11 methods to smooth and polish wax.

You are responsible for your own safety. Use info at your own risk.
(C) 2011 Gary Overman


Here's 11 methods to smooth and polish wax. There are probably many others as artist tend to be very resourceful folks indeed! 

A really great online resource for wax sculpting is www.theclubhouse1.NET   In order to get to the "Sculptor's Forum" you'll need to create an account, but there are 4000 members all posting their amazing work. Just use type "+wax +polish" and you should find many posts and photo's to boot. And there is so much more. Many materials, techniques, themes, etc. From novice to pros.

 There are 3 main categories: Mechanical, Chemical, and Heat.

All these techniques take a little practice. Doing some practice runs on some doodles is highly recommended before you jump to a piece that you've invested a lot of time on.

Mechanical Polishing: 

1) My favorite is polishing under cool ( not cold) water with t-shirt material. Scrub with cotton t-shirt material or Panty hose while holding the piece under running water. Takes a little elbow grease, but is very controllable and stable. 

2) To speed things up a bit on #1 above, apply Fast Orange hand cleaner or toothpaste to the cloth to capitalize their fine polishing particles. You can also use polishing compound or buffing compound available at all auto parts houses or departments.

 3) Using an old electric toothbrush with toothpaste under running water might be worth trying! 

4) Wet sand using sanding sponges or sandpaper.

5) Steel wool under running water.   

6) Use sandpaper dusted with baby powder. 400 grit paper with baby powder generously applied to prevent clogging of sandpaper is reported to leave a silky smooth and shiny surface. I haven't tried it yet but felt obligated to report it. Those that have swear it is awesome! Use a dust mask if you try it!

Chemical Polishing: Always test on a scrap piece to see the effect. Also so of these could affect your mold material, so again... always test for compatability of the materials you use. 

7) While I don't personally recommend them, many artists use chemicals like lighter fluid which has a fast affect. But I don't like handling such extreme chemicals and they can soften the surface for what seems like forever. Naptha works too, but be careful not to let it penetrate too deep. 

8) Here's the recipe for a great homemade polish for any wax:
 Denatured alcohol, PGA or Vodka    4-5 parts                            
Castor oil    1 part 
Castor oil can be purchase at health food stores or pharmacy. It's very inexpensive. PGA or Everclear can be substituted for the denatured alcohol and is available from liquor stores. With a little effort, when applied to a soft cotton cloth, it will remove scratches and give you a very smooth and shiny sheen.Just be sure the wash your hands well since castor is used as a natural laxative. Also wash if from the wax to make sure it doesn't interfere with your casting materials. A quick compatability test is well worth the time investment.  Alcohol alone works, but takes longer and more effort. You can also try replacing the Castro with dish detergent.

Heat or Flame Polishing: 

9) For larger pieces , flame polishing can so amazing things. Using a squeeze bottle alcohol torch. This takes a little practice, but basically the flame is just wisked across the surface of the wax and the surface will become smooth and shiny. My blog photos feature a "surfer" by Rick Force that shows what flame polishing can do. Tricky, but a great technique to know... it's been used on acrylics and plastics for decades. Of course if you hold it to long, you could end up with a puddle. 

10) Same basic technique as above but using a mini butane torch like those used for brazing and soldering. They are very inexpensive at home improvement stores. Get one with a tiny but active flame.

 11) A "secret" of many wax artists is to use a 3m super fine sanding sponge and an alcohol lamp. The corner of the sponge is quickly waved across the lamp to get it hot enough to slighly melt the wax. the sponge is then quickly and lightly swiped across the wax. Of course you must use extreme care not to set the sponge on fire or burn yourself. Practice, practice, practice.

Lastly dear reader.... if you have a technique not covered herein, please share it. Email it to me and I'll add it so that others can benefit.

Best,
GaryO@WillowProducts.com