Material

Beeswax

By

Made in

Animal material 64 Cleaning 7 Wax 4 Beeswax 6

Beeswax

Natural beeswax

Natural beeswax is most commonly used in traditional wood polishing and is a preservative agent for hard-wearing surfaces with a silky gloss finish. The exudate of honeybees is used for the conservation of wood surfaces and as a filler and adhesive. In its pure form, applied after being heated slightly (max. 70 °C), it penetrates raw wood surfaces well. Mixing with natural oils or alcohol can produce pasty or liquid polish for cleaning and wood preservation.
Beeswax has been used since prehistory as a lubricant and waterproofing agent, in lost wax casting of metals and glass, as a polish for wood and leather and for making candles, but also as an ingredient in cosmetics and painting.

Find your local beekeeper to acquire beeswax.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.

Ingredients

Beeswax

Physical samples

  • 0112-1

Accessible to participants at the Jan van Eyck Academie and on appointment.