How can I use this extra wax as a sealant for a planter?
Asked by
tedd (
14078
)
May 3rd, 2012
Making a large planter out of an old entertainment center I have. I’m going to sand off the existing sealant on it, and I want to reseal it with something. But we’ll be growing plants in them, obviously, including edible plants… so when I reseal it I want to use something non-toxic.
I was doing some reading and a popular choice for the inside is bees-wax (while on the outside I will likely just use polyurethane paint). I started looking around for bees-wax, but unfortunately aside from online ordering it is difficult to locate (apparently a lot of do-it-yourselfers like the stuff). Then it dawned on me that I have probably a gallon worth of regular candle wax saved up in a bucket. I used to put candles in it to burn them (to catch the wax) and then just put more on top as I went. It would be some work to get it out of the bucket, but it’s probably more than enough wax.
So my questions are this….
1)This is regular store bought candle wax. Basic tea lights, scented candles, various colored candles, and fancy candles from Pier 1 or what have you. Is that going to be safe? (I figure yes, I mean I was breathing it after all)
2) The Beeswax suggestion said to boil the beeswax in a pot and then apply with a brush. Will this same method work with the regular wax, or will I have to mix in some kind of oil or something?
3) Any further suggestions?
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6 Answers
Probably not very helpful, but I grew up with a wooden planter that had a copper, waterproof lining in it. I think my mother had it custom-built on a sunny living room window seat. It was probably 4’ x 8’ by very deep. It was next to the piano and when I practiced, I could almost feel the ivy tentacles grope for me.
People use copper pots for cooking and especially for hand beating egg whites (the best way according to Julia Childs) so it is obviously non-toxic.
@gailcalled Copper pots are different than copper sealants. Copper sealants are mixed with chemicals to make them applicable like paint or cement or what have you are. Those chemicals are definitely toxic, lol.
I appreciate the suggestion though.
The one we had was a real large copper box with shallow sides; it was not applied but constructed. Then it was filled with 8” or so of potting soil and many plants.
(My father had a family manufacturing company with a resident carpenter. I believe that he built the planter. He also built this for me…a handy guy. Here: top center and bottom right. Note the mini-window boxes and flowers.)
Custom copper plant liners here
Deep pockets necessary.
@gailcalled Either way, I don’t have copper, I have wax… lol.
Virtually all of that old candle wax will be paraffin (maybe a touch of soy wax), which is completely non-toxic. The unknown factor would be the compounds used to add fragrance to the scented candles.
Melted paraffin is used a lot as a sealant for freshly cut timber, to keep it from drying too rapidly. It should work just as well for your use, where you’re trying to keep water out. Melting and brushing would be the way to go. You could then even the coat out by judicious application of a heat gun.
Be careful melting the wax – you should use a double-boiler so that you don’t overheat it and cause it to ignite.
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