Dave,
That sounds like a great combination, jeweler and machinist!
I’d love to be able to make all my tools!
The hard wax that is currently available for carving on a lathe
is 1" in diameter and at most 6" in length. Ideally, I’d like to
be able to even turn a small goblet on a lathe, about 3" in
diameter, 6" high, but that would be more involved, I imagine, to
gouge out the inside of the “bowl.”
Where are you located? Do you have a catalogue, or a list or
pictures of the tools you make? Are they for sale? I would be
really interested…Thanks, Ruth PS. I tried to e-mail you
directly, but mail was returned, as undeliverable.
Call or write Kendt Collins Wax Company if you want bigger
pieces. We bought a 75 lb block of their hard, turnable wax
(this batch was blue rather than the green of Carvex). If you
wnat to buy some of this, contact us. As to the gouging out of
the bowl, wood turners do it all the time. Might try getting on a
woodturners list and see what they have to say.
my 2 cents worth
John
John Dach and Cynthia Thomas
Maiden Metals
a div. of True wealth is what you are,
MidLife Crisis Enterprises not what you have.
PO BX 44
Philo, CA 95466
707-895-2635(phone)
707-895-9332 (FAX) new @John_Cynthia_MidLife
I started carving wax rings a few months ago, and I’ve been having a
few problems getting the rings the same width all the way around.
I’ve been carving by hand, and I know there are lathe attachments
available for the flex shaft. I’m wondering if anyone knows of a
lathe & trimmer attachment for a micromotor or a Dremel. Most of the
attachments I’ve seen advertised are for the Foredom #30 handpiece.
Thanks!
Julie - Dremel actually makes a small lathe, which can be used with a
rheostat foot peddle. Without the rheostat it runs about 5,00rpm
which is too fast for me.
What I use is a pre-formed cutter that I had to make myself. Take
some flat aluminum stock, about 1/8" thick, 1" sq. With your hand
tool, cut/grind/polish–the ‘inverted’ shank shape at an angle into
this flat stock.Producing a ‘knife’ like edge. You’ll find that the
smooth edge (on both sides of pattern) works as a depth gauge, for
quick,easy,wax reproductions.
|_____/~^~\____|
…(you need to use blue carving wax) Do Enjoy-- Dave (18k)
Julie: one of the possible solutions to your problem is a simple
drill press attachment for your dremel. Attach a rotary bur that has a
cutting edge at the bottom of the cylinder and you have a basic
milling machine. Now cut your wax blank from a tube and make sure one
side of it is square to the length. Now adjust the height of your
drill press to the width you want the blank. Lock the press at this
height. Now place the flat, square (as in 90 degree angle) side of
the wax blank on the flat of the drill press table. Now trim the wax
tube using the rotary file at the required height. This creates a
blank that is square with sides that are parallel and equal width.
Hope this makes sense, if not email me off line and I will try again
to explain. I use this technique for all my wax blanks. I make sure
everything is square and parallel before I do the layout that way
everything is where it is supposed to be. Frank Goss
Hi everyone - I use wax rods and turn them in a small lathe. I am
desperate for a source of hard wax rods (like the Ferris green),
ideally about 25mm in diameter and at a reasonable price! I am in New
Zealand but willing to buy offshore - I’m sure I’ll have to…
No-one in New Zealand seems to bring reasonable quantities into the
country.
Hi Joseph, I’ve been buying long Ferris File-a-Wax rods in a 2-pack
(1-5/16" x 11- 1/4" or 33 x 286 mm) for $12 (less than half the
price what I use to buy!) from J.S. Ritter Company1 (800)962-1468.
Their part # for green 21.0730, purple #21.0731.
