DeWaxing

[Marc Ruby]

I've had a long standing commission to make something 'gnarly' and I just ran into some coffee burl that looks to be just the thing for an inset vessel. My only problem is that the wood was (correctly) carefully coated in wax when cut.

Normally I turn away the waxy part, but this time I want to leave the natural wood. So how do I get rid of the wax? I've given it a 'match' test and it melts fairly readily so my ideas is heat the oven up to xxx (400?) degrees and pop the partially turned wood in there for about 15 minutes - long enough to melt the wax but not so long that the heat affects the wood.

Does anyone have a better, or more precise way of doing this?

 

[GeorgeH]

There are commercial wax removers available:

http://www.kingdomrestorations.com/waxingtips.html

but just about anything that qualifies as a solvent for the type of wax you're dealing with should work. I think I'd try good old isopropyl alcohol. If that didn't work, I'd go to mineral spirits. Next, I'd look for a commercial remover or stripper.

 

[Barry Elder]

I don't know that it would be better or more precise, never having used the method, but if you have available equipment, it would appear to me that boiling the wood in a big pot would get rid of the wax quickly, then dry the wood and you're good to go.

 

[Steve Worcester]

The wax will melt at a far lower temp than 400, and may come close to igniting in the oven at that temp. Plus the wood will start to scorch. I would look at lower temps or a solvent based remover.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Where will a third of the wax go when you warm the surface? Below it. If that's what you're after, your method might work. Wax (even carnauba)will flow at <200 F, but a rapid surface warming would be easiest on the wood.

I'd mineral spirits dip. Alcohol is a poor solvent for wax, as anyone who's ever mixed shellac and decanted it from the waxy sludge can tell you. The solvent may carry some into the wood, but not as much as the heat. Good plastic bag to make the most of the space, soak for a couple hours, decant, blot, repeat with fresh solvent.

 

[Marc Ruby]

I'm going to try naptha and a toothbrush and if that fails it's into the oven. I don't mind it being in the wood but on the wood it just looks like a thick, shiney skin. Which, after all, is what it is.

Marc

Where will a third of the wax go when you warm the surface? Below it. If that's what you're after, your method might work. Wax (even carnauba)will flow at <200 F, but a rapid surface warming would be easiest on the wood.

I'd mineral spirits dip. Alcohol is a poor solvent for wax, as anyone who's ever mixed shellac and decanted it from the waxy sludge can tell you. The solvent may carry some into the wood, but not as much as the heat. Good plastic bag to make the most of the space, soak for a couple hours, decant, blot, repeat with fresh solvent.

 

[Marc Ruby]

So far naptha and steel wool seem to work best. But it's slow and there's a lot of gnarl. If it's not clear enough by Sunday it's baked coffee burl.

 

[Steve Worcester]

wear gloves and a face shield (Naptha is nasty stuff) and let us know the results!

 

[Richard Baker]

Assume that the naptha will be totally evaporated and gone before it goes into the oven?

 

[patrick stein]

dewax

try using a heat gun or hair dryer .hold piece up side down so wax will run off.

 

[MichaelMouse]

So far naptha and steel wool seem to work best. But it's slow and there's a lot of gnarl. If it's not clear enough by Sunday it's baked coffee burl.

Sure you can't container soak it? Naphtha evaporates faster than mineral spirits, so you might get more slush overall with the slow solvent.

 

[Hugh]

I think you need to do a search on this site for a previous thread on this same subject. It is early in the morning and my mind is not working as fast as it should - but, there is a solvent - starts with a "K" that is available in the hardware store. It will disolve wax. I use to use it in college biology class for disolving the was on slides. But this was covered one other time. What about taking it to the car wash and using hot soapy water under preasure?
Hugh

 

[Marc Ruby]

The piece is already partially turned so I don't want to brutalize it in a car wash. But I did find one thread with a suggestion to using hot water, detergent, and a tooth brush that sounded interesting. There was also a suggestion about using a hair dryer. I'm considering buying one of those surplus goverment lasers, or maybe a tactical nuclear warhead.

Marc

I think you need to do a search on this site for a previous thread on this same subject. It is early in the morning and my mind is not working as fast as it should - but, there is a solvent - starts with a "K" that is available in the hardware store. It will disolve wax. I use to use it in college biology class for disolving the was on slides. But this was covered one other time. What about taking it to the car wash and using hot soapy water under preasure?
Hugh

 

[Brujo]

Slowly dump boiling water on it. The water will run down all the little nooks and remove the wax. The wood will absorb a small amount of water but since it has been coated in wax it wont absorb that much. Use this method for removing wax from the little spines on burls.

