At Brown County Forge we finish each of our pieces by hand with hot beeswax. Once a hook has been forged, we set it aside to cool completely. After it cools we take the following steps to finish it:
- Reheat the piece so it’s hot enough to melt wax. This takes some trial and error at first to get the heat just right. Too hot and it will catch fire. While this is more surprising than dangerous when it happens, it also doesn’t allow the beeswax to penetrate the metal. If it’s too cold, the beeswax won’t melt.
- Rub a piece of beeswax onto the metal until it’s coated completely. It’s okay if it’s dripping at this point. We usually put down a large piece of cardboard to keep the floor clean.
- Wipe off the excess beeswax to reveal a well-sealed, slightly darker piece that’s now ready to be used!
The following video details the process from start to finish. Enjoy!
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