It’s the last Tuesday of the month which means it must be time for Tool Tuesday (unless it’s a holiday).

This month is a bit of an odd tool, although recently very applicable to my life…Beeswax!

I’m working on a curtain hardware project that required brass screws. After snapping off the fourth or fifth screw (even after drilling pilot holes) I took a beat and did a little research. Brass screws are pretty but very soft. One method that I stumbled upon was rubbing beeswax on the threads before install. This worked like a charm for me (also a larger pilot hole helped quite a bit). I also lowered the torque on my drill and once the screw head was flush I left it alone and didn’t try to over-tighten it.

Additionally, beeswax is great for lubricating furniture. If you have antique furniture or an old built-in or cabinet with drawers that don’t have drawer slides, rub a little beeswax on the drawer rails (the outside corners of the drawers) to help the drawer slide in and out. I use a little tea light that fits in my pocket or apron but you can find blocks of beeswax at art stores or online retailers.