Steam dewaxing

Hello everyone on Orchid,

I have been looking into steam dewaxing ovens. But in the meantime
does anyone have any experience in creating your own steam dewaxer?

I have heard of steam dewaxing using your own electric oven, but I
don’t remember the thread(Maybe this was discussed last year?).

Any help in this would be appreciated.

From Surbhi

Surbhi, Try using a hotplate & large canning pot

Robert

Surbhi:

I use a Black & Decker rice steamer from K Mart. Works great and
cost less than $30.00. Been using this for about 5 years.

Tom Benham

Hi Surbhi

I may have some info on a home-made steam de-waxer. I’ll try to
look it up tonight. If I do have such it will be on a
shelf above my desk at home. If I don’t get back to you in a day or
so, send me note to remind me.

Best regards
Jeff Booth
Oakville, Ontario
Canada

I have been looking into steam dewaxing ovens.  But in the meantime
does anyone have any experience in creating your own steam dewaxer?

Hello Surbhi:

I am also very interested in steam de-waxers as my shop is in our
basement and my wife might leave me if I don’t stop stinking up
the house! So you see…this is a mercy mission. I would
appreciate your passing on any info you get as to making your oun
or, more preferable, who sells the best one.

Thanks;
Steve Klepinger

Hi Surbhi:

As promised, I checked in my ever-growing book shelf and found two
references on steam dewaxing:

No. 1 is found in Practical Casting - A Studio Reference, by Tim
McCreight. Published by Davis Publications Inc, Worcester, Mass.

No. 2 is found in Lost Wax Investment Casting, by C.W. Ammen.
Published by TAB Books, Blue Ridge Summit, PA

I have never tried this myself but it seems wonderfully simple, if
one uses some common sense. In a nutshell, it seems all you have
to do is somehow position your investment/wax over the water and
bring the water to a healthy boil. The important thing seems to be
that you must have this all enclosed somehow, perhaps by a metal
pail, or some other suitable-yet-simple covering.

Best regards
Jeff Booth
Oakville, Ontario
Canada

PS: I had trouble finding the Ammen book, originally, but eventually
tracked a copy down in a university library. If I can recall, it might have
been out of print. I found my copy in a used book store.

in regard to the steam de-waxer…I use an old steam sterilizer
that was used for sterilizing medical equipment. Easy to use and
they are considered no longer acceptable for medical use.

Aloha, An inexpensive(relatively)solution,is to purchase an 18
Qt.(or larger) roaster oven.Works just as well as a steam
dewaxer,has a thermostat and costs less than $100.(maybe could find
one at a thrift store).You can fit more flasks in it,than a small
dewaxer,and save the money.Just my two cents worth.

Regards,

Christian Grunewald
Precision Modelmaking, Hawaii

P.S. Some artists used to paint with wax in the middle ages,but
there life expectancy was very short,wax will resolidify in your
lungs.If you don’t steam dewax,do yourself a favor and vent the
fumes, properly.

Aloha, An inexpensive(relatively)solution,is to purchase an 18
Qt.(or larger) roaster oven.Works just as well as a steam
dewaxer,has a thermostat and costs less than $100.

Does your roaster also melt the Hard carving wax, or do you only
use the injection wax?

Surbhi

Hi! just to let you know it’s easy to make your own dewaxer. Just
get yourself a BIG cooking pot w/lid, you can pick up a wire
steamer rack at any store that sells cooking equipment, fill the
pot about half way to the bottom of the rack and we use a cheap
electric hot plate to heat it up. Turn the hot plate to high and
you’ll just have to check your flasks to know when there ready
give them about 2 to3 more hours to sit before you start your burn
out and there you go!! Good luck!! Matt

                     E-mail me if you have any questions....
                       @GoldSmithy

Aloha Surbi, Yes,you can melt hard carving wax in the roasting
oven.You just put water in the bottom of the unit(like a
dewaxer)about 1-1 1/2 inch so under the supplied rack,load your
flasks.Set your thermostat to 200 to 225,as not to boil the wax(you
can check the accuracy with a thermometer(like you use in your wax
pot or someting else with the appropriate range)).Remember to not
over heat the wax,as to not degrade the mold
surface(internally).Injection wax should be eliminated in 45 to 60
minutes and hard carving wax,a little longer.You can see if it’s
gone by inspecting the sprue opening.Any large Department Store
should carry one in their appliance department.Also,while you are
there,pick up a Crock Pot with a removable ceramic pot,for your
pickle solution(sparex or what ever).Then you will still have
enough to buy a scanner and a few other jewelry tools you may
need.Hope this is of help.

Regards,
Christian Grunewald
Precision Modelmaking
Hawaii

Roster oven…as in a rectangular unit with a lid on the top?
(basicly a large crock pot?) Steve Klepinger

Could you give us specs as to the distance from the water’s
surface to the flask, depth of the water ect. Also, does this work
with all waxes (more time for harder waxes) and is there any safe
way to speed up the process?

Thanks;
Steve Klepinger

   somehow position your investment/wax over the water and bring
the water to a healthy boil. The important thing seems to be that
you must have this all enclosed somehow, perhaps by a metal pail,
or some other suitable-yet-simple covering. 

I use an old pressure cooker with a trivet inside. 20 minutes at
15lb seems to do most of my 3x5" flasks.

Yours aye,
Dauvit Alexander,
Glasgow, Scotland.

.There is probably a lower tech solution,but this works
the same as a commercial unit,at a fraction of the cost.

Will this method work on carving waxes like blue and green? Ron

Will this method work on carving waxes like blue and green?

The pressure cooker suggestion that I posted a few days back works
with carving waxes.

Yours aye,
Dauvit Alexander,
Glasgow, Scotland.

Regarding: Steam de-waxing, You won’t get ALL of the wax out, it’s
steam guys , but you will get most of it and it will make a
differance. I’ve been using it for three years + now and have had
no problems.

Has anyone had experience with steam dewaxing and carving wax?
I have heard that injection wax is eliminated well but that
carving waxes have trouble. Are some carving wax brands better
than others? Does the color (hard medium soft) matter?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

Jeff, I am a small operation, so I just use my oven. I put a pan
of water on the lower tray and the investment above it. I bring
up the temp to 200 degrees for 30 minutes, then to 300 for 1 hr.
It does work! I have done this with all of the different colored
waxes with success.

jon h.

Jeff, I can’t respond to the steam dewaxing, having never done
any. But, as far as the colors of wax, yes they do matter.
You’ll have to expreriment with them to find one that works well,
for the type of carving you do. I use a lot of gravers and
knives to carve with and prefer the green. It also mends well if
broken. Good carving, Curtis