Cool wax trick

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi All;

I thought I’d share this one with you all. You know how, when you
want to touch up an injected wax (even the “carvable” ones), it gums
up the file right away? I got the bright idea to dip my file in
lighter fluid periodically (with a fume collector running close by,
of course). Works great!

David L. Huffman

2

Dave,

Sounds like a good trick.

When I have to file or grind injection wax I place the wax in a cup
of ice cubes and cold water. A small amount of work can be done on
the wax before it needs another trip to the ice cubes.

Be sure to dry the file after working on the wax.

Lee Epperson

3

You can also “fill” the file “grooves” with chalk (pass the file
over a piece of chalk a stroke or two) and the chalk keeps the wax
from filling it up. Re chalk as needed.

John Dach

4

There is a tool called a file card that will remove wax from a file
by running it across the file, much faster and less messy that
dipping
in lighter fluid.

Richard Hart

5

David,

Thanks for sharing the cool trick. Sure beats my method of using a
dry toothbrush. When it got too clogged up I’d steam the file, dry
it and go back to work. Not nearly as efficient as your method.

thanks,
James S. Cantrell CMBJ

6

I found a quick spray of silicone on the file works well. It still
clogs, but the wax is removed from the file much easier.

Scott V

7

Hi Richard;

There is a tool called a file card that will remove wax from a
file by running it across the file, much faster...

Yes, file cards I know about, but I don’t use them because the wires
don’t get down in the file’s grooves very well. I use a small pencil
type wire brush designed for cleaning burs. The filaments are much
finer. But aside from that, that wasn’t my point. You’d have to try
my technique to see what I discovered with it. It sort of dissolves
as it cuts, leaving a smooth surface, and it’s quick, compared to
stopping every few seconds to clean the file.

Also, what works better than a file card on larger files is simply a
strip of brass, around 16 guage, 1 inch by 4 inches. Run the end of
it across the file, pushing it down into the grooves. It contours
itself to the file’s ridges and grooves, and although it’s a bit more
work than a file card, it doesn’t trash the file the way the file
card does (file cards dull files because the wires are pretty close
in hardness and don’t fit down in the grooves).

David L. Huffman

8

Hi James;

Thanks for sharing the cool trick. Sure beats my method of using a
dry toothbrush.

You’re welcome, but there is an aspect of this trick I don’t think
I’ve communicated correctly. It isn’t so much the issue of keeping
the file clean… well, it is and it isn’t. It’s the way it behaves
as it’s cutting. Because the wax gets dissolved out of the way while
it’s being removed, the file doesn’t grab as it’s moving. Even
chalking a file won’t do much to keep it from rolling gummy bits of
wax around which keep the file from laying flat on the surface of
the wax. It still loads up to some degree, but the material, as it
comes off, no longer impedes the files cutting action. I also have a
habit these days of scraping waxes to finish them, using sharp tools
like X-acto blades and sharpened old dental tools. It takes practice
to not get a chattery cut, but you can scrape the carving waxes to a
smooth finish by dragging in line with the file marks, rather than
across them. I figure, the smoother the wax, the less likely I’ll get
problems with the casting from minute bits of investment that were in
the waxe’s imperfections breaking free and finding their way into
areas where I would rather have metal go.

David L. Huffman

9 
There is a tool called a file card

File card is made of springy hardened steel wires and will dull a
file in no time. I guess they were probably invented by file
manufacturers to guarantee them future file sales as a properly used
file which is regularly cleaned using only the edge of a copper coin
will last a lifetime!

Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK

10 
I found a quick spray of silicone on the file works well. It still
clogs, but the wax is removed from the file much easier.

Rub the file with ordinary school chalk before every use. This will
greatly reduce clogging.

Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK

11

What kinds of waxes are you using that gum up you files? The carving
waxes I use create a sawdust like filing.

12

Hi Richard;

What kinds of waxes are you using that gum up you files? The
carving waxes I use create a sawdust like filing.

It wasn’t the carving waxes I was talking about. It’s the injection
waxes, some of which are, to varying degrees, somewhat carve-able.
Every now and then I have to modify one of these, or size up the wax
and finish the patched area, etc., and even the most carve-able of
these loads up files quickly, like in about 2 strokes.

David L. Huffman