Who has bees wax in their tool box ?

John Timmins · Sep 30, 2008

Recently I retired from going to sea for 30 years. I sailed deep sea as an engineer. Every ship had blocks of bees wax in the machine shop. It is for sale in the Mariner's Catalog.

Steam engineers, even before the Cival War, melted wax on hot stubborn nuts and bolts. It would seep into any thread or frozen up tight space. This was used way before Blaster and Liquid Wrench was invented.

I often heat up things gently and then put the wax to it. Some poor guy on a different thread was fighting a sheared off water pump housing bolt. I would have heated the bolt head with a small flame and let the wax do all the work.

I am afraid this old trick is not used very much anymore except by seaman that I've worked with. I have found it in a few old hardware stores and also on the internet. Everyone that works with tools should buy a block. :thumbup:

FYI, the union I was in was formed in 1876. A lot of the ship and riverboat engineers were also train drivers. Anyway I hope this bees wax trick helps somebody out, preferably before they shear off a bolt or stud.

garfunkle24 · Sep 30, 2008

The mention of bees wax did actually catch my attention in the other thread. I'm fairly young and haven't heard of this before, so I have a couple of questions:

1. When melted does the wax just run vertically, or would it 'pull-in' like a soldered joint? For example if a broke off a bolt (flush) into a vertical, blind, work-piece, would I be able to get the wax in there?

2. I am well-practiced with a torch, but in the above scenario, would I be heating the bolt or the housing?

3. Do I heat up the bolt/stud/whatever and then just throw a chunk of wax on? Or smear the wax on the joint then heat it all up?

4. Does this work better/comparably/worse than PB blaster or other penetrants?

5. How much does bees wax cost?

Congrats on the retirement by the way and thanks for passing on the knowledge!

bushhawg73 · Sep 30, 2008

Thanks for the tip. I will have to give it a try.

John Timmins · Sep 30, 2008

Hi. The bees wax will melt and flow into the joint. The trick is to not let things get too hot or the wax will melt right off like smoke. Sometimes you work on things that are already hot like exhaust pipe work. A car goes up on the rack and you start melting the wax on the hanger nuts and bolts.

I believe that it works better than Blaster and other spray products but I always had penetrating oil in my tool bucket. You may have to heat and apply the wax more than once. You will get the "feeling of greatness" when you put just enough arm on that wrench and feel the part back out.

Another tip: always have a pair of vice grips and a small 6 inch pipe wrench in your tool box to grab things with. And make a cheater pipe that will slip over the pipe wrench and put that in the tool box too. It can be the thicker wall PVC.

I have used Wax on stuck pipe fittiings that had to be re-used. There is no hardware store on a ship and I have run into real wierd fittings like street tees and street reducing ells or what I really hate, those British Standard Pipe threads that are not tapered.

Anyway the bees wax in the Mariner's catalog was a big box of about 12 or 16 blocks the size of a red brick. So don't look for it there! I have seen it for about $1 a block the size of a candy peppermint patty in stores. I bought a couple of blocks about 1/2 the size of a hockey puck for about $2 each in an old hardware store. Nobody knew what it was for.

I would look for bees wax on the internet. You might find it at a health food store too.

I know that industrial zippers are lubricated with bees wax like tarp zippers. then it is rubbed on cold.

I don't put it on something and then heat it. I think you could heat something and put it on the whole item like a water pump housing although I would let it just melt and wick into the tight spot. It will run up hill following heat. When it cools it cleans up real nice too on the parts. Doesn't smell bad either. Hope I answered your questions or I will write more.

DaytonaJohn

garfunkle24 · Sep 30, 2008

Thanks!!

I'll try it on the next seized/rusted thing I come across. Seems I won't have to wait long aroound here. Always good to add another 'trick' to the arsenal. At the very least it's good for impressing non-mechanic friends. Unfortunately these same people are more impressed with the 4ft pipe wrench at the shop than if I could rebuild a DOHC motor with a shovel.

