removing wax from burl surface

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Jim,

Since, contrary to Johnson's Wax Pledge ads, wax doesn't penetrate wood fiber (even the end grain) you can just scrape (or turn) most of it off. Naptha is an excellant wax solvent and will wash off the rest without too much trouble. Save the dissolved wax solution to coat other wood; the naptha evaporates right quickly.

Mark

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>Jim, I suspect you're talking about removing wax from the bumpy/pointy burl surface that has already been powerwashed and debarked. If so, I sure would love to know, too, as I have a few like that sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to figure out the same issue.

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Dick Hines

>I got some big leaf maple burl from Curly Woods and it was covered with wax. I just cut the burl into a round and the bowl gouge did the rest. Of course I was not doing a natural edge piece.

Is it wax?

TDaniel

>Many of the burl suppliers use a mix of 50% White glue and 50% water instead of Anchorseal. If you can't scratch it with your fingernail it may not be wax. I don't know that it is necessary to remove it. Try turning and see what is left; then do what you gotta do with the small amount left.

TD

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>Dick, that'll work if you're not trying to preserve the painful looking edge and plan to turn it away. These would be (hopefully) pieces with the exposed pointy/bumpy edge on the exterior, untouched, and the burl exposed on top.

They were either dipped or sprayed with wax as a sealer. I guess I could leave them untouched but that wouldn't be preferred. I was hoping to spray them with a danish oil of some sort or other, but I don't see any way to get the wax off completely enough to do that.

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Guest

>Scrape away as much as you can without damaging the wood surface and then either use a solvent or heat it up by boiling, heat gun, leave it in the sun or whatever method won't damage the piece. The wax or other substance used to seal it will come off.

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Arch

>Hi Jim, Hope it's not OT for the 'non-smart' and the 'never actually tried it' to offer questionable suggestions. Could you freeze the thick coat and peel it off? If it's not a solid coat (sheet), could you put a blank on the lathe, soak with a solvent then remove with the centrifugal force of the spinning lathe. ie. the way I often get sprayed with a thin wax film. Maybe try a heat gun instead of solvent. or both if there is a non flammable degreaser. BTW, we had a power outage in the middle of a email to you, I'll try again. Regards, Arch

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Arch

>Responding to myself: maybe Jim could try making things worse before they get better. ie. Could he brush a thick layer of melted wax over the entire surface involved and into the offending wax. Then freeze the coat and peel off the whole shebang?

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Darryl Hansen

>Nervertried this either but couln't one put the piece in boiling water. I know some use boiling water to stabilize a piece so it shouldn't hurt. Just make certain the item is emersed so the wax will float off. Skim the top of the water before removing the item. Might work don't know...

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Bill Hale

>Contact the supplier and find out what the coating is.

All of the responces make assumptions !

The supplier may also be able to tell you the best way to remove what ever it is.

Good turning and be safe

Bill

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Jim Pugh

>Yep, I am talking about the spikey surface that will remain on the finished piece. The material is deffinately a wax and scraping is a painfully slow and incomplete way to remove it. Think I'll try the heat gun on a smallish piece and the boiling is also a possiblilty. The naptha will also get a try out. Thanks for the suggestions so far. Will post any successes.

At the moment tho I have a pickup load of sycamore to get processed.

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Juergen

>If it's wax use a heat gun and it will get it hot enough so that it will just run off. If there is a thin coating left remove it with a stiff bristle brush and paint thinner. I just spilled some canning wax on an apron and I got it all off using the above procedure. Good Luck.

Juergen

Re: removing wax from burl surface

Bob Persing

>Jim,

There have been a lot of creative approaches to wax removal posted so far. I have never tried to work such an irregular surface as a burl but what I have done is to "wick" off wax by using heat and a very absorbant material. For heat I have used a steam iron (no steam), a paint stripping heat-gun on the low setting and a hair drier. For absorbent material I usually start with paper towles as you need to change the towel a lot. When most of the wax is wicked away (1.heat wax, 2.blot surface, 3.repeat with clean towel) I will switch over to an absorbent cloth. Sometimes a wipe with solvent will remove residual film.

I see a real challenge in heating the massive burl without scorching the pointy things.

Bset of luck.

BobP