Wax Question

[chase creek]

Just wondering what everyone else does in regards to "handling" your tying wax. I keep mine in pea-sized balls, with one nested on the web of skin between my right thumb and first finger. (I'm right handed). It stays put, doesn't get in the way when I'm not using it, and stays warm and pliable. I have in the past stuck it to the knuckle of my first finger, but was always chasing after it as it rolled across the floor.
Met a tier once who told me he kept a small piece stuck behind his ear lobe. OOOOKKKK.
Just curious.

[Mataura mayfly]

Better than fishing it from his ear?
I have seen Davie McPhail use the method you speak of in his videos and it looks a very good method, plus you could hold your thumb over it for a tad to warm it if needed I imagine.

I use mine out of old tubes I repack or in block form on the bench. The leather dressing paste stays in its original jar. If I sat down to an extended tying session I might give the blob of wax on the finger a try.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I try to keep a pea sized ball of wax on my index finger, white wax on the right, cobbler's on the left. Once the wax gets nice and warm, keeping it in place doesn't seem to be an issue.

[William Anderson]

Rodger, if I had a good answer I'd be happy to share. I actually put the wax down each time. I always tie with my scissors in my hand. Like I mentioned in Ray's other post, when I'm using dropped loops or touch dubbing, I use Shuck wax, and before that a tacky soft wax in a tube. The Shuck wax is wrapped in tin foil and I have wrapped that in tape so it only has a small area of the cake exposed. As for the small pill of wax used to pull silk sections through for the dubbing blocks, I feel like I haven't resolved this yet, so I'm reading your post with great interest.

w

[Kelly L.]

Keeping wax warm in your hand is easy in the summer. In the winter as it is now, it is harder for me to do. I had a piece of wax that was in my hand for hours. Then I went to pick up my computer, and the wax ball fell off, and I didn't find it. So I had to start all over. In the winter I keep the wax in the palm of my left hand. I tie right handed. In the summer, I keep the wax on my fore finger of the left hand, and it stays warm that way, and pliable. How do you break off a chunk of wax? It is too hard to do so with your fingers. I used scissors yesterday. If you do that though, it leaves splinters too small to use. I throw that away, and keep the ball, or two that broke off.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Kelly, the wax is pretty workable when warm so I wrap mine in a bit of Saran Wrap or something similar and put it in a cup of warm water. When the wax has softened enough I take off small pieces about the size of a bb. The wax I'm not using stays in a water bath. I have noticed that if I don't change the water once in a while the wax gets really slimey.

[wsbailey]

One way getting the wax into shape to produce pea size balls is to first get it warmed up and soft. Then roll it between the hands like a ball of clay until the piece of wax is in the shape of a long, thin cylinder. At this point it's easy to snip the wax into pea size pieces. If you put them into a small container and cover with water the pieces are easy to retrieve with a bodkin. More on wax:
http://www.rackelhanen.se/eng/10284.htm Bill

[redsedge]

In hoping to be more a participant on this board, as opposed to being the serious lurker I have been over the past years, I would like to offer a view of mine regarding the use of tying wax. I have recently purchased one of William's tying blocks and have been experimenting with various waxes for spinning dubbing on silk. I have been most pleased with the results when using the "Leisenring-Keene" wax offered at jimsflyco. This wax arrives in a small package with several 1/2" diameter, or so, balls which require an initial warming (light bulb, hair dryer, placed in a pocket for a while.) I then use a razor blade to cut the wax into small pieces which when rolled into a ball are about 3/16" in diameter. So far, this size seems to be ideal. I find that the silk gets trapped and then breaks when I draw it through larger pieces of wax. Staying on topic with this thread, I find that in handling the wax in these small-sized balls it makes no difference whether I keep the wax in my hand or on the table as to its effectiveness in applying wax to a length of silk.
Best wishes and happy holidays to all,
Jim

[letumgo]

Thanks Jim and Bill, for each of your valuable additions. I get a lot or good information out of these sorts of "conversations".

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

I find that I tend to keep a small chunk/glob/dab, whatever
of the wax in the crook of my off-hand index finger, or the
crook of the next (I think you're #1), finger when tying. As
I'm only using, generally, the thumb and index the wax has
a nice warm cozy place to hide till called forth for duty...

hank