Wax coating on blanks - removing

[Lee J]

I use bowl blanks for other things than turning bowls. How can I remove the anti splitting wax that the blanks are covered in without mounting on the lathe?

this stuff...

 

[Lee J]

Just to add, I tried using the belt sander but the belt got clogged up straight away and was knackered.

 

[Bodrighy]

I am trying to think why you would need to?

Pete

 

[CHJ]

Not going to happen without machining the surfaces off.
By its very nature the hot wax penetrates the immediate surface of the wood, indeed when sealing the blanks with hot wax this penetration is a major factor in ensuring the wax stays adhered.

 

[KimG]

Got to agree with Pete, why?

Toluene is a wax solvent but you would need a fair bit for that and it isn't cheap.

 

[CHJ]

Toluene is a wax solvent but you would need a fair bit for that and it isn't cheap.

It is also very Toxic and should be avoided unless you have specialist handling procedures.

It can cause skin and mucous membrane problems but more importantly it affects the central nervous system which is the primary target.

 

[nev]

just use a hot glue gun and a scrap of wood, bring up the tailstock with another scrap of wood for extra support , turn the wax off then remove the hot glue. no holes drilled.
obviously this would only work if you want a round blank.

 

[KimG]

Toluene is a wax solvent but you would need a fair bit for that and it isn't cheap.

It is also very Toxic and should be avoided unless you have specialist handling procedures.

It can cause skin and mucous membrane problems but more importantly it affects the central nervous system which is the primary target.

I use it a fair bit for Microscopy, to dissolve the wax from sections prior to staining and mounting on slides, it's not quite that drastic, and is considered reasonably safe, much safer than Benzene or the previous solvent used, Xylene, which was carcinogenic, Toluene is not a carcinogen. I've had no problems with Toluene, mind you, that doesn't mean you should handle it carelessly! Not that I intended to recommend it though, rather impractical for such a large task.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

A cabinet scraper would work but obviously this will only remove the wax on the surface unless you start to take off some wood too. As Chas has mentioned already, the wax will penetrate the wood surface.

 

[Lee J]

I am trying to think why you would need to?

Pete

Because I use the blanks for other items not just for turning. I cut them in half and make boxes or drawers out of them, like this...

So, the wax causes me a problem when it comes to putting a finish on. I only need to remove the outer surface of the wax, I realised that it penetrates the woods grain but that's fine!

 

[nev]

nice little box that

 

[Lee J]

Hey Nev, the clever bit is I made this one from the off cut off the first one...