Pure Natural Soap Flakes for Wood Finishing
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$6.49
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These soap flakes are made from 100% pure natural soap with no additives, enzymes, fragrances or other chemicals - it is made from only lye (sodium hydroxide) and organically grown vegetable oil and has not been tested on animals.
The soap is supplied in plastic bags containing 150 grams of soap flakes which is approximately 375 cc volume (1.5 cups). It does make a great all natural laundry detergent, especially when mixed with washing soda (to help cut grease) and borax (to kill bacteria), however the main reason we are supplying it is to be used as a wood finish. Soap finishing is traditional on at lot of Scandinavian furniture and is similar to oil and wax finishes - it creates a flat elegant finish that is easily repaired and that doesn't yellow light colored woods. It is especially nice on woods like oak, ash, beech, maple and sycamore. It isn't recommended for veneered surfaces, only solid wood.
Various articles have been written on applying soap finishes to wood:
https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/tipstechniques/soap-flakes
http://www.finewoodworking.com/2015/02/04/lather-up-soap-flake-finish
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/soap-wood-finish
There are many different recipes for mixing the soap finish, but we find a good starting point is to mix 2 Tablespoons of the soap flakes with between 750 mL and 1 liter of boiling water (3 cups to 4 cups) and then let it sit for 24 hrs. The consistency can then be adjusted by adding more soap or more water if necessary, but the waiting period is important - it won't look very usable when first mixed. The finish is brushed or sponged onto the wood and the excess wiped off after a few minutes - after the finish dries, additional coats can be applied as desired. If you get any raised grain, you can sand during or between coats with 320 wet and dry sandpaper.
This video is in Danish, but does a very good job of demonstrating the process. The excess finish can be stored in an airtight container until it is needed again for recoating.