The Woodturning Forum - Woodturner's Resource - Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula

Mike Turner

WR Addict

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 784

Laurinburg
North Carolina
USA
Gender: male

Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula
Jan 31^st, 2018 at 5:22am

I dont turn a lot of green wood right now (so I dont need a large amount of anchor seal) but I do have 4 flute blanks coming that are green.They will have been treated with a mix of beeswax or hard parrafin candle wax and mineral oil of which equal parts were melted together and applied when hot and allowed to cool by the guy who I bought them from.I got some from him a while back and they worked out great....In my previous order I bored them out 3/4" on some and 7/8" on others in preparation to become a flute.Then I coated them with anchorseal and allowed them to dry..

I dont have any anchorseal and would rather try this formula or a variation of it.Anyone did anything similar? Where would be the best place to buy beeswax or paraffin? I would think in this use it wouldnt need to be the highest refined quality just clean .... Any ideas on this? I just wouldnt need a lot of anchorseal as I dont plan on ordering any more blanks or turning any green bowls any time soon. Thanks !

Back to top

IP Logged

Register To Remove Ads

Ralph Fahringer WR Addict Offline I'm the "Burly" Man!! Posts: 1,629 Ellsworth Maine USA Gender: PM3520b	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #1 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 8:54am Why not just ask the guy you are getting those pieces from if he would be willing to sell you some of his stuff.
Back to top	Originality is the art of concealing your source. IP Logged

Ed Weber

WR Administrator
WR Patron

Offline

Posts: 8,939

Wilton
California
USA
Gender: male

JET 1642
Grizzly G0584

Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula
Reply #2 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 9:43am

Many turning blanks are coated in plain paraffin wax.
All you're trying to do is slow the moisture transfer from the wood to the ambient air. Wrapping in a sealed plastic bag or cling film will do the same thing.
Anything that will seal or clog the pores from releasing it's moisture too quickly will work.
No need to over think it.

Back to top

IP Logged

Jeff Vanden Boogart WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 921 Rural Green Bay Wisconsin USA Gender: PM 3520	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #3 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 10:04am Every grocery store should have Canning Wax, and it's cheap. I don't think beeswax offers any advantages in your application, and it costs 3 times as much.
Back to top	IP Logged

Grant Wilkinson WR Addict Offline Posts: 783 Ottawa Ontario Canada	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #4 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 11:36am Jeff is right on, I think. Another option is simply to use up any left over latex house paint you have on hand. I have some very fine coloured blanks painted that way and the latex seems to work as well as anything else I've tried.
Back to top	Grant Wilkinson Ottawa ON IP Logged

Al Wasser WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 626 Pueblo West, CO Colorado USA Gender: Robust American Beauty	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #5 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 2:16pm I tried latex paint but it was useless here in dry Colorado. Might work in a area with a higher humidity. That stuff they use to wrap pallets and bundles with works pretty well if you have any around
Back to top	IP Logged

Mike Turner WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 784 Laurinburg North Carolina USA Gender:	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #6 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 4:07pm Ralph Fahringer wrote on Jan 31^st, 2018 at 8:54am: Why not just ask the guy you are getting those pieces from if he would be willing to sell you some of his stuff I asked about it and he just told me he used the paraffin wax or bees wax heated and mixed with mineral oil.
Back to top	IP Logged

Jeff Vanden Boogart

WR Addict

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 921

Rural Green Bay
Wisconsin
USA
Gender: male

PM 3520

Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula
Reply #7 - Jan 31^st, 2018 at 11:00pm

I tried latex paint on a bunch of bowl blanks. Wish I hadn't. It's my understanding that there's a lot of clay in it. So you end up turning through a lot of what amounts to dirt...LOL Seemed to dull tools quickly. So the low, to no cost of it was exchanged for more sharpening on expensive bowl gouges. I bought a couple gallons of sealer from the local Woodcraft store and like it a lot better. A gallon goes a long way.

