sealed burl

[gdc]

I purchased a piece of Australian burl cap which is has a wax sealer on the cut end and some extends down on the sides. My question is how do I get the sealer off the sides so that I can apply a finish. I don't want to turn it away because I would like to leave the natural rough edges. Hope this isn't too noobie of a question. Thanks.

 

[Brian Hahn]

Paint thinner / mineral spirits usually works well for removing wax. An old tooth brush might help getting the wax out of the deeper recesses.

 

[gdc]

Thanks, I will give it a try.

 

[Mark Mandell]

First, stand it so the waxed cutface is verticle and take a hair dryer or heat gun and melt off as much as you can. The wax is parafin and does not penetrate the wood, so melting off the bulk will save you a lot of solvent and scrubbing.

Mineral spirits will work, but can take a long time to dry. Naptha is even better as a wax solvent and dries much more quickly.

m