mr. Pye) applied bees wax while at the same time using a hot air gun (blow-dryer on "high heat") to go over the spot where/while the beeswax was being applied.
This very clever method (I thought) melts the beeswax into tiny crevasses of a carving and pores of the wood.
It works great and you don't even need that small a brush for cracks.

RussL.

[xsailer]

Another good Idea. The ideas generated by this forum is astounding sometimes. Thanks RussL.