Tried beeswax on a leather journal cover and it got weirdly tacky

I was finishing a custom journal for a client in Portland and thought beeswax would give it a nice vintage feel. Rubbed it in thin, let it sit overnight, but the next morning it had this sticky residue that wouldn't buff out. Learned the hard way that beeswax needs to be mixed with a carrier oil or it just sits on top of the leather. Anyone else run into this with natural finishes?

2 comments

2 Comments

wrenh656d ago

Right, that "Portland humidity might mess with how it cures" bit is exactly what I'm chewing on. I'm up in Seattle so my shop's got the same damp air problem. Did you find that even with a carrier oil blended in, the finish stayed kind of soft and grabby in high humidity, or was that issue totally solved by cutting the wax? Because I've had a couple projects where even a 50/50 beeswax to oil mix got that weird tacky feel on rainy days, and I'm wondering if there's a ratio that actually holds up here.

hayden7097d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you left it on raw without cutting it with anything? That is wild. I can't believe you just rubbed straight beeswax onto the leather and hoped for the best. In my experience, pure beeswax is basically like putting candle wax on a surface. It's going to sit there and grab every bit of dust and lint in the room. You gotta mix it with some jojoba or neatsfoot oil to make it spreadable and actually soak in. Even then, I'd test on a scrap piece first because Portland humidity might mess with how it cures. Sorry that happened to your client's journal though, that really stinks.