Another of the many productive uses of "Real" Beeswax!!
I for one did not know this use!
Phillip
https://youtu.be/c0XvcNb_VYA?t=260
Up until WW2, Beeswax was the main rust protection used on steel. During the war, beeswax was used to coat all guns and iron products before being shipped over seas. There was a big push to collect as much of it as possible for the war effort.
Jim Altmiller
QuoteBeeswax was the main rust protection used on steel.
I didn't know that. Thanks!
Nor I, Thanks
Quote from: BeeMaster2 on September 23, 2023, 03:02:34 PM
Up until WW2, Beeswax was the main rust protection used on steel. During the war, beeswax was used to coat all guns and iron products before being shipped over seas. There was a big push to collect as much of it as possible for the war effort.
Jim Altmiller
In tool town USA.. in Athol Massachusetts.. Where I grew up in the 50s.. I would say 50% of the town know.. About beewax being a rushed prevent.
This was because of The L S Starrett Company.
The largest Producer of.. Position handles tools in the world. Maybe today no one would know this. In n Athol, Massachusetts.. Because the Formula did change sometime just before. 1960s or so.
BEE HAPPY Jim134 :smile:
Thanks Jim134
With all this revelation of beeswax in relation to its rust preventive properties, stands to reason that the price of beeswax would be of more value if it was still sought after for this purpose, which would make the market price of wax more appealing for the beekeeper?
Love any forged steel. The wax gives a beautiful patina to the hook. Thanks for posting Phillip.
The things you don't know! So if you wanted to use beeswax to protect steel or iron tools, how would you do it?
Quote from: Lesgold on September 24, 2023, 05:40:59 PM
Love any forged steel. The wax gives a beautiful patina to the hook. Thanks for posting Phillip.
Your welcome Les, I appreciate the responses while learning more about the by products of our bees.
Quote from: The15thMember on September 24, 2023, 06:05:18 PM
The things you don't know! So if you wanted to use beeswax to protect steel or iron tools, how would you do it?
Good question Reagan, in the video in the OP it shows how it is done with freshly refined metal, but what about cold steel? I'm supposing it would need to be heated to a certain temperature?
Phillip
using pure beeswax as a rust preventative on tools works for storage or shipping might be ok. Thin coatings could only be done on a warm part.
Mixing beeswax with other things to thin it down could be done. For instance, a mixture of 50-50 alox and beeswax was popular as a bullet lubricant for many years on cast bullets. Alox is no longer made, but other lubes are available that are similar. Before alox, various oils were used for the same purpose.
As far as coating tools goes, It would work fine unless you want to use the tool. Then the coating would just wear off immediately.
From at least WWI to Vietnam era, cosmoline was the preferred rust preventative of steel parts. In war, often substitutes were used. I have run into a few things small items that definitely were not in cosmoline and may have been in a beeswax mixture (sight parts for a P-17 Enfield and a winter trigger for an M-1 Garand come to mind) I can see where beeswax would actually be better in these cases to save time using them.
One rifle of note that is an oddball .. a Remmington rolling block in .43 Egyptian (French Foreign Legion rifle from the 1800s). I'm pretty sure it was packed in beeswax and camel dung ... not positive about the beeswax. The camel dung is pretty obvious when you start cleaning it.
almost forgot... On the older stuff, especially WWII and before, cosmoline coated parts were often wrapped in a brown wax paper. I'm pretty sure it was just craft paper (paper also varied some) soaked in beeswax, and had a softer stickier feel than regular (paraffin) wax paper. Later stuff usually had plastic wrapping.
Just in case you want the original Cling wrap. You can use one of these if can find one... Or make your own.. My wife used to make Beewax wraps. Back in 1975 to 1980 or so..
https://youtu.be/wkRoh1pQoks?si=9MBSSw5MrXTyNTuY
You can find many ways to make these on youtube.
You can buy them pre made on amazon just look up
"Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps"
BEE HAPPY Jim134 :smile:
Thanks for the good post Jim134. Many should find this knowledge useful.
Phillip
If you get some of these. Beewax wrapping. And they're not working like they used to when they were brand new. Maybe you should refresh them.
https://youtube.com/shorts/2y9k0x9byAI?si=gLNd4WMGZn8ddVCh
BEE HAPPY Jim134 :smile:
I made some beeswax wraps and I use them all the time. I need to refresh the ones I have and make some more. If anyone is interested, here is the thread where I originally made them.
https://beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=55247.0