Copyright ©
2007 Conrad
Bérubé, site design, concept and scripting. All
rights reserved worldwide.
web version copyright
© 2002 Conrad Bérubé,
site design, concept and scripting
Printed material from
Small Scale Beekeeping (by Curtis Gentry. 1982. Peace Corps office
of Information Collection and Exchange, Washington, DC. Illustrated by Stacey
Leslie) may be freely reproduced, without changes, for non-commercial purposes
(education and development). The html version is copyrighted and may not be
reproduced in electronic form without the consent of the copyright holder
(but as long as you're not selling it permission to duplicate will be granted
upon request-- contact me at the email address in the banner above)
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Appendix D
USES FOR BEESWAX*
*Adapted from: Practical
Beekeeping for the Developing World by Henry Mulzac. 1978. Unpublished manuscript
prepared for the Peace Corps.
Grafting Wax for Horticultural purposes
Melt equal portions of resin and beeswax in a double boiler. Allow the mixture
to cool and roll it out into sticks. Wrap in wax paper and store in a cool, dry
place.
Sewing
Pull the thread through small blocks of beeswax. The wax stiffens and smooths
the thread. This is especially useful when sewing hides and thick material.
Treatment for Cracked Hooves
Mix together equal parts of melted beeswax and honey for a good home remedy
for cracked hooves of animals. Clean and dry the crack before applying the mixture.
Beeswax FurnitureWood Polish
200 gms beeswax
100 gms turpentine
50 gms orange, lemon, or coconut oil
Grate the beeswax into flakes. Gradually add the turpentine to soften the wax.
Add oil and mix. Store in a tin with a tight-fitting top or in a jar.
Beeswax Floor Polish
60 gms potash
60 gms water
120 gms beeswax
270 gms water
Heat 270 gms of water to the boiling point and gradually add the beeswax. Mix
the potash with 60 gms of water and pour this mixture into the beeswax and water.
Heat until a milky fluid results.
Leather Waterproofer
750 gms beeswax
45 gms pitch
60 gms ground nut oil
40 gms iron sulfate
15 gms essence of thyme
Grate and melt the beeswax. Allow the wax to cool until it is "semi-soft". Add
the remaining ingredients and mix. store in a tight container.
Topical Ointment for Burns
18 gms beeswax
40 gms paraffin
10 gms pulverized aloe
30 gms water
1 gm borax (available in pharmacies)
Grate and melt together the beeswax and paraffin. Remove from heat and add the
remaining ingredients. Store in a jar.
Beeswax Cold Cream
100 gms beeswax
200 gms water
300 gms colorless mineral oil
6 gms borax
-aromatic essence (if desired)
Heavy, colorless mineral oil, which is sold in pharmacies as medicinal oil, is
satisfactory. The borax, or sodium borate, neutralizes the acids in the beeswax
and acts as an emulsifier.
Heat the beeswax and mineral oil to
70 degrees C. Stir until the wax is completely dissolved. Add the borax to the
water and heat to the same temperature as above. Add the borax-water solution
to the oil and wax while stirring briskly. Stir until a smooth emulsion is formed.
When the mixture has cooled to 60
degrees C, add the aromatic essence and stir thoroughly. When cooled to 48 degrees
C, pour into jars and allow to set with the lids off.
Note: the following does not appear in the original
text:
Beeswax and Shea Butter Lotion
Bars
(Makes (6) 30 gram Lotion bars)
45 g beeswax
45 g shea butter
30 g cocoa butter (if you don't have cocoa butter you can substitute the
same amount of shea butter)
60 g palm oil
Place all ingredients in a pan or
bowl and heat the pan in a pot of boiling water or very carefully heat over
fire until melted (remember the oils can catch fire!), let cool slightly, stir
in fragrant oils or perfume if desired and pour into your containers or small
soap molds (wrap the individual bars in waxed paper when cooled if you're using
soap molds-keeping in mind these things might melt in high temperatures). Since
the recipe doesn't include any water there is no need for borax (sodium borate)
as an emulsifier to keep the mixture from separating.
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Copyright ©
2007 Conrad
Bérubé, site design, concept and scripting. All
rights reserved worldwide.
