|
|
Post by Tweetiepy on Aug 21, 2007 13:55:25 GMT -5
I have some dop wax that I've been using - I don't have a dop pot - so I've been "cooking" the wax over the stove burner on low heat - I've been using a small tuna can. The wax now, even when warm, gets thick only, I can never get it to the proper consistency. Is it possible for wax to become no-good anymore? I had found a coffee warmer (on/off only) and I've been using this to heat the wax and have used it to dop my cabs, but have a feeling they'll go flying off as soon as they hit the sanding belt because they all look pretty unstable and unstuck!
I think I have other sticks of green dop wax but hesitate to use them if the darn coffee warmer is too hot for this and will only burn this batch too. Can "bad" wax be softened using anything? Oil? Acetone? Paint thinner? Salad dressing? Something? Anything?
Need desperate help - I've given up on dopping for this reason and I liked the results when I did dop so would like to return to that again if I can
|
|
|
|
Post by akansan on Aug 21, 2007 14:14:24 GMT -5
My older cabbing books I've picked up do mention wax getting old or overused/burned. How big is the coffee warmer? Do you have anything that can take a higher temperature to see if it's about 145° F?
|
|
|
|
Post by Tweetiepy on Aug 21, 2007 14:31:47 GMT -5
I have a candy thermometer (that I don't want to destroy in hot wax - but could I put water in the container to see if the temp goes to 145F?
The coffee warmer is the size of a coffee cup - little single cup
|
|
|
|
Post by akansan on Aug 21, 2007 14:34:04 GMT -5
I have a candle warmer from Hobby Lobby that's only supposed to get up to 160F, so I wouldn't think a coffee warmer would get warmer than that, as they're basically the same thing.
Does your candy themometer read that low? Mine starts at 200F for the lined temps. I guess if it reads over 200F, you could get the higher temp wax!
|
|
|
|
Post by Lady B on Aug 21, 2007 14:38:52 GMT -5
Coffee warmers are really coffee water preparersand are likely to get close to boiling temps. Your candy thermometer should be able to tell you just how hot the warmer gets.
Also, re: the wax. I have no experience with dopping wax but I have used parrafins for other purposes. If you have any impurities in the wax, the wax will adhere to those particles and will heat unevenly. You might try gently heating the wax and running it through a heated strainer in order to remove any "gunk".
Lady B
|
|
|
|
Post by krazydiamond on Aug 21, 2007 14:41:51 GMT -5
sounds like you have overcooked your wax, Tweet. i have been using an electric "hot dop" made by Raytech and even tho it was $50.00 from Kingsley North ( www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/search_results2.php?catID=196&keys=&start=15&count=20 ) to me it is worth every penny. but i did get a fire proof pad to put it on as well. i have been re-using the same pound of green wax for a few years now as it never overheats and keeps the correct temp all the time. takes a while to get the wax melted, but it works a treat. maybe you should put this on your Xmas list? KD |
|
mirkaba
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2006
Posts: 321
|
Post by mirkaba on Aug 21, 2007 15:27:55 GMT -5
Howdy.............I use an old electric bean pot heater with a temp control. Got it at a flea market for 3.00. It seems to work well at about 1 1/2 to 2 on the settings dial. I put my wax in an old tuna can on the plate and when its melted I heat the preforms on the same plate....being careful to not overheat the stone as it will cause the wax to run. Takes a little playing around at first but it works great for me. The dop wax tends to lose viscosity over time especially if you reuse it or get it too hot. when I notice it thickening I just add some fresh and it thins out. Good luck and play with it you can't really hurt too much if you don't get it right off the bat....Bob  |
|
|
|
Post by stoner on Aug 21, 2007 15:46:40 GMT -5
I have two words for you Tweetie: SUPER GLUE!!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by ladyt on Aug 21, 2007 17:55:31 GMT -5
Yep, super glue is great. I tried it last weekend for my last batch of cabs. It worked great. Almost to great as I had a hard time removing the nails & glue when I was finished. My hubby laughted at me, said to let the fingernail polish (with ascetone) sit on the glue longer. Then it came right off. LOL Give it a try Tweet, just don't get it on your fingers!! Tonja  |
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
|
Post by Sabre52 on Aug 21, 2007 18:56:29 GMT -5
Yep, I save my dop wax and reuse it and it does loose it's stickiness after several usages. I think it can be overcooked and if not hot enough it won't stick worth a darn either. I also use an electric dop pot and it has a stone warming surface too as the stone should be hot when dopped too..Mel
|
|
|
|
Post by Tweetiepy on Aug 21, 2007 21:31:39 GMT -5
CAn I get any old super glue - like from the dollar store?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2007 22:32:48 GMT -5
Whats a dop stick?  |
|
|
|
Post by rocklicker on Aug 22, 2007 2:19:58 GMT -5
Tweet, I am here to try to steer you back to wax! I know glue is the latest thing around here but don't you just love the smell of warm dop wax? How nice and warm it is on those cold Canadan mornings? Mmmm dop wax.
