Wax

Q. I have a question concerning a 30-year-old, ¾-inch-thick glass top for a coffee table. The glass has gotten terribly scratched over the years. Can a thick piece of glass be polished to remove the scratches? Washington A. Try applying a thin layer of paste wax. Let it dry, then buff with a clean cotton cloth. If the scratches are shallow enough, that might be all you need. The wax fills the divots and helps light reflect as if the surface is smooth. If that doesn't do it, but the scratches are still...

It took an October walk through the Phillips Collection with the artist to convince Phillips Collection Director Dorothy Kosinski that she could spare room for a new permanent installation. Like many small, private museums, the Phillips Collection is landlocked and land-hungry, so every inch counts. But Kosinski decided that Wolfgang Laib's work merited carving out some space. Sometime early next year, the Phillips will unveil what is billed as the first permanently installed wax room in an art museum.

BERLIN — Conveyor belts hum quietly, towering over piles of dark red wax. A giant mauve object that looks like a deflating balloon sprawls and sags its way across three rooms. A dark pigment circle creates the illusion of a black hole opening up in the floor. And there are lots of mirrors: convex, concave, twisting and a painted "blood mirror. " British-based artist Anish Kapoor on Friday presented his world of impressions, illusions and color in Berlin, where he has created a show...

No doubt about it, Michelle Obama's on a roll, fresh off her triumphant G20 It-Girl World Tour: Hugging the Queen. Swarmed by schoolgirls in London. Air-kissing Carla Bruni Sarkozy. And now, Mighty Michelle has been immortalized in wax, standing right alongside her husband at Madame Tussauds in Washington. The details of her face, though not quite pretty enough, are there: the curve of her nose, the almond tilt of the eyes, the radiant smile. Her bouncing bob is a little stiff -- not surprising, since it's a statue.

FRIDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) - An over-the-counter ear wax softener may cause inflammation and damage to the eardrum and inner ear, and harm hearing in the process, report Canadian researchers who made the discovery in an animal study. The researchers looked at the effect of a softener called Cerumenex on hearing and the ear cells in chinchillas, a standard model for this type of research. The product is no longer sold in the United States, according to a spokesman for its manufacturer, Purdue Pharma...

BERLIN — Conveyor belts hum quietly, towering over piles of dark red wax. A giant mauve object that looks like a deflating balloon sprawls and sags its way across three rooms. A dark pigment circle creates the illusion of a black hole opening up in the floor. And there are lots of mirrors: convex, concave, twisting and a painted "blood mirror. " British-based artist Anish Kapoor on Friday presented his world of impressions, illusions and color in Berlin, where he has...

Q. I want to restore the walnut paneling in our 90-some-year-old house. In spots, the wood has been lightened by sunlight or marked by pet stains, and there are minor scratches. A wood artisan says any work on the finish will ruin the patina of aging. However, the finish is dull. Is there a one-size-fits-all type of restoration product I can use? I certainly do not want to paint the wood! Martinsburg, W.V. A. "The patina is already gone if the sun has damaged the wood," notes Jarrod Hawksford, who works at Colonial...

Dear Heloise: I read your response regarding smoke-odor elimination, and I am surprised that you did not refer the writer to a dry cleaner who had an ozone machine to remove the smoke odor. The machines work and do a fantastic job of removing all smoke, and then items can be cleaned afterward, either by washing or dry cleaning, based on the fabric. My best story to emphasize the effectiveness of an ozone machine is that of my sister-in-law and her husband, who purchased a used mobile home.

The first time you sit down to make a Ukrainian Easter egg, you're all thumbs. You fumble with getting the melted wax in the special writing tool, the lines you draw are shaky and your carefully thought-out design is quickly derailed when a big glop of wax drips where it wasn't supposed to. And that's assuming you don't jab your thumb through the fragile shell in a moment of over-enthusiasm. Those moments are rare for the Eggerton family of Fairfax -- cousins Amelia, Virginia, Pam and Trish Eggerton and Michael Burton.