Back to top

IP Logged

Register To Remove Ads

Bill Rockwood Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 218 Buena Park California USA Gender: Grizzly G0838 Excelsior 10x18 HF 8x12 (95607)	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #8 - Feb 1^st, 2018 at 6:49pm Not sure if this is new or not, but saw this on the Craft Supplies site, a little cheaper than Anchorseal: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or
Back to top	« Last Edit: Feb 1^st, 2018 at 6:50pm by Bill Rockwood » IP Logged

Mike Nathal

Active Member

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 232

Strongsville
Ohio
USA

Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula
Reply #9 - Feb 4^th, 2018 at 8:35am

I have used straight paraffin wax with no mineral oil added. I find this works much better than paint. It is a little harder to apply since you have to heat it up (I use one of those stand alone electric burners that look like a stove top burner) and the wax build up in the paint brush takes a while to soften. I have heard that wax can catch fire if you are not careful. I had a shoe box full of my kids old crayons, it makes for colorful sealants

Back to top

IP Logged

Jack Holton WR Noob Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 2 Denver USA Rikon	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #10 - Mar 29^th, 2018 at 10:21pm Be careful when heating the wax. Buy a small clean metal paint can at your hardware store and heat it with a heat gun or hair drier. Works well and its safer. Jack
Back to top	Jack IP Logged

Jeff Vanden Boogart WR Addict Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 921 Rural Green Bay Wisconsin USA Gender: PM 3520	Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula Reply #11 - Mar 29^th, 2018 at 11:45pm I use an old electric frying pan to melt wax. Temp can be set at 200* or less....probably pretty safe. My heat gun is 750*...probably not too safe, and trying to hold it 3' away isn't very convenient
Back to top	IP Logged

robert baccus

Full Member

Offline

WR Rocks!

Posts: 67

Gender: male

Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula
Reply #12 - Mar 30^th, 2018 at 9:30pm

Tree saver--green woos sealer is horrible!! I use a lot od endsealers and the old paraffin based sealers are still the best. Anchorseal#1, Artisan sealer ect are very fine. Treesaver does nothing, nothing right. Anchorseal#2 is a joke. The good(used by industry) stuff is a water based paraffin produst. Lates paint is designed to transmit moisture through paint to prevent peeling--horrible at stopping moisture loss. All the popular finishes are practically useless at preventing moisture movement according to the forest service lab research in wisconsin.

Back to top

IP Logged

denny davis Junior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 30 Normal Illinois USA Gender:	Re: Anchorseal Alternative. Reply #13 - Aug 14^th, 2018 at 8:15pm I'm out of Achorseal. I see guys are using just plain wax. If wood is stored out in the heat will it not melt off of the wood? I have heard somewhere of using white glue, is that a viable option? Thanks in advance for any help.
Back to top	IP Logged

Ed Weber

WR Administrator
WR Patron

Offline

Posts: 8,939

Wilton
California
USA
Gender: male

JET 1642
Grizzly G0584

Re: Anchorseal Alternative..Beeswax etc formula
Reply #14 - Aug 14^th, 2018 at 8:50pm

Ed Weber wrote on Jan 31^st, 2018 at 9:43am:

Many turning blanks are coated in plain paraffin wax.
All you're trying to do is slow the moisture transfer from the wood to the ambient air. Wrapping in a sealed plastic bag or cling film will do the same thing.
Anything that will seal or clog the pores from releasing it's moisture too quickly will work.
No need to over think it.

Those that seal with wax usually have a large tank that stays in liquid state, this really only makes sense if you go through many blanks.
I don't understand the hesitation with anyone buying Anchor Seal.
This is a product that is designed for the specific purpose of sealing wood.
The original Anchor Seal and Anchor Seal 2 are available and well worth the price. IMO
While home made mixtures may work, there is no need or cost benefit, again JMO

Back to top

IP Logged