Saving the last little bit of Carnauba wax.......

[Odie]

Just wondering.......

I have a few little pieces of left over Carnauba wax that are too small to apply to the Beale buffing wheels.

Can these pieces of wax be melted together in a microwave, or regular oven?

Anything I need to know before trying this?

thanx

ooc

 

[n7bsn]

Absolutely, we've had a few issues with microwaving wax. But a simple, quick&dirty double boiler works

A pan of boiling water with a glass dish set on the rim above it

 

[Odie]

Question:

Would a simple wooden mold be acceptable for pouring the molten wax?

How about plastics, or little PVC pipe cut lengthwise......?

ooc

 

[Greg Keddy]

Your wooden mold idea will work, as will the others that you mentioned. Its a good idea to have a break apart mold to allow easy removal of the cooled wax.

 

[Greg Keddy]

I forgot to mention that you should avoid thin plastics such as food containers as they tend to deform with the heat

 

[hockenbery]

My first exposure to carnauba was a gift of a half a lunch bag of flakes from a lumber store in south Baltimore around 1990.
Had To melt them in a double boiler to get a bar. Like N7 suggested.
I made an aluminum foil mold to cast my bars.

I still have a few pieces Kicking around.

Al

 

[Odie]

I was one of the first suppliers nearly 30 years ago to make a Wax stick for use on the lathe. We started with Carnauba was flakes and melted in a double boiler to make the blend. Then poured into plain wood molds.

I like the idea of a short piece of like 3/4" or 1" pvc pipe sliced in 1/2 and then re- assembled with like rubber bands and a cap on the bottom. That would give you a nice "Stick" to hold. but do your pour slow at firs to make sure the seams all fill and cool quickly. and.... put plastic down to catch any leaks or drips... ever scrap of wax can be re-cycled.

As a side note... I stopped using carnauba because it does not have a matching natural solvent to reverse it. You need real nasty chemical solvents to dissolve the wax.

So, today I stick with a more satin finish with Walnut Oil and Beeswax. that's it.

Hi Walter.......

Just wondering......why would you want to dissolve the Carnauba wax after it's applied? Isn't it a positive feature of Carnauba, that it's resistance to use seems to be superior to other kinds of waxes?

It also seems to be a positive characteristic of Carnauba, that other waxes commonly available can be applied over the Carnauba. This is what I tell those who have my bowls......Use any of the commercially available waxes, like Pledge for maintaining the bowl. (Except those intended for food use, of course!)

Most all commercial waxes seem to have a short life span, while the Carnauba used on decorative bowls will remain very attractive for years without anything but dusting. (If the bowl gets handled a lot, then a regular re-wax will be necessary, though. Since most people who have my bowls do not have the tools, nor desire to do power waxing, the Pledge works for them very nicely.)

ooc