beeswax & botanicals 

This finish combines five natural constituents to stabilise, seal and protect exposed birch plywood bonded with no added formaldehyde (NAF) adhesive.

CERA ALBA (beeswax): Beeswax consists of approximately 70% long chain fatty acid esters, principally myricyl palmitate, with free cerotic acids and odd chain alkanes (C₂₇ to C₃₁) (Tulloch, 1980; Bogdanov, 2016). It forms the main water-repellent film of the finish. Its dense crystalline structure slows the uptake of liquid water across cross cut veneers, reducing swelling and the raising of the grain (Scholz, Militz and Bicke, 2010; Lesar et al., 2011). Its plasticity also offsets the brittleness of the rosin, giving a continuous surface that can be buffed (Svečnjak et al., 2015).

LINUM USITATISSIMUM (raw linseed oil): Raw linseed oil has a low viscosity and surface tension, which allows it to penetrate the wood by capillary action (Meijer, Velde and Militz, 2001). As it oxidises, its unsaturated fatty acids cross link to form an insoluble polymer, which slows the exchange of moisture and helps to prevent checking along the edges, without the need for metallic driers (Chen et al., 2020).

COLOPHONY (gum rosin): Gum rosin consists mainly of abietic type resin acids. It increases the hardness of the finish, counteracts the softness of the beeswax and gives a sheen when buffed. Its carboxylic acid groups also improve wetting and adhesion to the wood surface (Indarto, 2007).

ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (rosemary essential oil): Rosemary oil is rich in volatile monoterpenes, mainly 1,8-cineole and α-pinene. It reduces the viscosity of the finish during application, helping it to penetrate the wood, and laboratory studies have reported antifungal activity (Felšöciová et al., 2020; Shahina et al., 2022).

COMMIPHORA MYRRHA (myrrh essential oil): Myrrh contains higher boiling point furanosesquiterpenes, notably curzerene and furanoeudesma-1,3-diene, and has shown antifungal activity in laboratory studies (Alabdalall, 2024). Being less volatile than the lighter oils, it remains in the finish for longer. Rosemary and myrrh are included with the aim of offering some protection against mould at the exposed end grain.

References

Alabdalall, A.H. (2024) 'Antifungal activity of Myrrh gum resin against pathogenic Candida spp.', Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 31(2), pp. 340–344. https://doi.org/10.26444/aaem/192095

Bogdanov, S. (2016) 'Beeswax: Production, properties, composition, control', Bee Product Science, pp. 1–38.

Chen, J., Wang, Y., Cao, J. and Wang, W. (2020) 'Improved Water Repellency and Dimensional Stability of Wood via Impregnation with an Epoxidized Linseed Oil and Carnauba Wax Complex Emulsion', Forests, 11(3), p. 271. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11030271

Felšöciová, S., Vukovic, N., Jeżowski, P. and Kačániová, M. (2020) 'Antifungal activity of selected volatile essential oils against Penicillium sp.', Open Life Sciences, 15(1), pp. 511–521. https://doi.org/10.1515/biol-2020-0045

Indarto, A. (2007) 'Gum Rosin Properties Upgrading as Water Dispersed Tackifier for Wood Adhesion', ASEAN Journal of Chemical Engineering, 7(2), pp. 79–86.

Lesar, B., Straže, A., Pavlič, M. and Humar, M. (2011) 'Water repellency and dimensional stability of wood treated with wax emulsions', Drvna Industrija, 62(4), pp. 277–284. https://doi.org/10.5552/drind.2011.1107

Meijer, M., Velde, B. and Militz, H. (2001) 'Rheological approach to the capillary penetration of coating into wood', Journal of Coatings Technology, 73(915), pp. 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02698437

Scholz, G., Militz, H. and Bicke, S. (2010) 'Wood modification with wax emulsions: A review on the current state of research', International Wood Products Journal, 1(2), pp. 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1179/2042644510Y.0000000010

Shahina, Z., Al Homsi, R., Price, J.D.W., Khachatourians, G.G. and Dahms, T.E.S. (2022) 'Rosemary essential oil and its components 1,8-cineole and α-pinene induce ROS-dependent lethality and ROS-independent virulence inhibition in Candida albicans', PLOS ONE, 17(11), p. e0277097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277097

Svečnjak, L., Chesson, L.A., Gallina, A., Maia, M., Martinello, M. and Mutinelli, F. (2015) 'Authentication of beeswax: A review of current analytical methods and adulteration issues', Journal of Apicultural Research, 54(4), pp. 317–328.

Tulloch, A.P. (1980) 'Beeswax—composition and analysis', Bee World, 61(2), pp. 47–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.1980.11097776