Falconer Henry asks about uses of beeswax.  The following come to my mind:
 
Waxing sewing threads for stiffness, making them easier to handle.
 
Waxing linen thread for sewing leather, for preservation  and sealing.
 
Lost-wax casting, where the object to be cast is modelled in wax, then coated
with a ceramic slurry or slip, heated to fuse the ceramic into a mold and melt
away the beeswax; metal is then poured into the mold.
 
Coating metal for etching: the image is scraped directly in the wax coating, and
then the metal is exposed to an etching solution.  The wax resists the etchant.
 
Leather preservative, usually compounded with a softer fat such as tallow or
neatsfoot oil.
 
Component of furniture polish, usually with other waxes (e.g. carnauba)
 
Component of cosmetics, e.g., lipstick, lip balms, lotions, etc.
 
Note--the usual method for making leather stiff is to soak it in water and let
it dry without adding any fatty substances to it.  It gets _really_ hard, and
makes effective armor.  You usually rub some leather preservative into it after
it dries.
 
Someone else mentioned use of beeswax in electronic components.  Yes, it was,
and not just as a cheap expedient.  It was used as the dielectric (insulating)
medium between the metal-foil layers of certain capacitors (then called
"condensers").
 
John E. Taylor III       W3ZID     | "The opinions expressed are those of the
E-Mail: [log in to unmask] | writer and not of Rohm and Haas Company."