How to look after a beeswax finish

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN BEESWAX?

We refer to our beeswax finish as a soft black, but it often has an appealing, slightly mottled patina with undertones of deep grey or ochre because it is a natural finish that reacts with the underlying metal during the forging process., 
 
To produce the finish, we heat each piece of steel until it darkens and then we dip it into hot, natural beeswax. As the beeswax cools and hardens, it gives the metal a rustic, wrought iron effect and soft feel.

To keep your product looking its best and preserve the finish, it is essential that the natural beeswax coating is given some light, regular maintenance.

Beeswax is not a waterproof finish so is not suitable for use outdoors, in bathrooms, kitchens, or places where there is high humidity or a naturally damp environement. If the wax coating perishes, the product may suffer some oxidisation (rusting). In this case you simply rub down the rusted area with a fine wire wool - 00 grade is suitable - taking care not to mark the product, to remove the rust and then re-seal it with a generous layer of natural beeswax.

Sometimes the product will appear to have a white bloom to the finish, all you need to do is buff it with a soft cotton cloth to remove the white appearance and restore the subtle matt richness that beeswax creates.

If your beeswax finish has deteriorated, we can offer a refinishing service, but please be aware that if your items is in a damp area, it will rust again. 

To avoid any unsightly corrosion occurring we advise that you apply a fresh coat of pure natural beeswax with a lint free soft cloth every 3 ' 6 months.

Rewiring

We can rewire lights for £40 per light with a single bulb holder and a further £17 for every additional bulb holder. e.g. a Double Cottage wall light would be £57. 

All lights will be fully disassembled, unwired and inspected.

We will then clean and rewire the light with new lamp holder and fresh seals and fully test it for safety and functionality before sending it back to you.

Refinishing

We can return an item to its original lustre for £35 per item – plus the cost of rewiring – as we will need to strip the wiring away from the light in order to refinish it.

Please note that our refinishing costs do not include any repairs of dents and deep scratches. Minor scratches and marks will most likely be removed or obscured by the refinishing process.

Unfortunately, we are unable refinish our nickel and lacquered finishes because the cost to remove the original finish is prohibitive as we have to send the item away to be stripped in an environmentally friendly manner.

Call customer service

If you would like more advice, or wish to discuss your requirements further, please call our friendly Customer Services team on 01473 828989 or send an email to us at sales@jim-lawrence.co.uk