Wax Experimentation
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 10:26 pm
I came home today to find this on my front porch:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax1of39_zpsec328225.jpg)
Why the package in a bag, I wondered. Perhaps because the postman was worried that it might rain? No, unfortunately not. It was in a bag because, evidently, the contents had leaked.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax2of39_zpsede9ae64.jpg)
(there is a little pile of stuff in the bag). And it was sticky! Evidently, the contents had been poorly packed by the supplier, and the bag had burst in transit.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax3of39_zps69ccdc65.jpg)
But oh, those lovely contents:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax4of39_zps1360f059.jpg)
Five pounds of pine gum resin! Let the experimentation begin!!
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax5of39_zpseb48a17c.jpg)
Given the nature of the recent swap, I thought it would be most interesting to start my waxperimentation with something appropriate... http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... wax+recipe
Chapter 3 - Wax
Waxes for fly tying are like hook - there are all kinds. The wax which I have found to be entirely satisfactory is made according to an old recipe of L. Harrington Keene's as follows:
Melt one half pound of the best white turpentine resin
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax8of39_zpsc7a624ff.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax7of39_zps93e13c5c.jpg)
add one ounce of pure white beeswax
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax9of39_zps252d8525.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax10of39_zpsd3c4742b.jpg)
which should be paired off or chopped up into small pieces.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax11of39_zpsb6733ffa.jpg)
Simmer for fifteen minutes, allowing it to melt and mix thoroughly with the resin.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax14of39_zpse0355d99.jpg)
I waited for the mixture to melt and begin come together / simmer before I began the timer. It actually melted quite quickly. The above picture was about two minutes on low; that below was after four or so.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax15of39_zpsa1038218.jpg)
A close up of the melting rosin. It's really striking beautiful stuff.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax16of39_zps72984ef8.jpg)
Once I got to this stage:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax18of39_zps85d25970.jpg)
I began the timer
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax13of39_zps6e9839d7.jpg)
A note on this stage: I turned up the heat somewhat to be sure the mixture was actually simmering... and there was a considerable amount of piney smoke. I am not sure if the smoke was a necessary side effect -- that is, if it needed to be truly simmering and thus smoking, or if keeping it under a simmer, and thus less smokey would have been just as effective. Further testing will tell, I suppose. But the smoke was rather substantial:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax23of39_zps81f293de.jpg)
(Although it looks like there's a fire, it's just the setting sun). I went downstairs to my daughter's bathroom and borrowed something (she's off at college and won't miss it).
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax24of39_zps3c2ed31b.jpg)
And of course, I had this:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax12of39_zps90113966.jpg)
As he says later, when stirring this simmering wax remember that it is extremely inflammable and therefore dangerous.
Now add one half ounce of fresh lard I didn't have lard, but I have it on good authority that Crisco works just as well.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax19of39_zps0c342bfa.jpg)
stir slowly while the mixture simmers just below the boiling point for another fifteen minutes
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax21of39_zpsdf189be7.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax22of39_zps091f84b6.jpg)
Time's up!
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax25of39_zps13aa9f60.jpg)
Pour this liquid into a basin of water.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax26of39_zpsb5a405c2.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax27of39_zpsc0a883d8.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax28of39_zps29e958b7.jpg)
Do not touch it until it has had a chance to cool because your fingers will be badly burned.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax30of39_zpsc8b0f944.jpg)
After it has cooled enough to permit handling, pull at it and work with it, as taffy pullers do with taffy, until it has a light colour and even texture.
It's best to put on a video of something you've been wanting to watch, because the pulling will take some time.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax32of39_zpsab3bbc93.jpg)
Stretch it like taffy: stretch, twist, fold. Repeat. Then repeat again. And so on.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax33of39_zpsa56664ea.jpg)
Roll it into pieces about the size of hickory nuts, wrap them in wax paper and store in a cool place.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax35of39_zps07d29e4f.jpg)
I'll be honest, here. I'm a city boy, and I had to look up the size of hickory nuts. And found that there are several kinds, and several sizes. So I ball parked it.
