DIY Fixin' Wax

Fixin' Wax should be in the proverbial tool belt of every bushcrafter, woods roamers, and backwoods homesteader. It can be used for a wide array of issues, including, but definitely not limited to, chapped lips, busted knuckles, rusty ax heads, dried tool handles, extending tinder, squeaky hinges, leather sheaths, and more!

While this stuff seems downright mystical, it's actually very easy to make! We've borrowed this easy-to-follow recipe from our good friend, the one and only Todd Walker, aka Survival Sherpa. Todd is an experienced educator, survivalist, homesteader, and writer, so if this Fixin' Wax has found a place in his kit, then you should strongly consider it for yours. 

Here's Todd's recipe.

Ingredients for Fixin' Wax

1. Two parts tallow – click here to make your own
2. 1 part bees wax
3. shea butter (optional) – 1 tablespoon
4. essential oil (optional) – a few drops

Fixin' Wax Procedures

The ratio of tallow to beeswax is 2:1. In hotter climates; you may want to make it half and half to keep a more solid consistency.

Step 1: Melt the tallow and beeswax together in a container. Remove from heat and stir occasionally while it cools to ensure these two ingredients combine.

If you choose to add the optional stuff (shea butter and essential oil), do so while over the heat. For a pine scent, add chopped pine needles and strain the liquid through a clean cloth to remove the needles from the liquid wax.

Step 2: Line your mold(s) with wax butcher paper. I used the press'n seal wrap in my tins. Wax paper would work better as the thinner press'n seal wrap made removing the fixin' wax from the tins more challenging. Live and learn. I had to use a butter knife to pry the product out. Not a problem.

The benefit of using the sticky press'n seal stuff was that it formed to the tin and produced beautiful, tin-shaped fixin' wax! I'm guessing you could use a muffin tin for larger batches. Maybe insert cupcake liners in the individual forms for easy removal when the fixin' wax sets.

Step 3: While liquified, carefully pour the stuff into your mold. The half-pint jar filled 1.5 tins.

Step 4: Allow a few hours for the fixin' wax to cool and set. Once solid, rub it with your finger. You should get a film on your fingertip. Apply it to your lips so you don't waste any. I used a few drops of peppermint essential oil. I like the cooling effect on my skin.

Step 5: Remove from the form. Wrap the fixin' wax in butcher paper – wax side touching the fixin' wax. I placed the partial block back in the Altoids tin for use around the house.

For my bushcraft kit, I wrapped the full block in wax paper, placed it in a brown paper lunch bag, and tied it up with a length of jute twine. This gives me an excellent emergency fire starter – jute twine, brown paper, and fixin' wax are known to burn well.

Wrap it up and give it as a gift to someone for their bug-out bag.

Here's an old leather screwdriver pouch I repurposed for my Bacho Laplander folding saw sheath. It needed some fixin' wax love, so I rubbed the bar of fixin' wax all over the surface and massaged it in with a cloth. Rejuvenating and sealing leather and dried wood is easy and effective with fixin' wax.