Removing beeswax

[davecooper]

I want to sand some marks out of an oak coffee table top. However, the wood has had beeswax applied over many years and although I have tried to clean off as much as I can with white spirit, there is still wax remaining on the wood which doesn't allow the sandpaper to sand properly. It clogs up almost immediately and just skids over the surface. Any advice how to get the wax off would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Wayners]

Try Meths or better still rubbing alcohol with wire wool


Wear gloves

 

[davecooper]

Thanks for that. I have plenty of rubbing alcohol so will try that.

 

[^woody^]

Scrape the surface with a stanley blade to get most of the surface wax off first. Also try the solvent spray degreaser often sold for mechanic's use.

 

[opps]

From memory- House ammonia will remove furniture wax but be advised that as a water based product, it will potentially raise the grain.

 

[davecooper]

Finally got around to this job. The table is similar to the oak furniture from the well known oak furniture outlets. Does anyone know how these are typically finished? I read somewhere that these are lacquered/varnished first and then given a coat of beeswax, although I am not sure why. Mine came with a liberal coating of beeswax but cannot tell if there is anything under this. Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Traditionally hand made or low to medium volume (dark) oak was stained, the grain filled and then French polished. Industrially made stuff was also French polished until the 1920s/30s when the industry went over to cellulose. After WWII the move was to pre-catalysed and 2-pack lacquers (less explosive). So no wax in the majority of cases, at least not as it came from the makers. "Blonde" oak, which is also lacquered in most cases, is a modern invention. If you'd ever had to wax a run of large items of furrniture you'd maybe understand why waxing is the preserve of low volume/pine furniture outfits (although these days you can spray apply wax over an initial sealing coat, which is what I believe Oak Furnitureland might well do)

Wayners was right when he suggested a solvent. Another one to try is acetone, but in general once you have waxed something you can never remove all of it - any heat applied through, for example, sanding will cause the wax to.penetrate further into rhe grain and ruin any chances of staining the timber (it comes out mottled)