Way to remove wax before finishing?

[UserNameTaken]

I waxed the belly of this bow before toasting it, and now I'm kicking myself because I don't know how to get the stuff off, and I'd like to stain the wood before finishing. Is there a way, other than shaving off the contaminated wood?

[macbow]

Have not tried this on a bow but, wax spilled on a table or on carpet can be removed by:
By using a brown paper bag and then pressing with a hot iron. The bag will absorb the wax.
What's left might be able to be sanded off.
Good luck.
Ron

[DarkSoul]

Wax? What kind of wax?

This is exactly the reason why I don't recommend using oil/wax to 'help penetrate the heat' when heat correcting of belly tempering. You cannot easily get rid of the oily stuff that has now (by the heat) penetrated into the wood. If you're going to finish the wood with an oil-based finish, it may be fine. But many varnishes, lacquers, glues, stains or dyes will not adhere to oiled wood.
What wood did you use? If it was a ring porous wood, chances are the wax has penetrated several millimeters deep... If you try to shave off the contaminated wood, you may end up with an ugly stain job. The stain wil look differently on bare wood than it will on waxed wood. Your best bet might be to not use a stain at all. Or you could test it on a piece of leftover wood.

[turtle]

Denatured alcohol is supposed to dissolve wax. But Ive never tried it.

[Pappy]

I would just wipe it down with acetone. Never waxed one but use cooking oil
on white wood I bend and straighten and it seem to work fine.
   Pappy

[UserNameTaken]

Dark soul, It's bees wax. The wood is red oak, so I'm probably just screwed on this one. Do you just toast your wood without anything on it? I was worried that the wood would dry out too much & break if I did that.

I'll test out the paper bag trick, the acetone & the denatured alcohol on a piece of scrap and see what happens. Then if it doesn't work, I can just wax the rest of the bow and call it finished.

Thanks guys!

[Holten101]

If you toasted the belly with beeswax on it, it will have penetrated quite deep...forget staining the wood. Finish it with wax and be happy that you now have a very durable finish;-)

Cheers

[PEARL DRUMS]

If you toasted the belly with beeswax on it, it will have penetrated quite deep...forget staining the wood. Finish it with wax and be happy that you now have a very durable finish;-)

Cheers

 Exactly. Bees wax is meant to stay put and seal, your half way there. Try using dry heat dry and see if it gives you fits before slopping oil or other materials on it.

[DarkSoul]

Bees wax cannot be removed with a solvent such as alcohol or acetone. It won't dissolve. Since red oak is a very porous wood, the bees wax has penetrated a lot. Don't stain this bow; it's futile and will only get uglier. Just apply some more bees wax and be happy with your excellent water repellent bow!

Yes, heat treating a bow will dry out the wood. But as long as you don't bend it for a few days, you're fine. The wood will regain moisture within a few days, and will be just fine without the wax ever applied.

[UserNameTaken]

Alright, I'll just finnish waxing it & call it good. And, next time I won't put anything on until after the bow is finished.

Thanks again.

[dmikeyj]

Maybe you could still kinda stain it- heat and mix up some beeswax and charcoal powder.  It won't work like normal stains, but it should transfer some color into the wood for you.  You'll need to heat it as you use the dyed wax to keep it flowing, and hopefully that wood will accept some of it.
Also, just about any natural dye should work this way.  Woad is blue, cochineal is red, ground up rust will give you a brown/orange.  All of these should be fine with beeswax as well.  I would not think any water soluble/hydrophilic dyes would work too well, so probably not Rit dye.
I have found quite a few natural-based dyes on Amazon, but you could just do an online search.

Mike

[crooketarrow]

  I seal my personal bows with wax. DARKSOULS rigt there's no solvents to will remove wax. When you put wax on with heats it go's deep in to the pours. Solvents will help with the surfave wax but won't penatrate the waxs that been heated down in to the wood itself.
  Only sanding will remore wax.

[George Tsoukalas]

I don't think anything will get it off. Staining is out of the question since stain penetrates. Perhaps a polyurethane product will work. Try it on a piece of scrap. YOu should watch your bees wax. Jawge