# Beeswax to finish floors?



## JohnBeeMan (Feb 24, 2004)

Back in the 60s I heard of someone mixing (hot melted) beeswax and Linseed Oil and using it to finish pine flooring. 

I may make for a slippery floor.


----------



## Sogal (Dec 6, 2007)

I asked my grandmother. She got a horrified face and told of weekly waxings of the entire floor her mother she was forced to endure as a youngster. Also the reason so many of her generation covered their hardwood with carpet.

It's a romantic and very ecologic notion, and might be possible, but I suspect there might be a reason folks moved to other finishes (durability, water-protection, lack of weekly waxing requirement). Let us know what happens if you try it.


----------



## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

One thing for certain, your bees would likely be attracted to the inside of the house, especially during swarm season.

There are recipies for beeswax wood polishes in some of the old Gleanings in Bee Culture, I think the late 1980's. Might be worth some research and better to use to keep floors nice once they are finished. I'm betting on the slippery factor as well since my treated wooden trailer floor is like an ice rink after we move bees.


----------



## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Don't. There are far better wooden floor treatments available today. Look into some of the water based sealers designed for wood floors.


----------



## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Hi Victor,
You could...it's your floor. 

You have to use turpentine, and I believe that my 1915 edition of Hodgson's "Complete practical up-to-date Hardwoodfinisher" say's NOT to apply over any kind of oil treatment.

You dissolve finely shreded wax in the turps, but it's quicker to melt the wax and add the turps while the wax is still warm.

The proportion varies according to the work. You would want to make it more of a liquid if you were polishing carved furniture...all the way to a stiff paste, which is more likely what you will want, but you can make the 1st coat thinner, and just pour it on, then let it penetrate overnite, and buff any excess off the next day, or even longer.

Those old Electrolux buffers can be found pretty cheap, I got 2, for $5.00, and they work great. You WILL want a machine for anything bigger than a closet...

A medium consistancy would be something like butter on a 80 degree day.

It's doable. It's a nice finish, but it's a polished finish, and best IMHO, reserved for furniture. 

But Good Luck
Mark


----------

