Once I had finished carving the letter opener I stared way back in January (can you believe it's April already?) I need to protect the wood with a nice polish. 

I bet you know what's coming. That's right, I made the polish myself! And in a real breakthrough for me, it didn't even occur to me to go out and buy polish. In the past if I needed something i would go through a process of trying to buy it first before deciding to make it myself with the materials I already have. 

Traditional wood polishes use gum turpentine because it penetrates into the wood taking the beeseax right into the grain. The beeswax then forms a waterproof and protective layer. I didn't have gum turps so I used what I had in the cupboard. 

This polish is super simple and only uses natural beeswax and jojoba oils. The jojoba isn't brilliant as over time it can go bad but of all the oils you can use, it has a very long shelf life. 

Wood Polish

Beeswax

Jojoba oil

Empty jar or tin 

Fill the bottom pan of a double boiler with water. 

In the top pan place a glass jug or jug. 

Add the beeswax to a glass jug and melt over high heat. 

Keep an eye on the water level in the bottom pan so it doesn't go dry.

Once the wax is melted add the jojoba. 

Pour into your jar or tin. 

To use 

Apply with a soft cloth (I use an old cotton sock). 

After 30 minutes polish with a clean cloth.