Some interesting things and initial thoughts:
Here is some of the stretched (below) and unstretched (above - more honey colored) wax.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax36of39_zps464a6ce1.jpg)
I was surprised by how sensitive to temperature this stuff is. While I was rolling it, if I rolled it too long, it became quite sticky and hard to deal with. This led to a tar baby situation -- until i figured out that I could run the sticky ball under the faucet, running cold water, for a minute or two and it would become manageable again. I would suggest that making the wax on a quite hot (low 80s F) and muggy night was a poor choice -- it'd probably be a lot easier on a cool fall night (when one could still have the windows open, if one chose that path).
When I realized that, I put the big lump into the freezer briefly while I rolled out a 'hickory-nut-sized ball,' only to find that in less than five minutes or so, the wax had, essentially crystallized.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax38of39_zps3ba41094.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax37of39_zps773fd2f6.jpg)
Once out of the freezer, however, it quickly thawed and became quite workable.
I haven't had a chance to work with this on flies yet -- but it seems like it's quite good stuff -- relatively good resistance to the temperature, quite tacky. It's relatively light colored, so I suspect that it won't color any but the lightest color thread -- although that remains to be seen to be sure.
Before I poured the mixture into the water for cooling, I poured a small amount directly into a silicone mold, which then went into the freezer for cooling. I'm curious about the properties of the unpulled vs. the pulled and finished wax.
Other notes: I subbed natural beeswax for white beeswax, Crisco for lard, and I'm not sure if what I have is 'the best white turpentine resin.' At a future date, I will try this recipe with white beeswax to see how significant the color difference is -- and if it has any effect on coloring/not coloring the thread. I'll also probably wear gloves next time when pulling the wax, as it did get sticky for a while (although that led to the discovery of the significant effect of a slight decrease in temperature, from the cool water).
I will try these out at the vice shortly, and let you know how everything turned out. And then we'll try a different recipe.
Thanks for following along.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax1of39_zpsec328225.jpg)
Why the package in a bag, I wondered. Perhaps because the postman was worried that it might rain? No, unfortunately not. It was in a bag because, evidently, the contents had leaked.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax2of39_zpsede9ae64.jpg)
(there is a little pile of stuff in the bag). And it was sticky! Evidently, the contents had been poorly packed by the supplier, and the bag had burst in transit.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax3of39_zps69ccdc65.jpg)
But oh, those lovely contents:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax4of39_zps1360f059.jpg)
Five pounds of pine gum resin! Let the experimentation begin!!
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax5of39_zpseb48a17c.jpg)
Given the nature of the recent swap, I thought it would be most interesting to start my waxperimentation with something appropriate... http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... wax+recipe
Chapter 3 - Wax
Waxes for fly tying are like hook - there are all kinds. The wax which I have found to be entirely satisfactory is made according to an old recipe of L. Harrington Keene's as follows:
Melt one half pound of the best white turpentine resin
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax8of39_zpsc7a624ff.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax7of39_zps93e13c5c.jpg)
add one ounce of pure white beeswax
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax9of39_zps252d8525.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax10of39_zpsd3c4742b.jpg)
which should be paired off or chopped up into small pieces.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax11of39_zpsb6733ffa.jpg)
Simmer for fifteen minutes, allowing it to melt and mix thoroughly with the resin.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax14of39_zpse0355d99.jpg)
I waited for the mixture to melt and begin come together / simmer before I began the timer. It actually melted quite quickly. The above picture was about two minutes on low; that below was after four or so.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax15of39_zpsa1038218.jpg)
A close up of the melting rosin. It's really striking beautiful stuff.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax16of39_zps72984ef8.jpg)
Once I got to this stage:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax18of39_zps85d25970.jpg)
I began the timer
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax13of39_zps6e9839d7.jpg)
A note on this stage: I turned up the heat somewhat to be sure the mixture was actually simmering... and there was a considerable amount of piney smoke. I am not sure if the smoke was a necessary side effect -- that is, if it needed to be truly simmering and thus smoking, or if keeping it under a simmer, and thus less smokey would have been just as effective. Further testing will tell, I suppose. But the smoke was rather substantial:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax23of39_zps81f293de.jpg)
(Although it looks like there's a fire, it's just the setting sun). I went downstairs to my daughter's bathroom and borrowed something (she's off at college and won't miss it).
