Free Shipping For orders over $35
Free Shipping For orders over $35
Painting equipment only to watch it peel and chip a season later gets old fast. Wax dipping is a different approach — the wood goes into a hot vat of wax, which drives out natural moisture and replaces it with a waterproof wax blend that penetrates the wood itself, rather than just sitting on the surface like paint.
Public wax dipping runs on the third Friday of every month at our Irondale, Alabama location. Drop off assembled equipment ahead of time, or order new equipment plus the wax dipping service for each piece — we'll have it ready for pickup that Friday, or ship it out the following week.
Get 5 free wax-dipped items with every 25 you purchase. The discount applies automatically once you add 30 items to your cart.
Our cypress woodenware is naturally more rot-resistant than pine to begin with, so wax dipping cypress equipment adds an extra layer of protection on top of a durable base.
Wood is submerged in a hot vat of our wax blend — a combination of microcrystalline and paraffin wax chosen so the finish doesn't melt in hot weather or stay tacky on the surface. The dipping time is long enough to drive out natural moisture and let the wax penetrate throughout, but the finished surface stays dry to the touch, not waxy.
We also dip other wooden items on request — bat houses, birdhouses, furniture, anything that fits in the tank up to 48" x 32". Contact us for pricing on larger items.
Yes — just clean off loose paint, wax moth debris, dirt, mold, cobwebs, and loose wood first. A wire brush works well for old boxes.
Yes. Paint color may shift slightly during the process. If you want to repaint afterward, it has to happen immediately while the wood is still hot — paint won't adhere once it cools.
No. Unassembled pieces dip fine, and the wood doesn't change shape during the process, so joints still fit together afterward.
Frames don't need dipping since they're already protected inside the box. Screened bottom boards and metal-capped telescoping covers can be dipped, though a thin layer of wax may stick to the metal — cosmetic only, doesn't affect function. Plywood, masonite, and similar engineered woods are not good candidates, since the glue holding them together can fail and cause delamination.
No. We don't accept wood that's been pressure-treated or chemically treated with copper-naphthenate or similar products — those chemicals aren't safe around honeybees.
Yes, for groups or sideline/commercial beekeepers with a minimum of 50 boxes or pieces.
Wax coating applies a thin surface layer of melted wax — protection stays at the surface and eventually wears off, and once it does, the wood can't be repainted without stripping the wax first. It's the finish typically used on cheap imported equipment. Wax dipping submerges the whole piece, so the wax penetrates throughout for protection that doesn't wear off the same way.
$125.00