 

[mkart]

Removing the wax from store bought burls

Anyone know a good way to remove the wax from burls. I purchased a bunch of amboyna and appears to be coated with parafin wax. I was hoping to stay away from xylene. I am making natural edge bowls and need to remove the wax from the burl tips.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[mkart]

found the thread

Well, my search attempts came up empty but as I scrolled down I found a thread on this very topic. Thanks

 

[mkart]

removing the wax

After reading all the posts here I think I will just use xylene. This is a nasty chemical and the proper PPE should be used but it dissolves wax quickly. I have already finished 5 bowls that just need the wax removed from the tips. I'll dip them in tomorrow and see how it goes. I have a gallon or two left over from when I finished my flooring.

Matt

 

[rsser]

Got the same problem.

Can anyone tell me what naptha is?

 

[Bill Boehme]

Got the same problem.

Can anyone tell me what naptha is?

Most woodturners misspell it and that may be the reason that you can't find any information on it ... it should be "naphtha", also known as lighter fluid, cleaning fluid, and a medium fast drying paint reducer. Go to the paint section of your hardware store to find it.

Too bad that carbon tetrachloride is not around any longer (just kidding) because it was the best dewaxer and degreaser in existence. It was also a very potent carcinogen, not to mention highly toxic and could cause blindness in even tiny amounts.

As already mentioned in several posts, heat is the wrong approach because heat will cause most of the wax to simply soak into the wood. Actually, if you heat it enough, the wax will not even be noticeable, but the wood might not take a film finish very well after that. I do not know how well naphtha or xylol works, but MEK is a potent degreaser that might do the job almost as well as carbon tet. MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) is a super fast drying paint reducer that is also available in the paint section of hardware stores. Use it outdoors only because the vapors are strong and will give you a headache if you inhale too much of it.

 

[rsser]

Thanks boehme.

Lighter fluid I have for the Zippo.

Also what we call 'paint thinners'.

Will try both.

 

[Bill Boehme]

If you buy naphtha sold as lighter fluid, it will be very expensive, but if you buy naphtha by the quart or gallon sold as paint reducer, the price is much cheaper. I think that naphtha might work, but I would not expect normal paint thinner (a.k.a., mineral spirits) to be effective since it is a somewhat oily substance. Get a container that is slightly larger than the wood and then fill the container with the naphtha until it covers the wood. It may take several soakings with fresh naphtha to get rid of all of the wax.

 

[rsser]

Thanks again B.

Yes of course, multiple cans of Zippo lighter fluid would be costly and might also bring me to the attention of the authorities

The 'paint thinners' I have doesn't seem to be oily .. a language problem I guess. The 'white spirit' stuff on the other hand is a bit oily.

Anyway, you've narrowed my search and it's time to experiment.

 

[MichaelMouse]

White spirits, mineral spirits, Stoddard Solvent, charcoal lighter fluid ... goes on and on. http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/s6588.htm Not sure where B gets his chemistry, but odds are your wax is a petroleum distillate, which means it will be dissolved by and in others of lower boiling point. Even if it's a vegetable wax, should be the same. Non-polar substance dissolves in a non-polar solvent. Naphtha is a petroleum distillate as well, just a lower boiling point fraction. http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/p1696.htm

In short, it's not a precise operation either way. I would still favor the slow solvent because it will dissolve the wax for physical removal rather than keep boiling off before you can get from point A to point B with your rag.

Of course, if you believe in alcohol "drying," the wax will evaporate with the solvent, and you won't need to remove it mechanically.

 

[squirrel]

jam

Her in europe, when we make jam, we fill up the container with jam and finally put some heated wax on top of it. The wax becomes hard and keeps the air away.
When you eat the jam you first have to take away the wax ... simply by pushing at one side on the wax ... it jumps and ... there is the jam.

The year after, you can reuse the same wax, simply by heating it on the fire ... it becomes liquid again ... and you put it again on top of your selfmade jam.

I use the same type of wax to seal my wood - so just heating would be sufficient.

further:
if you have an old wooden floor - waxed and you want to renovate it, then you have to take away the wax first. Is turpentine not the product which is used to taka away that kind of wax?

Squirrel

 

[Bill Boehme]

Is turpentine not the product which is used to taka away that kind of wax?