I got an elecric skillet with a metal dish in it for wax and the stuff lasts and lasts. I've been reusing the same stuff for more than a year (well, I have to add some now and then). As long as you don't let it overheat it will hold up fine. I use black wax by the way. It has the highest melting temp which is nice but man does it stick.
Steve
|
|
|
|
Post by ladyt on Aug 22, 2007 7:40:59 GMT -5
Yes Tweet. Any ole super glue will work. I actually used a glue for jewlery, got it at the craft store, it's super glue in a different bottle. Make sure the nail polish remover has ascetone in it or it won't budge the super glue. Tonja |
|
|
|
Post by Tonyterner on Aug 22, 2007 9:18:00 GMT -5
Locktite makes a gel super glue that gives good control over the placement. I use several different viscosities for woodturning but have never used it to dop.
|
|
|
|
Post by rockds on Aug 22, 2007 11:31:51 GMT -5
LOL Tony, my finger use to look like that too, gotta be careful. All I lose now are my nails
|
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on Aug 22, 2007 23:04:50 GMT -5
Green dop wax melts at 150 degrees (black 170). Every time wax is heated it loses a little strength. You don't say if you are heating your stones which is a must. The old timer that tought me said to heat the stones until you couldn't pick them up without wetting your fingers. Most electric dop pots have room to place the stone. Electric dop pots are convenient though expensive. It is best to use them long enough to melt the wax then turn them off. They are supposed to maintain even temperature but if you don't keep them stirred they tend to overheat the sides/bottom and weaken the wax. I know a guy that heats his stones in an old toaster oven and melts the wax with his torch. I use a $7 alcohol lamp with a coffee can hood and pan. It really isn't science so much as hot wax and hot stone. Any of the cyanoacrylate glues should work ok on temperature sensitive stones as long as they are medium or gel type.
John at JS Gems
|
|
|
|
Post by stoner on Aug 23, 2007 0:45:56 GMT -5
I use the thin formula and it works great.
|
|
|
|
Post by rocklicker on Aug 23, 2007 1:03:09 GMT -5
Good point John. I actually heat up the stone and the stick all at once. Then once it's all dopped I let it reheat until the wax just starts to melt again. For the most part, the stones are secure after that. Ed, I am going to have to give into glue pretty soon. I have a stone that I am going to cut that's heat sensitive and I don't want to take any chances. As a dop waxer, if I stick to glue (ha ha, get it?) after that I'll eat my hat. ;D
Steve
|
|
|
|
Post by Tweetiepy on Aug 23, 2007 7:21:32 GMT -5
Well last night I tried super glue (dollar store - 4 tiny tubes in a little container) which I found good cuz I'll never get the darn cap off that glue once it's been opened.
WELL........ as I punctured the tube, glue gushed ALL over my fingers! Running to the sink, trying not to touch my fingers together, and trying to get all the darn dirty dishes out of the sink, I managed to get running water on my fingers, this hardened the huge glob of glue! I yelled for my son to get me some napkins (in french it's the same word as a tea towel) which he brings me - I tell him no I want the small ones - he brings me one of the napkins and I try to get the glue off, BAD THING!
I can manage to get the glue off my fingers & thumb by peeling the glue when it's set & wet (remember I'm dopping these for cabbing - water, running water...) Well eventually the glue came off by peeling (remember smearing white glue on the back of your hand as a kid and letting it dry - then peeling it off like a layer of dead skin??? - that's what this was doing.
RESULT: I glue/dopped my cabs, took forever for the glue to stick, almost dopped myself again, the sticks came of EVERY SINGLE cab as I was cabbing - it doesn't hold up under the wet conditions.
I'm looking into getting a dop pot - they're about $45 here in Canada + shipping - but I'm inquiring about getting some wax sticks too which are back ordered
PS: I never thought of re-warming the stones once they were dopped - but I figure the wax is so over-heated it can,t get runnier -
OH and I do heat the stones, I usually add a drop of water to each, when it evaporates quickly, it's ready to dop (if I had any good wax left... )
|
|
