How do you expect to remove wax using an acid? Wax is often used as
a resist to protect metal from attack by acids in the etching
process. While beeswax does make a decent lubricant - tallow is
probably even better but doesn’t smell as nice - you must remove
either with a solvent such as denatured alcohol (Methylated Spirit),
preferably in a two stage process. After cutting the rings dunk them
in a pot of denatured alcohol and swill them around for a few
minutes. If you are doing a lot of rings, this pot of solvent will
start to get loaded with wax and so may leave a light film of wax
still on the rings, so, another pot of clean alcohol can be used to
rinse the rings in. When all the wax is removed you can pickle the
rings in Sulphuric acid if you need to but it shouldn’t usually be
necessary.
Best Wishes,
Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK