Vol.12 / Issue 10                             Tennessee Valley Woodworkers                             Editor, Richard Gulley                                   October 1997

Greetings to one and all! I hope the last month has been good to you. There has been much to do with garden clean-up, school, church and singing. I did manage to make the annual picnic and auction and boy am I glad I did! It was a veritable smorgasbord of good food (and great deals).

If memory serves me (so seldom) about $314.00 was raised at the auction. This will go toward the paver at Arrowmont.

Notes from 9/16/97 meeting of the TVWW

Visitors and new members:

Tom Willard of Belvidere

Bernie Kollstadt

Will Mills

wife Sheila Cooke was introduced by James Cooke

Business:

*Reminder of fall seminar.

*Report from Janie on Falls Mill – everyone had a great time and the day was a success for the mill.

*Reminder for picnic on the 20^th of September at Duck River picnic grounds.

*Reminder that the auction is for either donated items for the club’s benefit or for your own purposes.

*Reminder of Craft Show at Old Stone Fort

*Report on 5 members attending the TAW symposium at Arrowmont.

A motion was made by Tom Cowan and seconded by Loyd Ackerman for the club to have a program to raise money to have a marker from the TVWW put in the sidewalk at Arrowmont. The vote was unanimous to do it. Tom Church will chair a committee to get it underway. The donation is $125 a 4x8 inch brick; $500 fir an 8x8 inch marker, and $1000 gets a large marker. Our  goal is $500.

*A gift was given to Loyd Ackerman for contributions to the Exhibit. (And he thanks to club for rewarding him for having a lot of fun.)

*Reminder for the Winchester Pavilion Craft show on Saturday the 20^th.

*Tom Cowan said that Tennessee Valley Wood Products in Huntland has some real nice Red Gum for sale. It isn’t cheap, but it’s real good.

NOTICES:

*Phil Bishop is trying to locate his VCR tape on "Hand cut dovetails" so he can lend it to someone else. Whoever borrowed it, please check your stuff to see if you still have it.

*Jim VanCleave announced the availability of some white oak that a friend has to dispose of real quick. (John Green and Ray Cole bought it Wednesday the 17^th.)

Show and tell:

*Billy May – Carved basswood spoon and a ‘small’ turkey call that has a high pitch instead of the expected gobble.

*Manuel Brown – showed a home made separator for his dust collector.

*Ross Roepke – showed two benches and a pedestal made of western cedar from South Dakota.

*Loyd Ackerman – showed a turned walnut bowl and a small maple burl vase.

Program:

Ross Roepke presented a program on wood movement and joinery techniques. There was lively discussion, and Ross was well prepared as usual.

Harold Hewgley says to look forward to a fine program this month. Doug Whiteaker will present a program on "Fine Art Model Airplane Building". Don’t miss it- Tuesday 21^st at 7:00pm

"The Symposium was a real success. Pat Matranga and Tom Cowan both did a great job presenting. Everyone was real pleased with the demonstrations and presentations. A lot of learning took place, and a lot of fun was had by all. John and Louise Green were a real hit as well __ putting on a feed to remember. The Italian Beef sandwiches were excellent and 'almost' rivaled the Chicken and Dumplings. The Baklava was a hit in certain circles, and the pastries and cookies were outstanding in others. We had over 35 people in attendance.

John and Louise Green will bring the sweets left over from the Fall Symposium to the meeting on the 21st to share with those at the general meeting. We'll have coffee and goodies. Ya'll come."

Loyd Ackerman

(This news flash from Tom Cowan.)

Pat would like to invite TVWW to a

Holiday Open House

Saturday Nov. 15^th 10:00am - 6:00pm

Sunday Nov. 16^th 12:00am - 6:00pm

1615 McEwen Ave.

Nashville, TN

Directions will be available at the October meeting for those interested.

We'd like to welcome two new members, Bernie Kollstadt and Will Mills to the Tennessee Valley Woodworkers. Bernie is a long time woodworker, and Will is interested in a possible career in furniture making. Welcome Bernie and Will.

Other recent members are Beth Davis, Joe Ellis, Harvey Carter, James & Sheila Cook, Charles Walker, Thurman & Fern Farmer, Jerry & Liz Payne, and Russ & Marydell Willis

John A. Swensen

Waxes have many uses around the woodshop, including helping to prevent rust on machinery, lubricating screws and sliding surfaces, preventing glues from sticking to clamps or fixtures, and serving as finishes on many wooden articles.

