The Wax Machine

Jewelry Discussion
1

I recently picked up an interesting set of wax tools at a show. New
in the box but no instructions on their use. Anyone familiar with
something called The Wax Machine, or any idea where to locate some
instruction for this kit. It is the “expanded” kit I learned, but I
am not even familiar with the basic set, so I am not exactly sure
where to start. Set is designed to work with wax ring blanks, and
comes with several holders and cutters, some fairly obvious in their
use, and others not so.

2

I purchased it at the Bench Jewelers Conference in Buffalo, this
last April. I’d have to find my invoice to say from whom. Do you know
of any instruction manual that would have come with even the basic
kit? I will locate Codina’s book, thanks Tim. Jim Newton

3

http://www.progresstool.com/pd_basic_wax_machine.cfm

I knew I had seen it recently, somewhere… Progress Tool has it in
their 2003 catalog and on-line. I had one, along with the set which
had indexing divider gears for spacing around a ring, and roller bar
guides for filing flats on bands as well.There might have been a
third kit as well. It might have been a Vigor product. I suspect that
it didn’t sell extremely well… The basic set combines something
similar to the Matt ring reamer device design with a tool holder that
can be used to profile the outside of a band- about what you can do
with the Matt lathe, but without the flex shaft handpiece. All in
all, an interesting take on wax shaping tooling…

Lately I’ve made a couple of jigs to use with the Allset milling
table- an indexing head for that tool might be useful…

Rick Hamilton

4

Tim,

You can purchase the basic unit of the Wax Machine from Progress
Tools. This is just the inside ring sizer and a bracket to hold a
dome profile blade. It’s listed at $110.00 in the 2003 catalog. I
haven’t seen all the other accessory kits in some time (doming
blades, index wheels to make holes for eternity bands, faceting
jigs, etc.).

Donna Shimazu

5

Jim,

The wax machine is great for quick bands in any size as well as
simple channels and drilling evenly spaced holes around a wax ring. I
also have used the drilling accessory with the index gears for evenly
spaced holes on gold bands.

I have the entire wax machine system including instructions. It was
purchased many years ago. I will send them to you today. If anyone
else has lost theirs, please contact and I would be happy to copy
them off and send them to you as well.

Best regards,

Phillip Scott G.G.
Technical Support
Rio Grande
1-800-545-6566
technicalsupport@tbg.riogrande.com

6

Thanks. The system, as I purchased it, includes the index wheels for
spacing stones and rollers for design work, such as facets. It does
not include the instructions or basic inside sizing cutter or outside
flat cutter, but I think once I have a set of instructions I will be
able to fabricate such simple parts. I have been experimenting with
some waxes, using the supplied by Tim Blades’ post, with
that and the copies you are sending I am sure this carving system is
exactly what I was looking for. I’m a fairly decent free hand carver,
but I was looking for a more precise method of carving.

Thank you. Jim Newton