Ok, I bought a block of Carnauba... it's super Hard

[exibar]

So I bought a block of Carnauba wax off Ebay, 2 ounces of it.... This stuff is super hard, but it scrapes with my nail, do I just use it like I would red rouge or white diamond?
or do I have to go through mixing it with beeswax and that procedure another fellow posted up here a short time ago?
Mike B

 

[pruss]

Get the right wheel and treat it like rouge or white diamond.
-- Pat

 

[shaintiques]

What Pruss said.

 

[nutcracker]

It melts at a higher temperature. IIRC, it has the highest melting point of any natural wax at 180 degrees. If you mix it with another wax, you will lower the melting point, but also make it less durable. It will also lower the gloss and hardness. I believe that it takes a buffer to get it hot enough to use alone.

 

[anarchisthermit]

Definitely need some sort of power buffer set up, even if it is just a drill clamped to the porch railing and a zip tie for speed control.

 

[gloucesterman]

It only takes a little so use it sparingly. Several light coats are better than one thick coat and yes a buffing wheel is needed. I use an unstitched wheel (6 in). Set the pipe aside for several minutes after applying the wax and finish off with a micro fiber cloth and you'll get an excellent shine.

 

[zack24]

I use a 1725rpm motor with an 8" buff- that is actually faster than recommended. Touch the carnauba to the wheel for 2 seconds- that's all the wax you need...

 

[pappymac]

I have use carnuba with my Dremel and the buffing wheel attachment. It works just fine.

 

[samcoffeeman]

It works best at a lower speed. I have a setup with a speed control. Hard to describe exactly how it works but basically the wheel slows down the more pressure I put on it, so if you get the right pressure the wheel will have just enough friction to gently layer the wax on and even works for blasted/rusticated finishes. If you try it at full speed the wax will just collect in sort of clumps/waves, and worse on blasted/rusticated finishes will collect in the low spots. The router speed control was purchased at Harbor Freight for a princely sum of @$16.

 

[woodsroad]

A Dremel works fine. I have a Foredom flex-shaft tool, pretty much does the same thing. The only difference is that the wheels are a lot smaller, so the contact area is smaller. That can be a good thing if you are trying to get into tight spots, but it's a handicap when trying to get a smooth finish on larger areas. I greatly prefer the Dremel-sized wheels for stem work.

 

[msandoval858]

When I picked up some carnauba a few years ago, I grabbed two blocks thinking I'd need plenty since I have a fairly healthy number of pipes. Even with my buffer setup and all the ones I've cleaned up, I've maybe put a small dent on one of them. Won't be needing more anytime soon.

 

[exibar]

cool, thank you all for the replies! Sounds like I'm heading down the right path with this stuff I was using Mother's Carnauba car wax but I'm learning from all the experts here that pure carnauba is best. I figured it was to be used like the White diamond or the red polish and that it would when applying it to the buffing wheel.
I use both a bench buffer and a dremel with remote attachment. Both have their places for sure.
It also sounds like that 2 ounce block I bought will last a lifetime or more. and to think I almost bought the half pound block they were selling... what a waste of money that would have been
Now if I can just control myself and not put too much on
thanks again all!

Mike B

 

[phil67]

Like zack pointed out, a little goes a long way. The LAST thing you want to do is overload the wheel and the bowl with wax.