Base Wax

[rhahnfl]

I found a source for base wax...

http://www.2spi.com/catalog/knives/cavex-set-up-dental-wax-sh.shtml

My question... do I want hard, medium or soft? The price seemed pretty good... over a pound for a little over 18 bucks plus shipping. Anyone know of other sources? Thanks!!!

 

[its_virgil]

My dentist gets it for me. I paid $18 for a 1 pound box..no shipping. I purchase "Modern pink #3 Wax--Type 1" from Modern Materials. That's all I know.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Originally posted by rhahnfl
<br />I found a source for base wax...

http://www.2spi.com/catalog/knives/cavex-set-up-dental-wax-sh.shtml

My question... do I want hard, medium or soft? The price seemed pretty good... over a pound for a little over 18 bucks plus shipping. Anyone know of other sources? Thanks!!!

 

[wdcav1952]

Ralph,

Use medium or soft. The hard will crack when you use it unless you heat it. Modern Materials is the usual source for the wax.

 

[Glass Scratcher]

Well if my calculator works correctly or perhaps I worked the calculator correctly the price per sheet is $.81 (.803, but nobody just truncates decimals when it comes to money, just ask your bank) plus S&H.

Bill at Arizona Silhouette sells it for $.30 per sheet plus S&H.
http://arizonasilhouette.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=450

Or you could always get it from your dentist, ohhhh! but you will pay for it along with a crown, filling, root canal...[]

 

[MesquiteMan]

Just a suggestion...Try some plumber's putty available at the local borg. Works just as well, IMO, and is readily available.

 

[rhahnfl]

Thanks for the help. I do have an abundance of plumber's putty from a fountain repair job I did for the wife. I think I may try that... or at 30 cents a sheet AzS isn't a bad deal either. Will get some along with the next stuff I order from Bill.

 

[woodwish]

I tried plumbers putty for a while, did pretty good. Never have used base wax, mostly because I never had any and didn't bother to order it. I usually take potatos and slice them maybe 1/8" thick, and use the slices just like you would use the sheets of wax. Biggest advantage I know of is that it just gets the tube a little damp on the outside and not waxy or oily from the putty. I use Gorilla Glue so the little bit of moisture helps. And usually by the time the blanks dry overnight for the glue the potato dries enough to just fall out as a little black piece of dried compost. Haven't figured the cost of the potato vs. wax, but they certainly are always available and even at today's grocery store prices they are very cheap compared to anything else []

 

[Grizzlyss]

I use parafin wax that is melted in a shallow bowl for just that use, and everything works great. I melt the wax and add until I get about a 1/4" thick, then let it harden. I plug my tube first, then sand the outside, then glue into the blanks. When I am ready to square things up the next day (I use GG), I just push out the wax with a transfer punch, and if still fairly clean just add it back to the wax bowl for the next time I melt it all again. Can't get much cheaper than that. LOL.

Sheldon

 

[rhahnfl]

Both those are good tips. We tried an experiment at work once using Gorilla glue and moisture on one side and not the other of a chair we were repairing. Not scientific in strict terms but I think the side we moistened did seemed to be stronger. It seemed to expand more but like I said is wasn't under controlled conditions and we could have just used more glue on that side. I used to make candles as a kid and the paraffin idea is good also. Like the idea of reusing it. Thanks for the tips! Seems a lot of pen makers use Gorilla glue.

 

[wicook]

I got my supply of base wax from my dentist...in exchange for a slimline I made up using a wood native to a country he works in with a "dentists without borders" kinda organization. At the rate that I've been using it, I think I've got enough to last me a very long time...

 

[rhahnfl]

That sounds like a fair exchange. []

 

[Randy_]

I make my own version of base wax using candle stubs. The potato idea never appealed to me as it would seem that you would use only one or two slices of potato and have to throw the rest away unless maybe you could freeze the remainder.

 

[Jeff-in-Indiana]

I use whatever method seems easiest "at the exact moment I need to plug a tube" ...

I have used the potato method, slice off a slice of a potato which is not good enough to eat, punch the tube through the spud slice, glue in the tube .. Downside : spud plugs get nasty in one day, and discolor the tube inside .. the extra unused spud, I just dry the exposed portion with a paper towel and ignore it until next time. then slice off the dried part ... you can get several "cuts" from one spud ...

what I use more often is "pink-board" closed-cell insulation, "sharpen" your tube while scuffing it ... and with light pressure, 'drill' through the insulation (you will have a ragged edge on the outbound side .. just tuck it back in the tube with a transfer punch or a pencil (or trim with a razorblade) ... CA tends to dissolve the insulation a little ... who cares! you just clean the tube out with a drillbit in three seconds ...