Removing Parafin Wax from Rosewood?

[Nicholas Scheuer]

My son gave me a 2"x2"x24" hunk of Rosewood for Christmas. It was sort of a "stocking stuffer", in addition to the "real" gift. Apparently he visited his local wood store and this hunk was marked down so low that he couldn't resist, and he just knew that Dad could make something with it.

My question is, how do I get the wax off? Especially at a coule of locations where I want to glue/screw small pieces of hardwood onto it at the ends?

This gift was truly SERENDIPITOUS!

The fence on my 50-yr-old Craftsman table saw has finally reduced itself to junk. It hasn't been handy to move side-to-side on the table for a couple of years, and now it is really stubborn. I don't want to try to rebuild it. Aftermarket fences are not made to fit small 8" saws such as mine.

As I was sawing some Pine recently, I thunk to myself, wouldn't a nice hardwood fence be nice? Something smoothly oiled that would yield a whole bunch of warm fuzzies whenever it is touched? I even visualized a straightforward way that a T-square/fence could be secured front and back with a pair off-the-shelf De-Sta-Co cam-action clamps reaching under the edges of the table or the extensions on each side.

So the "T", along with a bit of extension at the rear will be blocks of Ebony, Ipe, Rosewood, etc, and I want to be able to use a bit of Epoxy Adhesive when I screw then blocks and clamps in place.

I will scrape as much wax off the Rosewood as I can with a wide chisel, but what about the remainder? Solvent? A couple of hours in the oven at 200-degrees?

Any ideas appreciated!

Moby Nick

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Thanks for the tip Jim! I hadn't considered that the wax might be water soluable.

Milo, the hardwood extensions will be small; just a stout "T" under the near end of the Rosewood Fence, and a short 3/4" extension at the rear under which half of a De-Sta-Co clamp will be secured. The other half of the clamp base will be fastened to the Rosewood. I may use a spline for the "T".

I'm partial to Ebony for the end blocks as a nice contrast with the rich red color of the Rosewood.

The lower edges of the fence will be left square, and the top edges rounded 1/8"R using a router. Other corners and edges at the ends will be rounded 1/4"R for a nicer "feel" when repositioning the fence.

Moby Nick

[Jim Ledger]

It's probably not water soluble, but the hot water softens it up enough that it can be scrubbed off. You won't get it all, but what's left will be easier to deal with. Try a plastic pot scrubber.

[paladin]

O.K. Nick...gotta ask.......is it Indian or Brazilian rosewood.......the reason I ask is that I may have a couple of pieces of Indian Rosewood in the trunk of the car.....just collecting dust.

[rbgarr]

Let us know what ends up working afa the wax removal goes. I've got a forty year old balk of mesquite that's encased in it. I intend to use it for tools and cleats and chocks and stuff.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

No way of discerning that, Palidin. There is no ID on the 2x2x24 hunk I have, which has been planed smooth all over. I do not know what visual clues would determine origin.

MN

[TerryLL]

Best way to tell East Indian rosewood from Brazilian is by smell. The Indian rosewood has a kind of ethereal-spicy-mysterious-occidental-tobacco type of smell. The Brazilian just smells like Brazilian.

[paladin]

I'll try to send a sample to see if it matches.....don't eat it.

[Dave Lesser]

I asked a similar question on this thread (http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83888) about some osage orange turning squares. Ended up just running them through the planer, taking off about a 64th of an inch to remove all of the wax. Didn't seem to gum up the planer, and left a wax-free surface that would take glue. I guess they seal the turning squares with wax to keep the moisture content high so that they can be turned more easily.

[boylesboats]

I asked a similar question on this thread (http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83888) about some osage orange turning squares. Ended up just running them through the planer, taking off about a 64th of an inch to remove all of the wax. Didn't seem to gum up the planer, and left a wax-free surface that would take glue. I guess they seal the turning squares with wax to keep the moisture content high so that they can be turned more easily.

It help prevent wood from splitting while drying out... Ever seen how bad Osage Orange fence posts split?
You wouldn't want to turn a stock with split running through it...:eek: Bad experience.....

[Nicholas Scheuer]

TerryLL, my Rosewood just smells like hardwood, not very exotic.

I roughed up some end grain with my die grider fitted with a Kutzall tip.

Moby Nick

[TerryLL]

TerryLL, my Rosewood just smells like hardwood, not very exotic.

I roughed up some end grain with my die grider fitted with a Kutzall tip.

Moby Nick

It takes a practiced nose. After you rip a couple thousand board feet of each, you'll be able to tell. Of course, by then your nose will be ruined. I don't use either wood any more because of the toxic dust, even though I have customers begging for the stuff.

[ILikeRust]

Mineral spirits. Will dissolve and wash away the wax without doing any harm to the wood.

[boylesboats]

Mineral Sprits leaves behind oily residue....

Try Naphtha... It'll evaporate quick enough for clean surface...

[Jay Greer]

The most effective method of cleaning wax or oil from wood, that I have used, is either to scrub it with terry cloth soaked in naptha or to make a paste of Naptha and diatomaceous earth that can be smeared on the wood and allowed to dry. The paste will absorb the wax or oil and the residue can then be dusted off.
Jay

[Mrleft8]

I find that fire works very well in situations like this.....;)

[boylesboats]

Lefty.....:eek:

[Mrleft8]

... A Rosewood tablesaw fence......
I bet there are luthiers out there who would trade you a nice piece of Maple for that Rosewood....

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

I believe the one solvent that eats most kinds of wax is Toluol/Toluene.
I don't know if it is even available at retail.

[Jay Greer]

I believe the one solvent that eats most kinds of wax is Toluol/Toluene.
I don't know if it is even available at retail.
Naptha.
Jay

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Progress Report:

Got some Diatomacious Earth at a nursery. Toit's normally used to spread around in a garden to discourage crawing insects.

Got some Naptha at the hardare store. It's just a solvent, not a lot different from Mineral spirits. I had thought Naptha was a LOT more voilitile, more like MEK. It turns out to be just more highly refined tan Mineral spirits or paint thinner. It's used for cigarette lighter fluid and for charcoal lighter, so it won't leave as much residue as mineral spirits would.

Mixed together, the off-white powdered earth and clear naptha make a dark olive drab puty.

I've spread the putty all over my waxed Rosewood. I can already see how it works, even before the putty dries out. The Naptha will disolve the wax, leaving or no residue, while the diatomacious earth, which is very astringent, lifts the wax and Naptha off the wood. Just getting a bit of the earth on my hands makes them feel the need for some hand lotion; very drying, and very quick about it.

More later, after the putty spread dries.

Moby Nick

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Further update:

The Naptha all evaporated.

The diatomacious earth turned back white.

It falls off the Rosewood as dust when touched.

There is no wax on the Rosewwood.

Total success!

[Plover]

Nick,
That Jay Greer is one smart guy! Taught me one!
Paul

[ron ll]

http://www.ronlloyd.com/oddstuff/rosesaw.JPG

[Jay Greer]

Glad to hear it worked for you.
Jay