How to Make Non Toxic Paste Wax

Ive used plenty of paste wax in my wood working adventures and never worried about the ingredients until I started making utilitarian items. My finishes for bowls, cutting boards, or any other item to be used with food are solvent free and 100% natural.  I thought Id share a recipe for non-toxic paste wax.  The best part is its super easy and you get to melt stuff!
So heres the catch, you married men should first request clearance to the kitchen.  Well be melting wax in a double boiler on her stove top.  Godspeed.

Assuming you have permission to use the kitchen (I dont want any messages from angry wives, they scare me) you will need a few items.

• A pot to boil water in (can be one of her pots as long as you have permission)
• A metal container in which to blend your melted wax and oil (I used the same container for storage)
• A heavy duty grater (seriously, dont use the cheese grater you got as a wedding present)
• Bees Wax
• Carnuba Wax
• Tung Oil / Walnut Oil
• 1/3 cup measuring cup
• The most important item!  Pliers or vise grips to remove the mixture with.
• Something to stir with.  Non melty is a plus!

The least fun part of this project is grating the wax.  Especially if you have a wimpy grater.  Had I considered how hard wax is compared to cheese, I would have coughed up the extra cash and bought a good grater.  Oh well.  The recipe I used is pretty simple.  

• 1/3 cup Bees Wax
• 1/3 cup Carnuba Wax
• 1 cup Walnut or Tung Oil

This makes a wax that is easy to apply and buff out.  Changing the ratio of Bees wax to Carnuba wax will change characteristics of your finish.  Carnuba wax is very hard and brings out great luster to a piece.  Bees wax can also give a nice shine, but will dull more quickly than Carnuba wax.  

So why use Bees wax at all?  Well, its much cheaper and is more malleable.  If you had a paste wax that was just made up of Carnuba wax and oil, it would be a crumbly mess.  Aside from that, I dont want my cutting board to shine like a new Lamborghini after treating it with paste wax.  This is the main reason for using a blend instead of just one wax.  By altering the recipe, you can control the sheen and durability of a paste wax finish.

Enough of the wordy stuff, let get on with it already.

Before you start melting wax, add enough water to the pot so that the water level is about 1/2" below the top of your melting container.

Add the wax and oil to your container and turn up the heat.  You can go ahead and crank it up, but be sure to turn the heat down before the water starts to boil.  You dont really want water in your paste wax, so try to avoid it.  A little wont cause any major trouble, but just be mindful that the less water in your paste wax, the better.

Once everything is melted, you can take the container out of the pot of water with pliers.  The stuff is kinda hot...  Spilling is not recommended.

As the wax cools, keep stirring the mixture so that the oil does not separate.  Putting the container on a cooling rack helps to speed up the cool down process.  Ive also put the container in the fridge for about a minute at a time when the mixture is fresh out of the hot water.

Once the wax is cooled, its ready to use.  Be sure to write down your recipe so that you can repeat it once you run out, or so you have a starting place for changing up your paste wax recipe in the future.

This is a basic recipe and you can certainly add colorants or metallic flakes to the wax for a different effect.

I hope you enjoyed the post.  Let me know if you try it out for yourself and feel free to comment or ask any question you may have.  Thank for reading, yall! 

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How to Build a Picnic Table Step by Step Guide

This post will show you how to build a picnic table exactly like the one shown in the photo below.  I think this picnic table would make a wonderful addition to your outdoor summer experience at home.  When correctly built and finished you will be able to enjoy this woodworking project for many years to come.  I built mine using everyday woodworking tools that could be bought very cheaply second hand or borrowed from a neighbour.  I used plans that I downloaded and were essential when it came time to build my picnic table.  Just follow the step by step guide below and it will teach you everything you need to know about building a picnic table.

You can make this picnic table, just keep reading!

 

 

Step 1:  Materials list and tools used

The materials used were bought at my local hardware store quite cheaply:

• 2x4s
• 2x6s
• 2x8s
• 3" x 3/8" galvanised carriage bolts
• 2 1/2", 3" and 4" inch decking screws
• Outdoor wood varnish

Thankfully all the tools I needed, I already owned:

• Circular saw
• Sabre saw
• 3m tape measure
• Framing square
• Combination square
• Cordless drill and an assortment of bits
• C-clamps and bar clamps
• Ratchet set
• Paint brushes
• Safety specs
• 120 and 220 grit sandpaper

Terminology used in the guide

Step 2:  Cutting the legs to length

Cut the legs to length using a circular saw.  Clamp your framing square at 60 degrees to the end of the 2x8 and use this as a fence to run your circular saw against to ensure a perfect 60 degrees.  Obviously, you need to do this 8 times.