Merkava_4 · Sep 30, 2008

This is interesting info; I've never heard of this method before. :beer:

Speed-Racer · Sep 30, 2008

I have a candle in my tool box, this trick has really worked for me, not sure if its beeswax or parifin(sp), may try some to find some beeswax.

I ran across this bee site, while searching.

http://www.eberthoney.com/Beeswax.html

Bolster · Sep 30, 2008

Thanks for the tip re bee's wax.

I know that you can easily obtain bee's wax candles, but you have to go into those stores that smell nice and sell pink frilly things to find 'em.

gofastman · Sep 30, 2008

this method really does work better than most penitrating oils on the market.

goodfellow · Sep 30, 2008

I was lucky enough to apprentice with a craftsman who finished steel body panels with lead; never Bondo. I still have a few of his tubs of pure bees wax in my shop. Some date back to the 1950's. I use it as a lubricant for body solder paddles and as a lubricant for screws; metal or wood, it doesn't matter.

Elroy · Sep 30, 2008

Elroy uses Bee's Wax on the wooden paddles when doing lead body work. Can't do it with out it. Can't say he has ever tried it to loosen rusted parts. Good advise. :thumbup:

chad s · Sep 30, 2008

Elroy said:
Elroy uses Bee's Wax on the wooden paddles when doing lead body work. Can't do it with out it. Can't say he has ever tried it to loosen rusted parts. Good advise.

Elroy does lead bodywork? Elroy earns my respect more.

What kind of cars do you work on?

Elroy · Sep 30, 2008

chad s said:
What kind of cars do you work on?

Actually Elroy currently tries real hard to avoid it at all costs. Over the years Elroy has owned:

1967 Formula S Barracuda
1969-1/2 Boss 302 (One of the earliest in the Boss Registry, April 21 Build)
1972 Duster (bought new)
1978 Impala (leased)
1979 Buick Regal (Bought new, That was a good car)
1969 Torino Talladega (There's a rare one)
1985 GT Mustang (bought new)
1985 Buick Century (bought it new and it was POS from the start)
1995 Buick LeSabre (Good car until it hit about 120K. Then it fell apart)
1970 Boss 302 (Metuchen Car, November 11 Build)
2004 GMC Pick up

Piss poor thing is, they're all gone now with the sole exception on the '85 GT, the GMC and the LeSabre. The '85 has close to 300,000 miles.

Most guys have had a lot of cool cars over the years. Elroy is nothing special.

speed bump · Sep 30, 2008

Ah the only good looking Mustang Ford ever produced.

Theo · Sep 30, 2008

I've used heat and paraffin wax on many a rusted bolt on my 66 Mustang (the other good looking Mustang :thumbup:

)

You get the benefit of the heat doing it's magic, along with the wax getting in there and lubing things up.

I'll hand it to you seamen, you know guys know lube better than any of us landlubbers. :lol_hitti

senlow · Sep 30, 2008

Elroy said:
Elroy uses Bee's Wax on the wooden paddles when doing lead body work. Can't do it with out it. Can't say he has ever tried it to loosen rusted parts. Good advise.

I'm impressed. Very few body men have the skill to fill with lead. I wish that I had the skills to do good body work. I do have a few wooden paddles that I acquired years ago. I have never used them because I always farm out any body work that needs to be better than the typical insurance driven hack work.

logical · Sep 30, 2008

Any good billiards supply place will have it. i use it to fill joints between the 3-piece slate on old pool tables.

64merc · Oct 1, 2008

logical said:
Any good billiards supply place will have it. i use it to fill joints between the 3-piece slate on old pool tables.

Oh yeah, that's right. I saw a demonstration on TV showing how a quality pool table is put together, and I remember now seeing wax used. Cool

Frank Elson · Oct 1, 2008

I was taught to use candle wax by my grandfather on the farm in the 1950s.
Used that method for years until I discovered releasing agents in spray cans. Much easier.

wilbilt · Oct 1, 2008

My dad used to use beeswax for lubing drawer slides (old wooden ones) and things like door strike plates.

Of course, my grandfather was a seaman in the 1920's and probably passed it on.