Q: Candle wax dripped on my maple counter. How can I remove the stain without marring the wood? Stockton Springs, Maine A: If there is a finish on the wood, the real issue is cleaning away the stain in a way that doesn't affect the finish. So test any product by first rubbing a bit in an inconspicuous area, such as the inside of a door if you have cabinets that match. If the surface sheen and color don't change, it's safe to proceed on the stained area. (If the wood has no finish, just skip the test.)

With blue tape outlining the corridor, the installation of the Laib Wax Room seems akin to a messy home renovation, not the creation of permanent art at the Phillips Collection . German artist Wolfgang Laib , known for his use of natural, life-giving elements such as milk, pollen, and in this case, beeswax, often creates works that evoke oneness with nature through solitude, ritual and methodical workmanship. His latest project, the installation of a small room coated in beeswax, opened Saturday at the Phillips...

The opening to what was once a small storage closet has been narrowed to better frame views of Wolfgang Laib's " Wax Room ," a new and permanent installation at the Phillips Collection . The old door has been removed, as well, so as visitors pass by, they see directly into an enigmatic space, with glowing amber-colored walls and a single, naked light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The Phillips doesn't have a lot of room even for temporary exhibitions, so the...

The wax figures of President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrived at Madame Tussauds museum early Thursday, and waiting on the curb to greet them were the images of two former Democratic White House families, the Clintons and the Kennedys. While the Obama figures have been part of the presidential exhibit at Madame Tussauds, officials for the popular downtown spot said that the decision was made to have their artists modify the figures to reflect how the Obamas look as he prepares for his second...

Q. I have a question concerning a 30-year-old, ¾-inch-thick glass top for a coffee table. The glass has gotten terribly scratched over the years. Can a thick piece of glass be polished to remove the scratches? Washington A. Try applying a thin layer of paste wax. Let it dry, then buff with a clean cotton cloth. If the scratches are shallow enough, that might be all you need. The wax fills the divots and helps light reflect as if the surface is smooth. If that doesn't do it, but the...

Dear Readers: Here are some SOUND OFF comments from readers: A reader in South Dakota wrote, "I am so tired of perfect strangers asking me ‘How are you?' as they wait on me, be it at the checkout in the grocery store or a checkout in a mall store ... wherever. " A reader from Nebraska wrote: "When checking out at the grocery store or other large retailers, I am routinely asked ‘Did you find everything?' You can respond with ‘No,' to which the cashier has a look of panic and does not know what to say or do. The...

The general sat motionless as the man with rubber gloves and tattooed legs gently brushed wax across his nose. Gen. George B. McClellan sat, as he has for a century, with clenched hand and stern visage, while technician Pavel Efremoff dabbed the gooey wax from a plastic tub and spread it over the Civil War figure's moustache and cheeks. The equestrian statue of McClellan, which has stood along Connecticut Avenue NW since 1907, had never had such lavish treatment from conservators, experts said.

GALLERY EVENT OF THE WEEK Encaustic painting — the use of hot, pigmented wax — is one of the oldest art techniques, dating to the days of Egyptian mummy portraits. On Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m., the Athenaeum will host a reception for an exhibition showcasing the work of six of the area's best and most versatile wax artists, some of whom stretch the definition of the encaustic medium. "Wax Works" features the art of painters Sondra Arkin, Julie Dzikiewicz, Jeanne Garant, Joanne Kent and Ellyn...

It took an October walk through the Phillips Collection with the artist to convince Phillips Collection Director Dorothy Kosinski that she could spare room for a new permanent installation. Like many small, private museums, the Phillips Collection is landlocked and land-hungry, so every inch counts. But Kosinski decided that Wolfgang Laib's work merited carving out some space. Sometime early next year, the Phillips will unveil what is billed as the first permanently installed wax...