Step 3:  Cutting the table slats

Cut the table slats to length from a 2x8.  The top edges of the slats may be rounded off using a router or giving a light run with a smoothing plane.

 

Step 3: Prepare the end table and centre table supports

This involves cutting a 60 degree angle on the ends of the supports.  This cuts down on weight slightly and makes for a more knee friendly table.

Step 4: Creating the picnic table top

The table top assembly requires the two

end table supports and the centre table

support.  Spacers are used in between the slats, during assembly, to allow a space between the slats for rainwater drainage while maintaining a practical table

surface.

            Drill pilot holes, 2 for each slat on both end table supports and the centre support.  Countersink the holes so that the screw head finishes flush with the bottom surface of the supports.

            Screw the supports to the table slats.  You may use a wood glue if desire for extra rigidity.

 

 

 Step 5: Attaching the legs

 

 
Clamp the legs in place and position them on each of the centre slats and on the outer face of the end support faces.  The legs will be attached with some galvanised carriage bolts with washers.  It is very important to use galvanised elements as they resist corrosion and ensure that your table will be held together securely.

 

Drill some clearance holes for the bolts.  It is a good idea to drill clearance holes which are very slightly smaller than the bolt diameter.  This will make for a very rigid leg structure.  The bolts will be tightened from the inside.  The counterboring ensures that the end of the bolt does not protrude underneath the table and possibly injure somebody while sitting.  Also, ensure that you use a galvanised washer.  This will spread the load applied when tightening the bolt and minimise any puncturing of the wood and prevent any ingress of water into the timber, which will result in premature rotting of the wood.  You can plug the counterbore with some clear silicone after you have finished tightening the bolts.

 

Step 6:  Attaching the bench supports to the legs

 

Mark the position of the bench support and clamp to the legs using a c-clamp.   Mark the position of the holes. Using deck screws and a cordless screwdriver attach the bench supports.

 

 

 

Step 7:  Cut and attach the braces

 

Using 2x4s cut the braces to length and cut

60 degree angles on both ends.  Centre

the brace on the bench support and drill

pilot holes for the decking screws.

 

 

 

 

 

Step 8: Cut the bench cleats and attach

 

Use spacers to space out the bench slats and fix the bench slats together using the bench cleat.  Clamp the assembly together usingbar clamps.  Drill pilot holes and fix using decking screws.  For extra strength you may choose to use two bench cleats.

 

 

 

Step 9:  Fix the bench to the bench support

 

Position the benches onto the bench supports and hold them in place using the c-clamps.  See the position guides in the diagram

Drill pilot holes on the underside of the

bench supports.  Attach the benches to the

bench supports using decking screws.

 

 

Step 10: Sand and finish

Using a sanding block and some 120 grit paper give the surfaces a sanding. Sand in the direction of the grain to give a smoother finish.  If you are in a hurry then may choose not to sand on the surfaces that are not visible.  Using a vacuum cleaner suck all the dust off the surfaces.  Using 220 grit sandpaper, sand again.  This should leave a smooth surface. Again vacuum the surface and rub all surfaces with a tack cloth.  Note: A tack cloth is a lint free cloth that has been impregnated with a wax that will grab all bits of dust from your woodworking project.  If you want to stain the wood I would recommend using a pre-conditioner if you have built your picnic table from pine.  The pre-conditioner helps softwoods like pine to stain more evenly.  Once the picnic table has been dusted you may apply a coat of outdoor varnish.  Allow to dry for 24 hours.

 

Conclusion:

I hope that you have enjoyed this project.  It can be easily done over a weekend and will last for years to come.  If you need some blueprints. I bought a very good set of plans online.

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Woodworking Business Ideas What To Build To Make Profits

I take it that you are into starting your own woodworking craft business. Perhaps you are stuck for woodworking business ideas?  If you plan on selling your woodworking from your own garage or yard then this article may help you start some creative thinking as to what you are going to produce for your woodworking business.  This is a critical step.  If you know what you are going to be making then you will know what tools you will need and the plans you will need to secure.

1. Toy making

Does the figure $19,595,000,000 mean anything to you?  No?  Well thats the estimated annual sales just from the top 9 toy makers in the world (source: TheRichest.com)!  So with that in mind dont you think that toys sell very well?  They are not even that hard to make but they have a high perceived value which means that it will be easy to get parents to part with their cash to make their kids happy.  Out of curiosity, I did a Google image search for the keyword "simple wooden toys" just for some inspiration on what toys could easily be made. Take a look!  Now if you have any woodworking experience then you will know that these are very easy to make and I would say that any of them would easily fetch $10 on the market. The added bonus with making wooden toys is that they are a lot of fun to make and are going to make some kid happy.  Obviously just make sure that any toy you give a kid is sanded smooth and protect with a non toxic wood finish.

