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Many DIY Uses for a Toilet Wax Ring

An old carpenter taught me this trick a few years ago. We were installing doors in the remodeling of a State Police barracks and he took out of his box a piece of wax ring that was used for bathrooms.

He had melted it in a tuna can; He put all the necessary screws for the hinges in the wax, aiming first. This wax helped the screws go into solid wood doors with ease.

The wax rings are made from a petroleum product and other ingredients that each manufacture has as its own. The oil is shipped to the factory and stored in liquid form at 170 degrees Fahrenheit until needed. The oil is then mixed with the other chemicals that will solidify at room temperature and then poured into aluminum molds coated with a release agent.

Wax ring molds are made in different thicknesses and can be purchased at a fairly inexpensive price. They come in standard 3- or 4-inch sizes. The aluminum molds are cooled with water until the wax solidifies. The molds are then turned over and the rings are dropped onto a belt, where they are moved to a packing area and then packed for stores.

Some more uses of this wax that I have used and discovered are;

Drawer slides. A thin layer of wax on the wooden rails makes the wooden drawers of an antique desk slide smoothly.

Take off windows. Use wax to lubricate the window sash to be glued.

Free rusty nuts. Help loosen a rusted nut by coating the threads with some melted wax. This will lubricate the threads of the bolt.

Waxed wood. For wood that needs to look good but won’t wear out, like exposed ceiling joists, heat equal parts wax, linseed oil, and turpentine. Do not mix over open flames as the turpentine will ignite. Apply with a brush or cloth while the mixture is still warm.

Prevent metal from rusting. To avoid rust caused by humid air, apply a solution of melted wax in turpentine with a brush. Buff it with a towel to create a thin, hard coat.

Coat hand tools. Before storing, rub all metal parts and wooden handles with wax, this will prevent oxidation and degradation of the handles.

Lubrication screws. Rub wax over the screw threads to make it easier and more comfortable to drive into the wood.

Waxed concrete countertops. Give a sealed dark concrete countertop a natural shine by rubbing melted wax over the surface with a cloth. Let it dry and then clean it.

Preserves the patina. Seal a copper sink by rubbing it in with soft wax and buffing the excess with a rag.

I’m sure there are many other uses and you may want to buy an additional wax ring and make use of the lubricating, preservative, and helpful properties.

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