High_quality waxes are available from companies like Behlens, but most consumer_grade waxes available in hardware or auto stores contain silicones, which can seriously compromise the adhesion of paints and glues. To reduce the risk of contaminating my wood projects from tools, I avoid the use of silicones altogether and, rather than buying premium wax preparations from specialty stores, I blend my own. Besides saving money, blending my own waxes allows me to control the consistency and composition to suit my needs.

Although hundreds of different waxes exist, I mostly use carnauba, bees, and paraffin waxes.

Carnauba wax is one of the hardest natural waxes, and takes a hard, glossy shine with a slick feel. By itself, it is brittle and very difficult to polish once it has dried.

Beeswax is a moderately soft, sticky wax with a wonderful smell, and it buffs out to a mellow glow. Although it becomes slippery when it melts, at room temperature it is too sticky to use for machine surfaces like table saw tops. This stickiness, however, makes it ideal for floors or for surfaces that should not slip too easily.

Paraffin or canning wax is soft and very slippery (almost greasy), and tends to flake off if applied too thick. I use it primarily as an additive to make harder waxes buff more easily.

I have used mineral spirits, varnish_makers_and_painters (VM&P) naphtha, and turpentine as solvents for wax. All of these solvents are quite flammable, and should be used with great caution, particularly around heat.

Mineral spirits or common paint thinner is the cheapest solvent that I know of, but I don't like to use it because of its objectionable smell. Recently I discovered odorless mineral spirits. Although they are much more expensive ($10/gallon versus about $3/gallon for stinky), they have almost no odor. Although I have not tried odorless mineral spirits as a solvent for wax, it should work and may be worth experimenting with. Turpentine is stronger smelling than mineral spirits, although some don't find it objectionable. VM&P naphtha is fast drying and low in odor (at least, to my nose), and is my personal favorite solvent for waxes.

I recently performed an experiment to compare the drying times of these three solvents. On a dry day with an air temperature of about 75! F. I placed one drop of each of mineral spirits, turpentine, and naphtha on a sheet of paper and measured the time to evaporate. Mineral spirits took the longest time of 8.5 minutes. Turpentine was next at 5 minutes, and naphtha was the quickest at 2 minutes.

Citrus_based solvents are said to be refined from citrus fruit peels, and they retain this citrus smell. I kind of like the smell, although others have commented that it smells like bug_spray or other, less_pleasant things. I haven't used it with wax, but it may be a more fragrant alternative to try.

All of the proportions are approximate, and none are critical. Blends can be modified to change properties by reheating, adding more of the desired ingredient, and allowing the blend to cool and solidify.

I like to use wide_mouth, glass jars with metal lids that screw on one or more turns, rather than the more common quarter_of_a_turn lids; salad dressing, mayonnaise, and peanut butter jars generally have retained the full_threaded lids. Even better than glass jars would be the kinds of tins that premium waxes come in. I have not been able to find these tins available empty, but you might want to save commercial wax tins. The lids on automobile wax cans don't seem to seal very well, and I worry about silicone contamination, so I don't use these.

Beeswax and paraffin wax will eventually dissolve in solvent at room temperature, although it is much faster to melt them first. Carnauba wax must be melted before it can be dissolved in solvent, and if the solvent is too cold the wax will harden and drop to the bottom.

The consistency of the cooled wax can be checked by sampling some of the hot solution with a small spoon, allowing the sample to cool, and feeling the cooled solid. If too hard, more solvent can be added; if too soft, more wax can be heated and added to the solution or the lid can be left off the jar, allowing some solvent to evaporate. The sample can also be applied to a surface to check for its properties when buffed out.

If a blend feels too gritty, too much carnauba wax was used; try adding some beeswax. If a blend is too sticky, add paraffin wax for a softer blend, carnauba wax for a harder blend. If a blend is too greasy, too much paraffin wax was used; add more beeswax or carnauba wax to dilute the paraffin.

This wax blend is my favorite, and I use it for many purposes. It buffs out to a shiny finish, so it works well for shiny_finished wood projects. It works particularly well at keeping the rubber feet on my stereo equipment from leaving marks on the shelves of my stereo cabinet.

