Dear Brent: Here is some info on waxing. I hope you can deal
with my rambling writing style.
I have been “waxing” for about 10 years. There are many types
of wax to use, and several techniques. I primarily use the
“buildup style” where you add molten wax to the piece you are
working on; it is an additive technique. The wax is usually
softer and melts at a lower temp than “Carving” wax. You have a
small “pot” of wax that is molten, and use different tools to
pick it up and apply it to your workpiece. My favorite tool is a
7 inch long 3/8 inch diameter wooden dowel with a heavy needle
(about 1/2 mm diameter) on one end with its end rounded off, and
a flattened 6 penny nail with a sort of a rounded chisel end on
it on the other. You need a bunsen burner, or a alchohol lamp to
heat up the needle/tool which you pick up wax with. The heated
needle/tool keeps the wax melted so you can apply it. You can
make a stand that fits above your alchohol lamp to set your wax
pot on to melt your wax. I use a small tin, about 1" in
diameter. It holds enough wax for several rings, and heats up
fast. You could use your pink sheet wax as a base, wrapped
around a finger sized cylinder, and build up wax on that. This
type of wax usually comes in broken up bulk blocks (chunks about
1" thick and of various sizes up to about 10"), or it also comes
in small pellets, and is made for a wax injector pot used for
shooting hot wax into rubber molds. I like the chunks because I
can carve them if I want to. Usual cost is about 5-8 dollars a
pound. Some suppliers will send you small samples of each to see
what you like the best. My favorite is from “Frei & Borel”,
Oakland, CA, and is called “Sierra Orange”. It is medium soft,
is fairly durable, (wax is brittle, and in a cool climate like
WY, it can break easily when dropped.), and flows well. To
smooth up your wax you can use files, then #220 garnet sandpaper.
To give the final finish, I use a citrus based cleaning solution
called “Citri-solv”. It smells like citrus, and is not toxic.
You apply it sparingly to a “Q-tip” and rub the wax with it. You
can also use lighter fluid, but it is more toxic. If you are
using different types of wax on the same model, you have to be
careful because they dissolve at different rates, and you can get
an undercut effect. Try to use the Q-tip sparingly. The wax is
ready to sprue at this point.
The second technique is wax “carving”. It is a subtractive
technique. You start with a block of wax and carve away what you
dont want. You can use any tools that will work, files,
sharpened/shaped nails, Dental tools (nice to have a dentist in
the family!), flexshaft, etc… It probably takes less to get
started with the carving technique. Hard carving wax melts at a
much higher temp, and doesnt flow well. It comes in tubes ready
to cut a ring off of. In sheets, thick and thin, and bars, round
and square. Usually in about pound packages.
As alluded to above, you can also combine the two. I like to
carve the softer wax to a point and then do some detail work with
the buildup style, using the same kind of wax. This comes in
handy when seating stones, as for me it is easier to build up
around a stone than it is to cut away a perfectly fitting seat.
Have fun!
Stephen Bargsten
73643.1716@compuserve.com