PDA

View Full Version : Waxing Woodies



Wayne Campbell
3-Jun-2000, 19:38
On the face of it this may seem like a frivolous question but since there are so many back-packing, field-toting, equipment-lugging practicioners of the large format camera out there, maybe not. Does it make any sense to wax wooden cameras? Floors get waxed. Coffee tables get waxed. Wouldn't waxing the wooden parts with, say, butcher's wax, offer a degree of protection from rain, water, snow or other of nature's surprises?

Doremus Scudder
4-Jun-2000, 09:31
Yes, and it helps lubricate the wood-to-wood moving parts like beds, etc. I use a carnuba wax. Regards, ;^D)

Todd Caudle
4-Jun-2000, 14:16
I swear, when I saw the heading for this post, I was glad I didn't have a cybersex filter on! :-)

Ron Stroope
11-Dec-2000, 21:09
What is butcher's wax? Where can I get it. I have a wooden camera but don't use it much in bad weather because it was so expensive.

Alan Gales
28-Mar-2013, 21:48
:eek: ?

Peter Gomena
28-Mar-2013, 22:22
I use a little bit of paste wax on my wooden cameras. Makes them look nice, cuts friction on wood-to-wood parts, makes water bead up.

Jonathan Barlow
28-Mar-2013, 22:32
Wow, cool; a 13-year-old thread brought back to life! A quality wax used in moderation on a wooden camera is a good idea.

E. von Hoegh
29-Mar-2013, 06:45
On the sliding parts, I use a mixture of beeswax and graphite. I do not wax the rest of the camera, if the lacquer finish is intact it is unnecessary.

andrew gardiner
29-Mar-2013, 07:19
Modern wooden cameras are, I presume, all lacquered with some kind of cellulose lacquer, older outfits must be french polished (shellac based lacquer). Either way waxing is a good idea, these are after all wooden objects that are taken out into the elements and wax offers one extra layer of protection. I would only use real beeswax however and definitely avoid any of the silicone sprays.

Mark Sampson
29-Mar-2013, 07:21
Many years ago, Fred Picker told me to use Renaissance wax on my Zone VI. I used to do that every two years or so. Apart from the scars of use, the camera still looks good.

MIke Sherck
29-Mar-2013, 08:10
I also use Renaissance Wax on my Zone VI. I have no idea whether or not it's better than Turtle Wax or anything else, but I do have one pretty, sexy 4x5 that works smooth as silk!

Mike

Preston
29-Mar-2013, 08:26
A fine wood camera is akin to a fine wood musical intrument, like a guitar or mandolin. A high quality polish will remove finger oils and other gunk, and will also fill minute cracks in a laquer finish, which protects the wood against moisture absorption. I have used either Martin or Gibson guitar polish on my Tachihara with nice results.

--P

Drew Wiley
29-Mar-2013, 08:54
Renaissance Wax is a pure microcrystalline parafin which layers very thin. Things like Turtle Wax contain a blend with Carnauba etc which are going to yellow or attract dust etc. It all depends on how the camera was finished in the first place.
Traditional oil/wax finishes were often used, but you gotta be damn careful what you pick up in a typical hardware of paint
store, because most of these things are highly adulterated with cheap linseed etc which will break down in a matter of months. I personally use some pretty high-tech marine oils which aren't widely distributed, and are now themselves in danger
of commercial extinction due to air quality restrictions etc (yeah, a few drops on the camera every six months is going to
spoil the climate, and all those gigantic cargo ships belching into the port every day get an exemption!) Then you've got the
possibility of lacquers being used on newer cameras, or even true shellacs on old ones. So you need to figure out what you've
got before you mess with it. And getting wax out of pores in wood can be a potential headache if you ever need to actually
refinish a piece. In other words, do your homework before you mess with a wooden camera!

Drew Wiley
29-Mar-2013, 10:03
Let me follow up with that ... (having just sent someone out the door with some fancy imported wood finishing products)...
What one has to be esp cautious about in conventional funiture polishes as well as general wood oils is the presence of
added silicone - a popular adulterant which makes the finish temporarily act as if it's actually doing something worthwhile,
like repelling moisture and figermarks, but which actually attacks and weakens wood fiber. Another dirt cheap adulterant is
ordinary paraffin which just gums things up and attracts crud when it gets warm. Sometimes an MSDS sheet will inform
you of the presence of such things, sometimes not. Or like Preston, get the opinion of a good musical instrument maker.

Alan Gales
29-Mar-2013, 18:50
A fine wood camera is akin to a fine wood musical intrument, like a guitar or mandolin. A high quality polish will remove finger oils and other gunk, and will also fill minute cracks in a laquer finish, which protects the wood against moisture absorption. I have used either Martin or Gibson guitar polish on my Tachihara with nice results.

--P

I own a Tachihara. Guitar polish sounds like a great idea!

Preston
29-Mar-2013, 20:04
I have two acoustic guitars and use either polish I mentioned above. The nice thing about them is that they don't build up to any great degree and the feel of the finish after using them is nice and smooth. Be sure to shake the container really well and then spray the polish on a soft cloth. Any decent music store that sells acoustic instruments should have it. If not, check Musician's Friend.com.

--P

Alan Gales
29-Mar-2013, 20:14
Thanks Preston. I'm definitely taking your advice. We have plenty of guitar stores locally so the polish should be easy to find.