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax24of39_zps3c2ed31b.jpg)
And of course, I had this:
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax12of39_zps90113966.jpg)
As he says later, when stirring this simmering wax remember that it is extremely inflammable and therefore dangerous.
Now add one half ounce of fresh lard I didn't have lard, but I have it on good authority that Crisco works just as well.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax19of39_zps0c342bfa.jpg)
stir slowly while the mixture simmers just below the boiling point for another fifteen minutes
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax21of39_zpsdf189be7.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax22of39_zps091f84b6.jpg)
Time's up!
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax25of39_zps13aa9f60.jpg)
Pour this liquid into a basin of water.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax26of39_zpsb5a405c2.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax27of39_zpsc0a883d8.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax28of39_zps29e958b7.jpg)
Do not touch it until it has had a chance to cool because your fingers will be badly burned.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax30of39_zpsc8b0f944.jpg)
After it has cooled enough to permit handling, pull at it and work with it, as taffy pullers do with taffy, until it has a light colour and even texture.
It's best to put on a video of something you've been wanting to watch, because the pulling will take some time.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax32of39_zpsab3bbc93.jpg)
Stretch it like taffy: stretch, twist, fold. Repeat. Then repeat again. And so on.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax33of39_zpsa56664ea.jpg)
Roll it into pieces about the size of hickory nuts, wrap them in wax paper and store in a cool place.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax35of39_zps07d29e4f.jpg)
I'll be honest, here. I'm a city boy, and I had to look up the size of hickory nuts. And found that there are several kinds, and several sizes. So I ball parked it.
Some interesting things and initial thoughts:
Here is some of the stretched (below) and unstretched (above - more honey colored) wax.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax36of39_zps464a6ce1.jpg)
I was surprised by how sensitive to temperature this stuff is. While I was rolling it, if I rolled it too long, it became quite sticky and hard to deal with. This led to a tar baby situation -- until i figured out that I could run the sticky ball under the faucet, running cold water, for a minute or two and it would become manageable again. I would suggest that making the wax on a quite hot (low 80s F) and muggy night was a poor choice -- it'd probably be a lot easier on a cool fall night (when one could still have the windows open, if one chose that path).
When I realized that, I put the big lump into the freezer briefly while I rolled out a 'hickory-nut-sized ball,' only to find that in less than five minutes or so, the wax had, essentially crystallized.
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax38of39_zps3ba41094.jpg)
![Image](http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y449/scullionchilds/wax/wax37of39_zps773fd2f6.jpg)
Once out of the freezer, however, it quickly thawed and became quite workable.
I haven't had a chance to work with this on flies yet -- but it seems like it's quite good stuff -- relatively good resistance to the temperature, quite tacky. It's relatively light colored, so I suspect that it won't color any but the lightest color thread -- although that remains to be seen to be sure.
Before I poured the mixture into the water for cooling, I poured a small amount directly into a silicone mold, which then went into the freezer for cooling. I'm curious about the properties of the unpulled vs. the pulled and finished wax.
Other notes: I subbed natural beeswax for white beeswax, Crisco for lard, and I'm not sure if what I have is 'the best white turpentine resin.' At a future date, I will try this recipe with white beeswax to see how significant the color difference is -- and if it has any effect on coloring/not coloring the thread. I'll also probably wear gloves next time when pulling the wax, as it did get sticky for a while (although that led to the discovery of the significant effect of a slight decrease in temperature, from the cool water).
I will try these out at the vice shortly, and let you know how everything turned out. And then we'll try a different recipe.
Thanks for following along.