>> if I had to buy it I think I would go the cheaper paraffin wax for tools and save the beeswax
A friend got me a chunk of "raw", uncleaned beeswax. I thought that just meant "dark".
But it's really dirty and gritty. So I mostly use a little one-ounce chunk I bought from a guy who sells "designer honey".
If I'm rubbing a whole lot of wax into a long handle, I also use mostly paraffin (after letting some mineral oil soak in for a day or two. it might be clever to leave the handle out in hot sun, or 'melt the wax in' over a hot light bulb or hair dryer on "hot". I usually just wait a while, then rub it well with a waxy cloth to smear it into pores.
But then, if I want a really good grip, I'll rub just a little beeswax over the paraffin every few months. I got the habit from wooden knife handles, where it makes more sense.
I got the tip about waxing metal from a woodworking group where they leave expensive machimnes in drafty humid workshops. Buffing Johnson's Paste Wax onto metal surfaces prevents rust, and leaves a hard slippery surface for wood to slide over.
Apparently there is a "cabinet makers version" and a "floor wax version", where the floor wax version has grit in it, which is nasty for handles or woodworking machines.
Corey
