Beeswax in Blocks

 Use beeswax to:

1. Unstick a drawer. A thin coat of beeswax on wooden rails makes the wood drawers on Granny’s old bureau slide smoothly. It does windows, too. Use wax to lubricate sashes.

2. Free frozen nuts. Help loosen a rusted nut by lubricating the bolt’s threads with melted wax.

3. Wax wood. For structural elements that need to look good but take no wear (such as exposed ceiling beams), heat equal parts beeswax, linseed oil, and turpentine. Apply with a burlap rag while the mixture is still warm.

4. Preserve bronze. To ward against oxidation caused by moist air, brush on a solution of ⅓ pound beeswax melted in 1-quart turpentine. Buff it with a towel to create a thin, hard coat. 5. Whip frayed rope. Wrap a waxed length of string tightly around the rope’s tip about a dozen times. Tie off the loose end and trim the excess.6. Lube screws. Rub wax over the threads of screws to make them drive smoothly and resist corrosion.7. Condition a wood cutting board. Add half-teaspoon beeswax to a cup of mineral oil, melt together in a double boiler, and apply the mixture to the board with a soft cloth.

8. Polish concrete counters. Give a sealed, dark concrete countertop a muted, natural lustre by rubbing melted beeswax over the surface with a chamois cloth. Let it dry and then wipe.

9. Preserve a patina. Seal a copper sink by rubbing it with softened beeswax and polishing off the excess with a lint-free rag,

10. Waterproof leather. Combine 1 part beeswax to 2 parts linseed oil. Warm the mixture and use a rag to rub it on your work boots or gloves.

11. Make Beeswax Candles