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Post by liveoak on Oct 30, 2022 8:27:26 GMT -5
Wondering how to get the old dop wax out of my dopping station - Heat it up & scrape it out (and try not to burn myself )?
Or Tom's suggestion is throw the whole thing in the freezer ?
Any input appreciated.
Patty
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,142
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Post by dshanpnw on Oct 30, 2022 8:59:38 GMT -5
Good question, I hope there are some time-tested answers. I want to clean mine also. I'd go with the heat up way, not the freeze way.
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 30, 2022 9:00:53 GMT -5
The freezer sounds like a great idea. I don't know about the condensation, though.
I heated mine and scraped it out. Acetone will clean it out. I always use acetone to keep the ledge clean.
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Post by liveoak on Oct 30, 2022 9:17:10 GMT -5
I think I might try the freezer - if it works sounds good.
If it doesn't work the worst thing I'll do is fry my dop station 
Then if it dies I can blame it on Tom (maybe rockjunquie too, since she agreed) & he'll have to buy me a new one, AND I'll post my results so save someone else the grief.
But my waiting for my new wax to come.
Stay Tuned,
Patty
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Post by mohs on Oct 30, 2022 9:34:09 GMT -5
Seems like I tried to freeze the pot
To clean out old dop
Didn’t work to hot
Didn’t short the pot tho
A method I tried
That worked well
Was to heat the pot
W/ some paraffin wax
old dop wax scraped out easily
w/ a spoon
clean thoroughly and
dop on
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Post by liveoak on Oct 30, 2022 9:52:56 GMT -5
mohs- that's interesting - what did the parrafin wax (Gulf/canning wax) do exactly ? Stick to the dop wax Or blend with the dop wax to make it easily removable & less sticky ??
Inquiring minds NEED to know.
Thank you,
Patty.... who has 3 or 4 bricks of that stuff on hand.
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Post by Rockoonz on Oct 30, 2022 10:08:17 GMT -5
What if you got it hot and put a loop of wire in for a handle
cool till it's solid
then plug it back in for a short time just to heat the pot surface, loosen it with a twist, and use the handle to pull it out?
I am sure I probably cleaned them in the club shop, but not remembering this morning what I did, maybe after more coffee...
Dop wax is my Kryptonite, I never cared for it, even though I had to teach people in the shop how to use it, and they were pretty successful.
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Post by mohs on Oct 30, 2022 10:53:53 GMT -5
Hi Patty Look forward to your experimentation and if it worxs,,. If it doesn't- then you can dop m  hs |
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Post by mohs on Oct 30, 2022 13:00:06 GMT -5
What if you got it hot and put a loop of wire in for a handle cool till it's solid then plug it back in for a short time just to heat the pot surface, loosen it with a twist, and use the handle to pull it out? I am sure I probably cleaned them in the club shop, but not remembering this morning what I did, maybe after more coffee... Dop wax is my Kryptonite, I never cared for it, even though I had to teach people in the shop how to use it, and they were pretty successful. Lee that idea after the dop hardens w/ the parraphin wax slippery loosner jus may slip the dip we should partner up and make a billion dollars ! well...o.k... $999,999,999.99 no need for greed mostly |
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Post by vegasjames on Oct 30, 2022 13:55:03 GMT -5
Wax generally floats so could you add water to the pot and eat it up so that when the wax melts it floats to the top for easy removal?
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Post by liveoak on Oct 30, 2022 16:07:10 GMT -5
vegasjames I just read that tip on a general "cleaning wax out of a pot" Add boiling water & it will soften the wax & float to the top. So far, I like this one the best. Experiment time. Thanks, Patty
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Post by mohs on Oct 30, 2022 16:28:34 GMT -5
well if the water idea floats that will be sneaky almost make me want to plug in my dop pot to try that is if I turned it off it from last time ha  we need an answer and we kneed it quick rock scientist  cause my wax is burning at both ends and getting shorter.. like telomeres  |
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Post by liveoak on Oct 30, 2022 16:34:02 GMT -5
But my new wax hasn't even shipped yet- so I'd be waxless & doplless mohs , and I can't have that.  So I at least must have patience. You're more than welcome to start the experimenting 
Patty
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Post by mohs on Oct 30, 2022 16:37:08 GMT -5
I may be a slomo butte consider me on the stick liveoak  did just dawno on me that water and eltricity can lead to shortening if not worse so carful altho that comes from guy that stand on top of a butte pointing his camera at the sky trying to capture lightening |
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Justin
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since April 2022
Posts: 76
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Post by Justin on Oct 31, 2022 7:00:59 GMT -5
I took a soldering torch and a popsicle stick to mine last time I cleaned it out. It worked but it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t smart. 🤣🤷🏻
I think I’d like to give the handle method a test
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Post by victor1941 on Oct 31, 2022 21:44:51 GMT -5
I heat my pot and remove the wax with paper towels. Use insulated gloves if you have heat tender hands. Any hard green wax can be removed with coarse steel wool. Mohs, may your telomeres stay long because I enjoy your wit.
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Post by liveoak on Nov 1, 2022 6:59:34 GMT -5
OK, a little experimenting yesterday.
Boiling water did nothing.
An 1 1/2 hr in the freezer and just froze it solid with no way to get it out (duh !)
So I thought I'd heat up the dop station & make a cooper wire handle, as Rockoonz suggested & then put it back in the freezer overnight.
BUT then reason hit me- I had this handle melted into the wax,
so pulled out the most of it with the handle, and scraped it out with a wooden tongue depressor, no freezer necessary.
Next time I might try the freezer thing, just for science & all , but for now I can't say if it would work or not.
I still have to clean up the rim I guess with some alcohol or acetone.
Otherwise I'm ready for my new wax, that shipped yesterday .
Thanks for everyone's input (and concern mohs  ), Patty
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Post by mohs on Nov 1, 2022 9:51:48 GMT -5
o the paraffin solution  does make one wonder why they can;t make a nonstick fop surface kind of like stoneware pans another entrepreneurial idea,,, m  stky |
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Post by liveoak on Nov 1, 2022 10:30:21 GMT -5
Sorry mohs, I thing the paraffin possible solution was lower on the list to try (since my dop pot was pretty full with old wax already). And in the end, using heat seemed pretty efficient.
A non stick dop pot is a terrific idea. A million dollar product - no more messy dop pots !  Put me on the list to do product trials for you
Patty
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Post by mohs on Nov 1, 2022 10:43:41 GMT -5
just little paraffin Patty mixed in with the old dop wax really makes a big difference in the clean out i think or maybe some WD 40 ? well... don't want to get to crazy only tried it once tho at the end of my rock days my dop station was a real shallow type not a deep well enjoyed dopping although I did;t do it very often enough the hearts were double domed shined so had to dop both sides ... plus it was encouraging to hear about the copper handle idea and that most of the old dop wax gave  a little slippery loosener and you may of had a clean break of course the slippery loosener may have just caused the copper handle to pull out of the old dox wax might have to scruff up that end of the handle science !! and all we want to do is grind a rock ....  |
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hs 
), 
stky 
