Earthen floor wax finishes

Hey guys! I've been building an outdoor cob bench/ampitheater in Southern California. I've finally come close to the end of this project, and I've been coating it in linseed oil. Because it's so large, about 600 sq ft of surface area, I've been thinking about buying a pre-made sealing wax for the finish. Preferable something that's super easy to apply and buff! I'd also like this finish to be very tough, as it is sure to get alot of use, so I'm wanting carnuba wax in the mix too. Anyone have any experience with the variety of waxes available? I'm considering:

Heritage liquid end wax sealer: http://www.heritagenaturalfinishes.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=33
Bioshield Hardwax #32: http://www.bioshieldpaint.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=120:8b1c02e7b4e3c0cd69fac9feb96ecb72
Howard's Feed n Wax: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Howard-Feed-N-Wax-Wood-Conditioner-BeesWax-Polish-64oz-/400996894627?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

They're all in a similar price range of about $70-90.

Any thoughts?

Or has anyone mixed their own wax finish with carnuba & beeswax? Have a reliable recipe?

I would appreciate any insights!

Thanks!

We would like to wax one of the floors at Allerton Abbey. The floor has been sealed with linseed oil already, but we would like to try waxing for additional durability/waterproofing/aesthetics. The commercially available wax finishes seem expensive, and some of the allegedly natural ingredients still seem highly processed. I have seem some sources suggest that simply adding melted beeswax and then buffing it out would work. Many of the commercial finishes seem to be mostly wax + solvent (D-Limonene seems to be the best natural solvent I have found). I don't know the ratio of solvent to wax or how necessary the solvent is. Most sources I've found just say something vague like "finishing wax" or "wax layer" or "beeswax paste"--specifics seem strangely hard to find. Anyone have any experience in this area?

D-Limonene:
https://www.amazon.com/D-Limonene-Extract-Extracted-Degreaser-Deodorizer/dp/B073RQ3TZ8?th=1

Claylin wax:
http://www.claylin.com/products/oil-wax-and-mud.php

Hi Jennifer. I finished my clay floor by applying 4 layers of heated raw linseed oil. Then melted Carnauba wax:beeswax in raw heated linseed oil. Started with ratio 1:1:4 but found it to solidify quickly on touching the cold floor making the application with a cloth difficult so moved to 1:1:6 ratio. That was a bit better. Then used a commercial buffer after around 7 days to get the sheen. The floor is hard and the lingering smell subsided after around 6 weeks. The picture shows the floor after some light use so less sheen but it looks nice in day light. It would have been better if I used the buffer after around 2 days as by day 7 the finish hardened mire but could not get to the hire shop. However it just meant giving the buffer more time to work its magic.

I used Carnauba and beeswax but most recipes I read used one or the other so its really a ratio of hard wax to oil of 1:3.

I imagine for bigger area applications with a brush for example you would have to increase the ratio of wax to oil maybe 1:5 or 1:6.

Would be interested how it went for you.

Jen,
Paul caught me up on the continuing issues with VOCs after linseed then wax on the floor so I put it out to a few professional forums to see if anyone had similar experiences with the oil or that particular ax. What I am hearing is that raw linseed oil can take many months to finish drying so even though it is 100% natural as opposed to boiled linseed oil which contains heavy metals to chemically help its curing process along, raw linseed will emit VOCs longer. Commentary is mixed as to whether the wax will be an issue with the drying. I will post more as I hear more.

Thanks, Chris!

Hello I’ve got about 1000 sw ft of earthen floor oiled and am now trying to decide if waxing it is worth the effort.  I tried a patch with Howard’s feed n wax. And a patch with a bee saw mix I made. The homade mix was about65%beeswax 25% double boiled linseed oil and 10% citrus solvent.  It’s got the consistency of soft butter.   I got to this recipe from another recipe I found online suggesting even higher wax content. But I found it too hard to apply.

I’ve read people have troubles with the wax making a mess. So I’m a little afraid if that happening.  
I’m open to purchasing a product but just do t know if it’s worth it.  Anybody got experience with waxing earthen floor that could chime in?

Thanks.

Wax helps protect the floor and seals in the oil. You can just continue to re-oil the floor regularly or you can wax it. Wax means no more oiling without removing the wax first. Your mix or Bioshield's mix or any of several options will work. Our ancestors used ox blood. I add 1 part linseed or hemp oil to one part mineral oil and add one part of that mix to one part mineral spirits. Seal the floor with three or four coats of your sealant of choice (linseed can be 5-6 coats plus wax, i like hemp oil just plain or mixed as above, no wax, but it can take 8-12 coats. In the future another coat every two years or so keeps the relatively soft earth mix encapsulated in wax and/or hardened oil.
--Uncle Mud