Making some string wax?

[Kingstaken]

"My greatest fear is that once I'm dead and gone, my wife will sell all my bows for the amount I told her I paid for them!"

That is the best yet...  

[LBR]

I've already gone through a few pounds of the stuff--my personal cakes are like Eric's, in 5oz. Dixie cups (paper ones), but those are a bit big and awkward to work with at first, and can get nasty if they lay around a couple years.  I go through those pretty regularly though--the smaller 2oz. cups I poured up (with lids) would work better for most folks--easier to work with, can store them and keep them clean.

For a stringmaker's wax, pure bee's wax is too hard for me.  I like it softer and sticky, but not too soft and sticky--like I said, I had to mess around with it to figure out what I liked, and danged if I can remember what I wound up with.  Hope I wrote it down somewhere........

Rob, I've never heard of that wax remover stuff--not likely I could find it in NE Mississippi anyway......but I would have gladly ordered some the first time I tried pouring my own wax--man, what a mess!

Don't remember where I bought my wax either--pretty sure I did a Google search and looked for the best deal.  Mine came in either 1# or 2# bricks.  Get purified or strained wax--you don't want all those critters and bee parts floating around in your wax.

Bob, send me a reminder after I notify you about your bow being here and I'll send you a cake--no problem.

Oh yeah, one more thing--unless you make a dang bunch of strings (I'm talking at least 500-1,000 a year, every year, for several years), or you have a market for it, DO NOT try to pour up 30 or 40 lbs of stringmaker's wax.  Nobody in their right mind will use that much in a lifetime (stringmakers are NOT in their right mind--that's obvious to anyone who's ever made a string).  I poured up over 200 2oz. cakes with intentions of selling it, but after seeing how much I go through, I haven't really tried--figure I'll use it up soon enough.

Chad

[Rob DiStefano]

I like the fact that pure beeswax is kinda hard as I use very very little wax since I spin up strings, not twist 'em.  Once heated just a bit from friction, pure beeswax will flow like the dickens.

Lotsa brands of surfboard wax remover, I use this brand on my boards and for cleaning up after bowstring making ...

 Chief Firewater

[Badlands]

I think pure bees wax it too hard for string making also, at least the stuff that I have tried has been.
I made up a batch that was one part bees wax to one part toilet bowl ring.  It turned out a bit on the soft side. If I were going to do it again I'd try 2 or 3 parts bees wax to 1 part toilet bowl ring.  The pine smell of pine rosen sounds good. Might put a bit of that in too.

[LBR]

Yeah--I should have clarified.  I make some endless strings, and you don't need stringmaker's wax for those....and you can make a flemish string without stringmaker's wax, but it makes things go a lot easier for me.  One fellow I talked to called it his "third hand" when making a string--best description I've heard.

Since I learned to use disposable pans and cover everything with newspaper, don't think I'll need the wax remover.  When it gets too deep on my board, I just use a utility knife blade and scrape it off.

On the other hand.....I just looked over at my work bench, stretching jig, x-acto knives....man that crap gets everywhere doesn't it!  Guess I do need to give the wax remover a second look....

Chad

[Rob DiStefano]

I agree, Badlands - for twisting strings it's way too hard.  

BUT, for spinning strings it's just right for me.  :D

[R.W.]

The wax mess "can" be cleaned up with naptha "white gas."

You immerse the pan in question in the naptha, and let it sit OUTSIDE. A bit of scrubbing with a non-metallic "disposable" brush will remove the wax.

Don't even think if doing this indoors, not in your garage, shop, anything. Do it in the driveway, away from all buildings.

I do this to clean out wax etc, between bullet lube mixtures, string wax mixtures, etc.

There is always a fire risk, when using naptha, so have a fire extinguisher handy, and wear nitrile gloves. Naptha isn't the best thing to be soaking your hands in.

I hope your wife likes her new pans as much as the old one!  

[Keefer]

R.W.   I told her what I done and at first she was a little upset and asked me if I used the new ones or old one and I said the old rusty lookin one and she said O.K. I told her I would go buy a new one today to replace the one I messed up but I got the 'rolled eyes thing" women do sometimes and a get out of jail Free card....It makes me wonder now if she ever went out in MY shop and borrowed something and messed it up cause she let me off so easy....I am going out in the shop tonight and see if anythings missing...