Northstar9126 · Oct 7, 2008

Used to be that the ring used to seal a toilet was made of bees wax. It would be easy to get the wax at Home Depot if they are.

hoarder1212 · Oct 7, 2008

When I was an apprentice tool and die maker my teacher said to use a wax toilet ring for the same thing. He also said to use it to lubricate cutting tools when trying to machine aluminum. this will keep the chips from sticking to the tool. work really well for drilling and grinding.

arthur1920 · Oct 7, 2008

hoarder1212 said:
When I was an apprentice tool and die maker my teacher said to use a wax toilet ring for the same thing. He also said to use it to lubricate cutting tools when trying to machine aluminum. this will keep the chips from sticking to the tool. work really well for drilling and grinding.

I have used this trick many times for frozen parts but I never thought of using it for a cutting lube.

I wonder is it necessary to have actual beeswax? Or can any old candle do? I wonder about limiting the heat though, when this was shown to me the part was heated up pretty darn good and immediately the assistent applied the wax before any cooling could occur.

What say you?

John Timmins · Oct 7, 2008

I think that heating up the part is not the problem. I wrote that I have heated thinks too hot and the wax just kinda smokes right off and vaporizes before it can to the work.

I don't see any reason why a wax toilet ring couldn't be used. It is softer that the block wax though. It should still work.

DaytonaJohn

J.A.F.E. · Oct 9, 2008

My first post to this forum. Next to working with tools talking about them is the next best thing to me.

Beeswax - I use it with handsaws and hacksaws to lube the blade. A couple swipes across the teeth and along each side it really makes quite a difference.

I also use it when screwing into wood - particularly with no pilot hole into hard wood.

I get small cakes at Anawalt Lumber or Tandy Leather and they last quite a while.

~Steve

eschoendorff · Oct 9, 2008

John Timmins said:
Hi. The bees wax will melt and flow into the joint. The trick is to not let things get too hot or the wax will melt right off like smoke. Sometimes you work on things that are already hot like exhaust pipe work. A car goes up on the rack and you start melting the wax on the hanger nuts and bolts.

I believe that it works better than Blaster and other spray products but I always had penetrating oil in my tool bucket. You may have to heat and apply the wax more than once. You will get the "feeling of greatness" when you put just enough arm on that wrench and feel the part back out.

Another tip: always have a pair of vice grips and a small 6 inch pipe wrench in your tool box to grab things with. And make a cheater pipe that will slip over the pipe wrench and put that in the tool box too. It can be the thicker wall PVC.

I have used Wax on stuck pipe fittiings that had to be re-used. There is no hardware store on a ship and I have run into real wierd fittings like street tees and street reducing ells or what I really hate, those British Standard Pipe threads that are not tapered.

Anyway the bees wax in the Mariner's catalog was a big box of about 12 or 16 blocks the size of a red brick. So don't look for it there! I have seen it for about $1 a block the size of a candy peppermint patty in stores. I bought a couple of blocks about 1/2 the size of a hockey puck for about $2 each in an old hardware store. Nobody knew what it was for.

I would look for bees wax on the internet. You might find it at a health food store too.

I know that industrial zippers are lubricated with bees wax like tarp zippers. then it is rubbed on cold.

I don't put it on something and then heat it. I think you could heat something and put it on the whole item like a water pump housing although I would let it just melt and wick into the tight spot. It will run up hill following heat. When it cools it cleans up real nice too on the parts. Doesn't smell bad either. Hope I answered your questions or I will write more.

DaytonaJohn

Damn... you got me want to find some bees wax and a stuck bolt! :lol:

BTW, if I hadn't said it before, welcome to our little corner of the world. :beer:

eschoendorff · Oct 9, 2008

Theo said:
I've used heat and paraffin wax on many a rusted bolt on my 66 Mustang (the other good looking Mustang )

You get the benefit of the heat doing it's magic, along with the wax getting in there and lubing things up.

I'll hand it to you seamen, you know guys know lube better than any of us landlubbers.

Is that your car??? That thing is a beauty! And this is coming from a Corvette guy.... :beer:

I am not even going to touch the last comment about seamen and lube... :lol_hitti

Who has bees wax in their tool box ?

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