So a while back, I managed to pick up a TSI Wax Pen in a trade. It’s
cool and retro looking with it’s 80’s style “radio shack control
box.” It looks like this:
I thought it would be interesting to use it to build up some retro
wax melt drop style models for casting. I found it again when
cleaning a box of stuff and thought I’d try it, but I can’t figure
out how it exactly works.
Does anyone have an old manual or info on how this TSI Wax Pen
works?
From what I’ve figured out, it looks like there is a plunger that
lifts a pin or needle type valve in a feed tube on the tip. The wax
seems to go into the bigger hole on the back of the head next to the
plunger control.
I would assume wax melts, fills a resivoir inside the unit and you
open and close the wax feed with the plunger. Seems straight forward.
But alas, while the unit gets hot and melts wax, I can’t get it to
come out…
Eventually it wants to overflow the wax feed out the top. I think an
air bubble contributes to this overflow, but the wax IS melting. The
tip is hot to the touch, etc. Soooo close, what am I missing?
thanks in advance for any suggestions to help bring this retro tool
into useful shop production!
TSI Wax Pen The TSI wax pen was marketed back in the 1970s by
Technical Specialties International of Seattle (not to be confused
with the trucking company of the same name) but it was made for them
by HYTRONIC (not to be confused with a dozen unrelated companies). I
actually saw one offered for sale a year ago, with instructions,
under the HYTRONIC brand name!
Maybe if you contact the seller, they may still have it and its
manual? Who knows.
You could also follow up THIS 2006 seller from ganoksin:
TSI, for what it’s worth, closed their doors something like ten or
fifteen years ago. Used to be up on Nickerson here in Seattle if I
recall…
I have one. use it rarely. No manual any more, but it’s simple
enough. Won’t be able to help with yours until after the new years,
but if you need, contact me off line after that and I’ll see what I
can figure out for you. First thing if wax doesn’t flow though,
would seem to be check it’s not clogged. If it gets hot enough to
melt wax, but wax isn’t flowing, and you’ve got wax in the reservoir,
then either it’s clogged or you’ve got a somehow broken valve. The
first is far more likely.