I rub this wax on cast iron tool surfaces, plane blades, and any other metal that can rust; in fact, using 0000 steel wool as an applicator, this wax does a pretty good job of cleaning off crud and light rust. It is hard enough that I have not noticed it rubbing off onto boards as I cut them. Its low_friction properties make it an excellent choice for lubricating sliding parts in dusty environments. However, as a thread lubricant for wood screws, I feel that this wax is too slippery, and I prefer the beeswax blend described later.

Put 4 parts carnauba wax, 1 part paraffin wax in a glass jar, filling it no more than half full. If desired, a small amount of beeswax may be added for a smoother_feeling, creamier blend. Put the glass jar in a pan with not quite enough water to float the jar and slowly heat on the stove to just below a boil. Swirl the jar occasionally to mix until all the wax is melted.

Take the pan of the heat and pour about an equal volume of solvent into the jar and swirl or stir to mix, then cap the jar to prevent evaporation. If the solvent is too cool and the wax starts to come out of solution, place the jar back in the hot water and swirl occasionally to mix. When completely dissolved, take the jar out of the water and allow to cool for an hour or so.

To apply this wax, rub it on with fingers, steel wool, or a cloth, and buff out immediately, particularly if a fast_drying solvent was used. If too much wax is applied, it may be necessary to buff off the excess with a coarse cloth or steel wool, perhaps repeating after a few hours or the next day. (Note that steel wool will scratch and dull a glossy finish, so use only on metal surfaces or where a satin finish is desired.)

This wax blend has a delightful aroma and its soft glow complements satin finishes. In creamier consistencies, it is an excellent, foolproof, wood finish.

This wax leaves a non_slip surface and, when fortified with carnauba wax, is excellent for floors. I also use this wax to keep machine parts from slipping too freely; for example, I use a little on the blade_guide post of my bandsaw.

Almost paradoxically, this wax becomes very slippery when heated, so it is an excellent wax to lubricate wood screw threads with. The driving friction heats the screw and wax enough to melt and slip but, afterwards, the wax becomes sticky again, perhaps improving the holding power.

This wax will rub off on wood, so it is not good to use on tablesaw tops and similar machine surfaces, particularly if water_based stains or finishes are to be used.

Put beeswax and 10_25% paraffin wax, in a glass jar, filling it no more than half full. Up to 25% carnauba wax can be added for a harder, more durable wax. Put the jar in a pan and fill with almost enough water to float the jar, then heat slowly on the stove, swirling the jar occasionally to mix. If the melted wax spills over the edge, the jar will be very slippery and difficult to hold without dropping it into the water. When the wax all melts, remove the pan from the heat and pour an equal volume of solvent into the jar for a firm paste wax, or slightly more for a creamier blend. Swirl or stir to mix, cap tightly, and allow to cool for an hour or two.

This wax can be applied with steel wool and rubbed hard to take a glossy finish down to a satin, or can be applied with a cloth to leave the gloss alone. Because this wax is softer than the carnauba wax above, you can wait a little longer before buffing.

To use as a finish, apply several coats to well_sanded (or scraped) wood with a coarse cloth, rubbing hard between coats. The rubbing tends to further smooth the surface of the wood. A stiff, fiber brush can be used to buff out corners and carved detail.

Beeswax can sometimes be found in craft stores in larger quantities than those overpriced, one_ounce cakes sold in hardware stores. I buy paraffin (canning) wax at the supermarket. It is so cheap and I use so little that I haven't looked elsewhere.

Although I am sure there are other suppliers, a quick scan of my catalogs showed pure beeswax and carnauba wax, in half or one pound quantities, available from Garrett Wade (1-800-221-2942), Woodcraft (1-800-225-1153), and Woodworker's Supply (1-800-645-9292).

Mineral spirits (both stinky and odorless), turpentine, and VM&P Naphtha should be available from any paint or hardware store. The citrus_based solvent that I used was marketed under the Livos brand name, and Garrett Wade also carries something similar.

There are, doubtless, many other blends of waxes that may work well. I would love to hear of any that work well for you. If you care to share your favorite recipe with me, or if you have any questions, corrections, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at swensen@tdl.com .

Phil Bishop is scheduled for knee surgery the 16^th (Thursday). I’m sure he and Shirley would appreciate your prayers.

 And one last thing -