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| raynerd:
:offtopic: Several years ago, when I was a "teenage skateboarder" we use to make this exact stuff, only we would also add bars of soap with the candles and plastic bags. It was quite clever actually, those nice hard yet waxy blocks that you are using to machine, we use to rub them on the curb/hand rails so we could grind out skateboards on them! :wack: :wack: Looks good stuff, supprised it machines so well, I would expect it to chip looking at it! Chris |
| AdeV:
Chris - that's an interesting use! I guess the soap makes all the difference there, this stuff is quite hard & I doubt it'd lubricate handrails to any extent... Fine features will chip, if you're not careful, but it actually machines really nicely. You get a good curly chip off the lathe, and small discrete chips off the milling machine. A quick "general" update.... it turns out this stuff is a bit of a bugger to get melted again. It must be a really good thermal insulator, as both the saucepan AND deep fat fryers were really struggling to get solid back into 100% liquid. A pan in the toaster oven fared better, presumably because the heat was going in on all surfaces, rather than just the bottom. Pouring wise: My nichrome wire heater worked: There just wasn't enough of it. The wax solidified around the wooden framework, and anywhere more than about 1/2cm away from a wire. So, unfortunately, I had to abandon that idea (as well as the 1/2 inch or so of poured wax - what a mess). For now, I've just poured fresh melt over the top of solid; hopefully the layers will bond themselves together sufficiently well that I won't have endless voids or any overly-stressed bits. Time will tell. In future, I will use the "melt it all in the oven in a metal oil can or two" method; which is currently hampered by the lack of an oven, and the lack of empty metal oil cans (loads of plastic ones ::)). If anyone in the Wirral/Cheshire region has an older car - which uses that Halfords "classic motor" oil, that comes in metal tins which I will cheerfully take empties of (heck, fill 'em with your old engine oil, and I'll take 'em like that - if it's a useful favour). |
| SAM in LA:
AdeV, I admire your tenacity. :clap: I have been following your project with interest. You may need to coat your wood form/mold with some sort of release agent, perhaps motor oil. Otherwise, when stripping the forms, some of the wood may stick to your block of wax. :poke: Keep up the good work, I'll be looking for your new postings. SAM |
| AdeV:
Sam - thanks for your kind words :) As it happens, I don't need to worry about releasing agent this time, for 2 reasons: First, I'm using a cut up kitchen cabinet, which has glossy surfaces. The wax has shrunk away from these without any issues, so I'm happy about that. And second, if it were to prove difficult to un-stick the wax, the mould can easily be disassembled, which will allow each side to be picked off in turn. I would recommend, if anyone is planning on using wooden moulds, that you do use a veneered surface (such as a kitchen cabinet). I'm willing to bet that, when molten, the wax will soak into uncoated MDF or even plywood causing all kinds of nightmares when you come to extract it... I'd think something like talcum powder would make a better releasing agent than oil or grease; but I'll admit I've not actually tried any kind of agent, except paper on the first two batches I made: Which, in hindsight, was a mistake - the wax came out of the pan OK, but the paper was firmly embedded in the wax! Anyway, the mould is nearly done now. I'm going to melt one last batch to pour down the sides, just to take up some of the shrinkage; I hope tomorrow to be able to start the first machining operations! :headbang: |
| No1_sonuk:
Candle source I saw today: The local PoundStretcher store has 3" dia. x 9" white candles for £1.99. |
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