Dop wax question

Yes, dop wax does get bad and the problem is the dop pot. The thing that makes dop wax sticky is shellac. As the dop pot sits there heating away for many hours it boils off the volatiles, namely the shellac, and the wax continually degrades. Cleaning out the old wax and adding new helps, but the best thing to do is heat the wax, dop your stones and immediately turn the pot off until the next dopping event. Personally, I don't have a dop pot. I use an alcohol lamp to heat the wax and the stone. Most dop pots don't get the stone hot enough. For those that use a dop pot to heat the stone, it helps to use the alcohol lamp to heat the dopped stone even more to get the best adhesion. Absolutely remove all of the polishing residue from the dop stick after polishing the stone. I use a small ultrasonic cleaner to do the final cleaning of the residue. The polishing residue seriously degrades the dop wax. I also use a paper towel with a bit of denatured alcohol to wipe the cab and the end of the dop wax on the stick just before heating both up as you are doing the dopping. If your shop is cold and you have left the dopped cab on your bench overnight reheat it with the alcohol lamp before resuming the cabbing process.
This has been my method for the last 30+ years of lapidary work and I can't recall the last time I have had a cab come off during the cabbing process.
Bob