Collection of Wooden Toys

2. Furniture building

Beautiful and practical is what all furniture in the home should be and the furniture market is enormous. If you keep up to date with latest fashion trends then you will have more of an easy time selling your furniture. You can sell your home made furniture online on sites like ebay.com, craigslist.org, backpage.com.   Just have a search and you will see that wooden furniture is being sold all the time all over the world by woodworkers.  If you can reverse engineer and see what furniture is being sold time and time again then you incorporate this into your furniture building efforts. And on the same theme as the toy making above dont forget childrens furniture which can be made from childrens furniture plans.

Simple & Stylish Wooden Breakfast Table

3. Fence building & repairs

Every home needs a perimeter fence.  And all fences need replacing at some stage.  So there will always be a need to either build new fences or be in the fence repair business. Luckily for you fences can be made inexpensively by stripping pallets for their wood and nailing them to lengths of 4 by 2 planks. Like in this picture below. A 3.5 ft by 8 ft fence panel sells for up to $25 if you check online stores like Lowes.

Basic Wooden Fence Panel

Thank you for reading this blog post.  I hope that it has been useful and maybe sparked some creative ideas for your woodworking business startup.  This is obviously not a fully comprehensive list of wooden articles that could be made but they prove to be very profitable.

Homework:

Its not going to be hard!

It may be best to study your local wooden furniture shop.  Take note of all the types of things that get sold regularly.  Also take note of all the items that could easily be made with simple woodworking tools.  Another exercise would be to take note of what sells on ebay and for how much and come with ways you could out-value each piece and devise ways in which you could make it cheaply.

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Kölner Minnekästchen

The Museum fur angewandte Kunst in Cologne, Germany has a large collection of small medieval caskets, often called Minnekästchen, especially when the decoration has scenes of courtly lovemaking. These caskets were used to hold letters and documents or jewellery.

Below are some images of Minnekastchen taken during our visit to Koln.

Carved casket made of linden of around 1200. Painted  reddish brown  fastened with bronze rosette bands. Lock and hasp are missing.

Casket made of oak panels nailed together by iron nails dating of around 1300. Carved linden inlays

This casket dates from the third quarter of the 13th century and is thought to be a bridal gift. The casket is made of oak, with a beech bottom. The carved decoration with figures of dragons, stag and bird hunting scenes, knights, lions, musicians, Bacchus, between foliage is of made of linden and painted in green and red, and remnants of gold. The planks of the casket are nailed together with iron nails, whereas the hinges are made of gilded bronze. Lock-plate and hinge are missing. The inside has a small side box on the left and is painted red.eight 12.8 cm, width 47.4 cm and depth 14.8 cm.

   

Casket dating from 1350 made of wood from a fruit tree and oak. The panels are nailed and banded together with bronze straps ending in rosettes. The box is carved and painted red.

Small casket made of wood covered with leather and metal straps. The leather is decorated. 14th century.

14th century casket made of pear. On the lid of the casket carved scenes of a Wild Man. Highly decorated metal straps and lock.

Casket decorated with geometric patterns. Inlays with wood from fruit trees and softwood. 15th century.

Casket made of wood covered with painted parchment and metal straps and lock, dating from the 14th century.

Italian casket made of walnut dating from the 14th century. The casket is painted with heraldic shields. Construction of the wooden panels is with dovetails..

Casket made from oak, linden and iron with painted scenery. The casket is standing on iron duck-like feet. The lock is missing. Third quarter 14th century.

Oval painted wooden box from Florance, Italy, dating from the 15th century.

Small casket of painted wood and iron, bearing heraldic shields. 15th century.

South German casket from the 15th century made of painted softwood.

Ivory casket, with brass straps and hinges  from the 15e century. This type of casket can be found throughout the middle ages. A very similar casket is found in the catalogue (part 2) of the exhibition "Die Zeit der Staufer" and has more information on the construction. This casket dates from the second half of the 12th century and was made in Sicily The ivory (thickness 0.5 cm) is nailed to a (linden) wooden inner box. Straps were of gilded copper which ended in small bird heads. The inside is filled with red damask.The casket stands on iron stylised feet. Originally these were turned feet.

 

The 12th century ivory casket from the Bayern National Museum, Munchen. Image from the exhibition catalogue "Die Zeit der Staufer".

Ivory boxes and an ivory polygonal reliquary towercasket.

An ivory Minnekastchen from the exhibition in the Schnutgen Museum dating from 1350-1400. The casket is highly decorated with courtly love scenes. Straps, hinges and lock of silver. Inside covered with (18th century) textile. height 8 cm, width 24 cm, depth 11.5 cm. (Koln, St. Ursula Church).

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