Wood is a popular material for making furniture, decks, cabinets, and more due to its flexibility, ease of usage, among other benefits. However, over time, the wooden project may lose some of its sharpness because of pressure from the environment, like moisture and UV rays, while human activity remains a leading cause of damage to wood.
Maintaining your wooden surfaces requires a lot of careful planning and utilizing the correct materials. Wax is a suitable finish to use on wood to restore and preserve its look. Different wax types are available, each offering varying characteristics and usefulness.
Suppose you want to maintain your wooden plywood countertops, cutting boards, and other wooden surfaces. In that case, you must consider using finishes like butcher wax that can restore and shines your wood. Before then, understanding Butcher’s wax is critical to making the right decision. So we’ve devised this guide discussing everything about Butcher’s wax.
What is Butcher’s Wax?
Butcher’s wax is used for Butcher’s blocks, wooden countertops, and similar surfaces. It is also referred to as cutting wood wax and bowling wood alley. This wax is formed using a combination of carnauba and microcrystalline waxes mixed in a solvent-based system, typically turpentine and mineral spirits, to produce a food-safe finish.
The wax is applied to the wooden surface as it forms a light shield, protecting it against scratches and other damages. It is the ideal material to keep your board shining. The name is gotten from the founder in the 1880s, Charles Butcher. The brand was eventually sold in 2000 to Johnson Professional Wax. However, BWC bought the right to continue making Butcher’s wax.
Uses of Butcher’s Wax
With Butcher’s wax, you’re not limited to a few uses as the finish is beneficial, especially in protecting surfaces and restoring shine. Here, we highlight some of the benefits of the Bowling Alley wax:
1. On Wooden Furniture
You can use Butcher’s wax to finish wooden furniture surfaces as it is easy to use on uneven surfaces. It polishes your furniture, hiding scratches and preventing further damage. Working it into the wood in circular motions using a clean cloth produces the best result. You may need up to two layers of wax to protect your furniture.
2. On Wooden Floors
Floors see a lot of stress and dull out even faster than furniture; thankfully, Butcher’s wax is suitable for finishing these floors. This wax is also called bowling alley wax because it was used to polish bowling alley lanes, typically made of pine and hard maple wood. Applying the wax to your flooring will also prevent liquid spillage from beading up.
3. Sculptures
To keep your artwork like sculptures protected, you’ll need to wax. Butcher’s wax can increase the appeal and prolong its lifespan, which is especially important for antique and expensive sculptures. It is suitable for use on bronze and resin-coated bronze sculptures.
4. Marble
Butcher’s wax can shine marble surfaces like countertops and sculptures. It protects the outer layer and helps it look cleaner and shinier. For marble, waxing is a necessity as it can quickly look dull. Apply Butcher’s wax regularly using a clean cloth.
5. Leather
There are limited wax materials suitable for leather surfaces, so having Butcher’s wax as your trusted finish is vital. It can clean and shine leather surfaces, including furniture, jackets, and purses. Finishing leather surfaces with Butcher’s wax cleans dirt that may be stuck to them and prevents damage.
How to Use Butcher’s Wax?
Now we know how vital Butcher’s wax is and the numerous cases of using it. However, its effectiveness is only valid when used adequately. Thankfully, you don’t need any particular skill to use this wax. The process is straightforward, and we’ll highlight the steps below:
Step One: Clean the Surface
Before applying the Butcher’s wax to the surface, clean it thoroughly. The cleaning material and level of detail dependent on whether it is a new piece of furniture or you’re restoring an old part. Old surfaces already have dirt and oil stuck to them, requiring more intense cleaning so the wax can adhere properly. Wax and polish remover is needed to clean old surfaces.
Step Two: Apply The First Layer
Use a clean and dry lint-free cloth or ultra-fine steel wool for the application to get the best finish. Choosing a suitable material to apply this wax is vital as it affects the quality of the shine and protection you get. Scoop some wax using the cloth and rub it on the surface in a circular motion. Do this till you’ve curved the entire area.
Step Three: Allow to Dry
After the first wax layer, leave the surface to dry for about 30 minutes. It helps the wax further into the wood grains for improved protection. Environmental factors like heat can affect the drying time.
Step Four: Apply The Second Wax Layer
Most surfaces require more than a single layer to cover your surface effectively, so after drying, use a clean cloth to reapply a second wax layer. Follow the previous steps by rubbing in a circular motion which helps to force the wax into the wood grains. Allow this layer to dry for about 30 minutes before proceeding to the final step.
Step Five: Buff The Surface
Buffing a surface after waxing serves two purposes: improving the shine and removing excess oil from the surface, which can cause an uneven surface. You’ll need another clean and dry, lint-free cloth or a wax polishing brush for this step. Wipe the surface along the grain direction to a sheen as it removes any excess oil.
FAQ’s
Follow this section to get a better understanding of Buther’s wax. Here are a collection of popular questions about Butcher’s Wax with their straightforward answers:
Ans: The wax is not waterproof, although it features water-resistant properties that hold water spillage for a short time. It gives you time to clean the spoils before it leaves marks on your exterior.
Ans: Butcher’s wax is food-safe as it contains vitamin E-stabilized mineral oil. It means you can use the wax to finish cutting boards, kitchen countertops, and other surfaces that come in contact with food without exposure to toxins.
Ans: Butcher’s wax is not the same as Paraffin wax. Butcher’s wax is a blend of carnauba and microcrystalline waxes in mineral spirits and turpentine. Paraffin wax, on the other hand, is obtained from crude oil and used for making candles.
Ans: Not all floors can be waxed despite Butcher’s wax vast use. Some flooring has poor wax adhesion, while others come with factory finishes, so absorbing Butcher’s wax would be challenging. Confirm the material can be waxed before spending resources trying to finish the surface.
Ans: Trewax Clear Paste Wax is an alternative to use instead of Butcher’s wax s it features similar ingredients such as carnauba. You can also use Trewax on surfaces like bronze, marble, granite, and hardwood floors.
Ans: BWC manufactures present Butcher’s wax after buying the rights to use the name around 2000. The product is made to the exact specifications of the original Butcher’s wax.
Summary
Butcher’s wax is made from carnauba and microcrystalline waxes in solvent-based mineral spirits and turpentine systems. It is easy to use on bronze, marble, wood, and granite surfaces, with the entire application process taking less than an hour, depending on the surface size. Butcher’s wax is ideal for a shiny finish that protects against scratches and water spillage.
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