First of all, wooden floors are sealed with a varnish finish and any wax would be applied to the varnish ... not the wood. Most floor waxes are not really natural waxes such as carnauba, but instead are synthetic polymers. Dewaxing is done with a water based stripper. Using turpentine would really stink up the place.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Gentlemen, Put Away Your Chemicals

Wax emulsion lumber sealer [Anchorseal, etc.] is easily taken off with warm water because, when dry, the wax coating still contains the emulsifier that will redissolve when wet and the wax will just rinse off. If you want to soak the wood in something, make it a tub of warm soapy water. If you want speed, use a powerwasher (or the car wash if you don't get the gun too close and dig), or a handled scrub brush and warm soapy water will do quite nicely. If the item is paraffin-dipped, the powerwasher is still your best bet.

Consider:
1. Once you've dissolved that wax in the various heavy duty solvents suggested, what do you do to dispose of the contaminated solvent in anything like a responsible manner?

2. Since all that solvent will be evaporating as you scrub away with whatever, you will be wearing full organic vapor rated breathing plus eye and skin protection, right?

 

[Marc Ruby]

I tried that and it just didn't work, so I guess that whatever this is coated with isn't a wax emulsion sealer. I' pretty much past the point where I can do that anyway.

The area in question is only about 6 square inches, so I haven't been to worried about massive polution. I just use normal shop protection (for me) when I'm finishing - mask, gloves, and a shower afterwords. I'm going to try a
heat gun with plain steel wool next, since the stuff does melt. All of my fussing with the piece has removed almost enough wax as it is.

Next time I'll strap the wood onto the top of my car and take it through a car wash first. It should give the attendants a laugh if nothing else. In any case this has been a highly informative thread for me and I appreciate everyone's participation.

Thanks,

Marc

Marc

Wax emulsion lumber sealer [Anchorseal, etc.] is easily taken off with warm water because, when dry, the wax coating still contains the emulsifier that will redissolve when wet and the wax will just rinse off. If you want to soak the wood in something, make it a tub of warm soapy water. If you want speed, use a powerwasher (or the car wash if you don't get the gun too close and dig), or a handled scrub brush and warm soapy water will do quite nicely. If the item is paraffin-dipped, the powerwasher is still your best bet.

Consider:
1. Once you've dissolved that wax in the various heavy duty solvents suggested, what do you do to dispose of the contaminated solvent in anything like a responsible manner?

2. Since all that solvent will be evaporating as you scrub away with whatever, you will be wearing full organic vapor rated breathing plus eye and skin protection, right?

 

[Mark Mandell]

Next time I'll strap the wood onto the top of my car and take it through a car wash first. It should give the attendants a laugh if nothing else.

Marc,

Wrong car wash. Use the 5-minutes-of-fun-for-$2 side with the gun. I've gotten burls shipped in on a skid [somewhat strange look from the trucking depot dude], and the power washer cleans'em up in a few minutes. Since I have my own washer, I don't have to risk drawing a crowd down at the car wash.

MM

 

[Bill Boehme]

..... anything like a responsible manner?

Responsible manner??? I pour it over the fence into the neighbor's yard while he is at work.

..... you will be wearing full organic vapor rated breathing plus eye and skin protection, right?

Dude! You're passing up good VOC's.

I agree about the power washer. I use mine to clean just about everything outdoors. I haven't tried it on waxed wood since I only coat the end grain and never the bark.

 

[Marc Ruby]

Well, I gave in and bought an upscale variable temperature heat gun ($42, almost as much as a turning gouge) set it to 450 and aimed it at the wax. Lo and behold, it worked! I mopped up with a plain rag and there is still a very thin coat of way on the wood. I can either take that off with some steel wool or simply leave it as the finish, since it looks pretty good.

Now all I have to do is find another use for that damned gun!!!

Marc

 

[KurtB]

Marc,
How about thawing out the locks on the car, trailer, etc? Also useful for softening the dealer decals on the new car so they can be removed. Maybe even warming up the cup of coffee in the shop?

 

[MichaelMouse]

Now all I have to do is find another use for that damned gun!!!

Marc

Lower the heat and shrink the window wrap? Thaw the chunk of frozen wood you want to turn come January so you don't get slush all over your bandsaw table? Liquefy the oil in the tractor crankcase?

Let the heater go out in the well house on a cold night or fail to drip water and you'll have one, that's for sure. Or send it over to me and I'll use it to replace the old hairdryer I use for all of the above.

 

[mkart]

xylene did not dissolve the wax

Well the xylene did not work. I used it all the time in a histology lab to dissolve and clean up wax. Must have been a different product than we can buy at the hardware store.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Consider:
1. Once you've dissolved that wax in the various heavy duty solvents suggested, what do you do to dispose of the contaminated solvent in anything like a responsible manner?

Leave the solvent tub outside to evaporate, then you will have just the wax. Same way to throw away old paints. Once it is a puck, you have (mostly) desolved the solvents.