Homemade waterseal

[woodbowl]

I've used a few products to repell water from decks and other outdoor furniture like Thompsoms Waterseal® and Ducksback®. They work good but are expensive if you have a lot of things to maintain on a regular basis. I don't know of any homemade recipes, but it can't be all that complicated. These products seem to have one thing in common and I'm guessing that it is wax. Some use a petroleum carrier and other use water. I know that parrifin wax will disolve in mineral oil, but not sure what else will cut it. Johnsons car wax, paste wax and floor wax seem to be good candidates for a water based repellant.

Has anyone been successful with a homemade brew to seal their deck or other yard items?   :P

[Radar67]

Olen, here is some info i found at an older version of www.oldmill.com. (the current page has changed drastically)

   
"In a nonmetallic container (enamel coated is acceptable) heat a little over 3
1/2 quarts of water (rainwater is best).  When it boils, add to it a little over
an ounce of triethanolamine. In another container, melt a little over four ounces
each of carnauba and candelilla waxes - I prefer the unrefined versions of both,
if available - plus about 6 1/2 ounces of stearic acid.  When this is melted, add
slowly the wax mixture to the hot water.  Let it cool, stirring frequently with a
wooden stick.  When cool, the waxes are emulsified and will have the
consistency of heavy cream.  The color will be a pale green-gray-beige."

This is how to emulsify wax, or at least one way.

Straight paraffin melted in a double boiler and mixed with mineral spirits works too (just be careful when you add the two together, the wax temp needs to be below the flash point of the spirits). Use enough spirits to thin it down to soak into the wood.

Now, something I have seen...the cats turned over one of those citronella candles on my deck, the sun heated and melted it into the deck boards, and it has been shedding water ever since. (About two years now).

[woodbowl]

I've done some homemade test in the last few days. Turtle wax mixed with water and brushed on a horizontal board seems to repell water, but after it sits you can tell the water starts to soak in. It dries out ok, but I think it only serves as a mild repellant when someone spilled a glass of tea or something.

I was delighted to find that "gulfwax" for canning dissolves in gasoline in a very short time. It also dissolves in diesel in about a day. I didn't use much wax in the gasoline, but applied it to a board in the horizontal position, let dry then poured water on it. It beaded up, refused to soak in so I thought I was on to something. Sometime during the day It rained and I got a chance to check it. The board is dry everywhere except where the gas and wax was poured.   It is wet from the rain and staying wet.  :-\  I haven't tried the diesel yet. Oh well, maybe It needs more wax or a combination of other things. I haven't used Thompsons water seal in so long, I don't remember how it reacts in extreme conditions. How do the name brand waterseals measure up?  I would like to know if Thompsons continues to repell standing water and how well it can dry out.

[shinnlinger]

WoodBowl,

In High school I had a jeep that needed a bumper to pass inspection and used a 5x7 oak floor joist for the job.

An old timer told me to melt parifin (Use a double boiler, trust me) and add it 50/50 to kerosene.

This blend held up well to the abuses a jeep can put on a bumper and some extracircular bumping to boot.

That said, I was under the impression that Thompsons was a rather cheap product and its wax didnt hold up very well and kerosene and parafin isnt being given away any more either.