# Shellawax Cream Problem



## scotti158 (Dec 14, 2008)

Hi everyone,
   I've got a 1/2 jar of shellawax cream that has solidified. Is there any way to re-liquidfy it or is it worthless now?


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## psilevy (Dec 14, 2008)

Re: hardened Shellawax
try 2 things
1) if you have the liquid, mix it with the hardened wax and stir
2) Just stir like crazy - ambient temp as warm as possible, should loosen up and  be just fine.
DONT try to thin with a solvent !
Ed


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## wdcav1952 (Dec 15, 2008)

Count your blessings and switch to a better, more durable finish.


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## DocStram (Dec 15, 2008)

The hardening of your Shellwax is a sign from the pen gods.


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## scotti158 (Dec 15, 2008)

What do you guys recommend for wood pen finishing, I'm fairly new to this.


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## ed4copies (Dec 15, 2008)

Welcome Brian!!!

There is a whole forum section on Finishing.  Short answer, CA (yes, superglue - read all about it!!)  or spray lacquer are the most "common".  But, did I mention there is a whole forum section on finishing - if we all did the same thing, that section would be BORING!!!

Sit back, grab your favorite cold drink and browse that section.  Don't dose off!!


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## wdcav1952 (Dec 15, 2008)

Brian, Ed beat me to it.  There are several articles on finishing in our site library (library button at the top of the page.)

Read a few of them, and you will be better equipped to ask questions.  Like anything else, practice is essential.


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## chriselle (Dec 15, 2008)

This makes me laugh..  I have a crusty old jar of Shellawax that hardened up years ago that sits on my lathe shelf....just.... as a reminder.

It's a good product just not for pens.


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## Brewmeister35 (Dec 16, 2008)

Your shellawax can be rejuvinated per manufacturer by buying a small bottle of the liquid shellawax and adding that to the cream til it softens.  I still use it for the few that end up with friction polish finishes but it definitely isn't my preferred finish.

If you want to experiment with CA finishes, check out the posts "CA the new way" and CA the old way.  They both give different methods for one of the more popular finishes and one should work okay for you.


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## spiritwoodturner (Dec 16, 2008)

I'm with Chris on this. I put it on bowls and platters and such (although it's not that easy to get a steak-free finish with it) but I hate it for pens. I find it quite useless for pens actually. The shine fades overnight, it feels sticky if you have any moisture at all on your hands, and it simply will not hold up. It's taken me 6 months to perfect my CA finishes, but for me, it's the only way to go for pens. I would think the polyurethane method or laqcuer dip would be good too, just haven't found the need to mess with them myself. 

I like the idea of keeping it as a memory of how far you've come! It's true!

Dale


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## mick (Dec 16, 2008)

I revitalized mine several years ago by taking some instruction booklets and other papers I didn't want blowing around the shop and sitting the Shellwax on top of them! :biggrin:. Move it from time to time as needed to add more papers. This works every time and you'll soon realize the Shellwax's full potential! :wink:


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## scotti158 (Dec 16, 2008)

Thanks for all the info, CA finish on my next wood pen!


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