Here's a little project to make to waterproof your leather shoes or gloves or whatever.It's called birch bark oil.As good or better than mink oil or beeswax.It does an excellent job.Easy to make yourself.1 ounce of this stuff will go a long ways.It will darken your leather some if you don't mind that.It has other very good medicinal qualities to it like being a very good antiseptic on wounds as well.I've never tried it but I would imagine it would waterproof wood very well.It will burn from a wick as a lantern a very long time also,or can be used to help start a fire.
There are U tube showings of how to make this stuff too.
First I used a 1 gallon metal paint can.I put a 1/16" to 1/8" hole dead center at bottom of can.Stuffed it as tightly full as I could with bits and pieces of birch bark.Sealed the lid on.I put a brick or weight on top then too.Got another can a bit smaller like a old soup can with the lid off it.
I dug a hole the depth of the smaller can and set the larger can on top of it.Filed the hole in around the smaller can to dirt level and bottom of gallon can.
I slowly build up a fire around and over top of the gallon can till I get enough coals to completely cover the can.
After around 2 to 3 hours and the coals have cooled completely off I carefully uncover the can from underneath the gallon can without any dirt getting in the smaller can.
And there you have it....birch oil.No need to refrigerate.I keep this jar in a drawer for use.The 1 gallon paint can stuffed tightly full will yield around 2 to 3 ounces of birch bark oil.It has to be birch bark that's used.I did 2 burns.
5 ounce jar of birch oil.
While making it I did'nt take pictures but here's a drawing showing the set up.The XXX's are the coals over gallon can.