ErniE
starting to shine!
Member since April 2010
Posts: 40
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Post by ErniE on Nov 17, 2010 14:07:12 GMT -5
im younger and grew up in the whole "save the whales" thing so i found this in a pile of supplies and got all weird about it but whatever, its old and stupid to not use at this point... what do i do with this stuff? also, whats oakum?
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Post by parfive on Nov 17, 2010 14:41:09 GMT -5
Whale wax is for waxing your whale. Oakum is a coarse fiber used for packing joints. Plumbers used it on cast iron pipe joints before pouring lead in. Nowadays they use rubber gaskets but cast iron is rarely used these days in residential work – it’s all lick and stick (PVC). Also used in wooden ships with tar to seal planks.
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Post by jakesrocks on Nov 17, 2010 15:26:56 GMT -5
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Post by Woodyrock on Nov 18, 2010 1:50:20 GMT -5
Spermaceti is used as a fixative in perfume.....or at least it was before the ban on whale products. But, and there is always a but, Sperm whales cough up wads of spermaceti, which in turn washes up on beaches. so, it may still have a market here in the US of A. If so, it is extremely valuable. Woody...........born in Nantucket.
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ErniE
starting to shine!
Member since April 2010
Posts: 40
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Post by ErniE on Nov 18, 2010 20:00:12 GMT -5
well i have some. i bought an entire workshop of tools and supplies. this was mixed up in with other lapidary tools/supplies, between different grits and whatnot. what did he use this for? do you use wax to polish rocks or something? theres also a couple tubs of melted candle wax too. is it possible he used this for something totaly different and it just got mixed in with the rock stuff? i also cant figure out what he would use Oakum for with rocks. it was an old house so yet again maybe it was for plumbing and just accidentally mixed in...
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Post by parfive on Nov 18, 2010 20:23:34 GMT -5
Ernie – You should tour my basement. When I kick out, there’s an assortment crammed down there that could puzzle archaeologists for years. ;D
Keep that whale wax safe and sound for the next guy to ponder. ;D
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Post by jakesrocks on Nov 18, 2010 20:40:59 GMT -5
It's possible the whale wax was used to polish specimen rocks that the person didn't want to cut and polish. I have a collection of Fairburn agates that are specimen only type rocks. I heat mine to 125 degrees in the oven for about half an hour, and then drop them in a container of baby oil to cool. The oil brings out the colors and patterns. Other Fairburn collector friends use wax for the same purpose. If that house is old enough, the oakum may have been soaked in melted candle wax, and used to fill in cracks in the house, much like we use silicon calk today. Don
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Rockpox
starting to shine!
Member since March 2010
Posts: 38
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Post by Rockpox on Nov 19, 2010 0:14:59 GMT -5
Don was close. I got a jar of whale wax with a bunch of old tumbling stuff. I asked around and finally got a answer from a local old timer. He said it was used to shine up specimens that would not polish. He also said some people used to seal cabochons with it when they had small pockmarks. I gave him half of the contents of the jar and the rest is a good conversation piece. I cannot see any other good use for it.
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Post by broseph82 on Dec 11, 2014 14:22:49 GMT -5
I was told by a guy who still uses it today when he starts to polish he puts in on his cabochons and it will seal cracks and the tiniest pits without using opticon or superglue.
I know this thread is old....
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2015 19:01:17 GMT -5
Whale blubber is delicious with a little fresh ground wasabi and soy sauce. Although it leaves a greasy feel in the mouth; hot green tea washes it away.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 7, 2015 2:27:34 GMT -5
Spermaceti is used as a fixative in perfume.....or at least it was before the ban on whale products. But, and there is always a but, Sperm whales cough up wads of spermaceti, which in turn washes up on beaches. so, it may still have a market here in the US of A. If so, it is extremely valuable. Woody...........born in Nantucket. You are referring to ambergris, not spermaceti. Spermaceti is obtained from the heads of certain whales an has different uses than ambergris. Ambergris is often referred to as "whale vomit" although it is actually whale feces. Ambergris floats on the surface or washes up on beaches where it is collected mainly to use as a perfume fixative. It comes in various grades depending on the level of oxidative bleaching due to sun exposure. The higher grades are more white in color and can fetch up around $700 a pound. Ambergris is banned in most countries for trade except I think it was Italy and France.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,799
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Post by gemfeller on Jan 7, 2015 20:17:05 GMT -5
Some of us old-timers recall that the now-defunct Griegers lapidary supply co. of Pasadena, CA sold whale wax for lapidary use. It was said to heal fractures, especially in precious opals. I tried it -- it didn't work.
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