Machining Wax Blanks

Mar 13, 2025 Last reply: 1 year ago 2 Replies

No I didn't post this in the wrong group. Well sorta kinda didn't. On one the forums I still read when it isn't down somebody was talking about home(shop)made machinable wax. It reminded me that I have some commercial machinable wax on the shelf in the shop. My plan was to use it to make temporary molds for making rubber stamps. Then when I was done I could melt it down and recycle 99% of the wax for the next time. That made me think of the first time I saw somebody using machinable wax to make very highly detailed and refined wax blanks for gold jewelry casting.



A customer of mine who scared the hell out of me because they were such high risk. I pulled tricks and did things for detection methods I never used anywhere else, and I chewed them out for not letting me put cameras on the roof, and detection equipment in the ceiling after somebody cut a hole in the roof while they were in the back shop working. The only discovered it because somebody saw a tile out of place. I was mad because I told them that would happen. Well, not while they were there, but I told them somebody would come in through the roof. At least the let me do things in case somebody came through the wall from an adjoining business... which somebody tried.



Actually it was probably more dangerous for that burglar who tried to come through the roof/ceiling than it was for them. Those guys all packed heat all the time. In their new location they did some of the things I suggested. I was out of the business by then. In fact they wanted me to do some upgrades before I got out, but I told them to use the new company so they would have somebody who would support their systems.



Just for Les. Nobody else read below.



I did some welding recently that you could make fun of if my fragile ego could take the criticism. Stacking tacks with .030 gasless flux core to make a tool box smaller after cutting off the ends. I spent a lot of time chasing holes. Makes me wish I'd done it a little differently and spot welded it or used rivets. I swear I think it was easier patching muffler skins with a torch and a clothes hanger back when I was a kid.


On 3/12/2025 10:23 PM, Bob La Londe wrote: > No I didn't post this in the wrong group. Well sorta kinda didn't. On > one the forums I still read when it isn't down somebody was talking > about home(shop)made machinable wax. It reminded me that I have some > commercial machinable wax on the shelf in the shop. My plan was to use > it to make temporary molds for making rubber stamps. Then when I was > done I could melt it down and recycle 99% of the wax for the next time. > That made me think of the first time I saw somebody using machinable wax > to make very highly detailed and refined wax blanks for gold jewelry > casting. >

I had a customer that had a small convenience store in town. It was on the first floor. Above it were apartments. At one point the 2nd floor apartment was vacant and some idiot manged to break into the apartment at night and ripped up the floor and came down through the drop ceiling in the store. Huge mess!!! Alarm Motion went off and all worked as it should. By the time the police arrived on site the guy managed to climb back up and out. Don't think he got much except for the 'tip' jar on the counter.

Sometimes even if I have learned it, I have to learn it again. I started with some .035 gasless wire and I was constantly chasing holes and stacking tacks.

The first welding I ever did was patching muffler skins with a torch and a clothes hanger. An old farm mechanic named Ron Purtee showed me how to do that. Well if you can even find wire clothes hangers anymore the wire isn't the same. I ordered some RG-45 carbon steel O/A welding wire, and then I realized... DOH! If I dropped down to .030 gasless wire I could chase thinner metal. I already knew that. I just forgot, so I went over to the local welding supply and picked up ten pounds of .030 gasless flux core. I made a few test repairs, and it was "better." I still had to chase a hole or two, but nowhere near as bad. Still stacking tacks though.

Yes, I used to be able to patch a muffler skin with a torch and a clothes hanger... 40 years ago.

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