Castile Soap Cream for Finishing
I advocate using Castile soap for finishing some pieces of furniture. It’s non-toxic, easy to repair and gives light-colored woods a whitish glow.
Never heard of soap finish? I’ve written and recorded a lot about it. Here’s an introduction.
The only problem people ever have with soap finish is making it. I use soap flakes from the Pure Soap Flake Co. plus boiling water. Different ratios of water:soap will give you a different finish. Sometimes I hear from people who just cannot get the soap to make anything other than a watery goo.
I’ve had that problem with really old soap flakes (those that are more than a year old). But some woodworkers have had the problem with fresh flakes. Weird, I know. I don’t know how to fix their problem from afar except by suggesting they buy the Castile Cream Soap, which is already mixed. It’s $10 for an 8-ounce jar, which will get you started on a single project.
It is mixed to have a consistency like hand soap. Scoop it out of the jar with a soft cloth and rub on a thin coat on the bare wood. When the water dries, buff it off with a clean, soft cloth. It will leave a matte and soft finish behind.
No, it’s not durable. It’s soap. But it is easily repaired and renewed.
If you need an introduction to this kind of finishing (the kind that doesn’t kill you and looks better with wear), please read this.
I wonder if you could use a fragrance free liquid hand soap with a bit of water added to get the right consistency…
Hard to say. Castille soap is simple stuff. Modern soaps are not and usually contain detergents and other things that are not in castille. If you can find a castille hand soap, I would give it a try on some sample boards.
This is why I make my own finishes and glue – so I know what is in them.
A quick amazon search shows a bunch of castille liquid hand soap… fwiw.
Go for it.
If you would be interested in importing the original stuff, there is still one factory here in DK that makes them: https://bollerup-jensen.dk/shop/produkt/husholdning/saebespaaner/ (website in danish)
Having worked all over the United States and Canada I can tell you that different areas naturally have a different mix of minerals in their water. My guess is that it is the variation of mineral content that is affecting their results. I suggest mixing the soap flakes with distilled water and see if that works for them.
Thanks Chris. The soap finish is on my list to try. Out of curiosity, have you ever first finished with say shellac or linseed oil first and then applied the soap instead of wax? Just curious.
Nope. It’s not designed to go over a film finish. It has a lot of water in it (which is not good for film finishes). It’s supposed to be used on bare wood or wood that has been soaped before.
Thanks. Good to know.
Does the soap finish work ok with dark woods, especially with open pores? I’ve had trouble with paste wax in walnut.
Soap is not suited for dark woods. Try something like an oil/wax blend or tung oil.