transfer wax

SamW

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I have used bow string wax for transfers for 30 or so years (white tube). Recently while in an archery store just out of curiosity I looked to see what kind of wax is available today...and to my surprise found the exact same wax still on the self. I bought a tube to test and it is the same only better because it hasn't been drying out for 30 years. So, if you are looking for some other transfer wax you might want to try this...about $5.00 for the tube. I use a fine black powder made for toning epoxy black to do the transfers with transparent tape. Works too well for me to try computer methods.
 

Sam

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An engraver friend of mine used to use Door Ease for transfers. I'd like to try this as well. :thumbsup:
 

monk

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my last entry into the buisness of reinventing things-- i tried doing a batch like mike dubber showed some time ago. he used chapstick and graphite. big mistake ! it woud seem logical mike used the old, odorless chapstick.
all that was available when i concocted the batch was the menthol based product. without a thought, i microwaved a batch, and my old lady dang near threw me outta the house. works fine for transfer. but, the engraving area soon smells like one is in a chemical lab ! one of these days i'm going to spring for a can of sams' wax !
 

Sam

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Monk: If you need transfer wax I'll send you some. You were certainly kind enough to send me some beeswax :) Email me your address.

There are lots of things that work for transferring, and one of the best was the old transfer wax that came in the little glass jar. I still have some of that and it works great.

I never had much luck adding color to the wax.
 

Sam

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I should also add that for me, the most important part of the transfer wax equation is the right tape. With a good crystal clear tape the transfer process is fantastic, both for direct transfer and mirroring designs.
 

Southern Custom

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I just ordered some of Sam's fine wax but I'm anxious to try bowstring wax with a black colorant. Mr. Welch, what are you using for your black? I've used graphite as Mike does but I'm not overly fond of it. Nor am I fond of the chapstick mixture. Is it a commercially available product?
I stumbled upon a nifty little method last year while engraving 150 or so pieces of silverware. I used straight beeswax rubbed very thinly onto the silver. I then rubbed a soft lead pencil into my master letter plate I had cut. Magic tape picked up the graphite and transferred it to the beeswax ground very cleanly. The stiff beeswax stays put even when touched with the finger. I wasn't as familiar with using transfer wax at the time and it worked like a champ.
Layne
 

Willem Parel

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Instead of graphite I bought some black paint pigment in a hobby shop and its really black and the good thing is it's not that coarse grained as the graphite, I like it better.
 

mrthe

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I use the Sam one and i really like it, and probably if it wasn't pass under my 5 year old heartquake son hands will would last for a lifetime service.
 

Sam

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Lamp black or bone black works pretty well mixed with beeswax & tallow. It makes a really black paste. Winston Churchill uses it with paper transfer but not clear tape. It's awkward but works.
 

SamW

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Layne, I use a black powder that is used to blacken epoxy. Brownells used to sell it years ago but not any more. Perhaps it could be found at an epoxy store such as Tap Plastics, if they are still in business. I scribe the pattern I want to transfer onto acetate and rub the black powder into the pattern then pick up with clear tape. Works also for cut patterns and mirror images as Sam suggests above. The bow string wax goes on clear, thin and smooth. It probably does not hold up quite as well as the bees wax you mention but I always lightly scribe the pattern into the steel before cutting. I use the transfer as a guide to position all the elements properly and redraw everything until I am satisfied with it before I cut it. 150 pieces would likely change my ways...if I ever took in such a job. The old tube in my photo, some 30 or so years old, is still about 85 percent full so a little goes a LONG way.
 

monk

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thanks, sam. your wax came already. at first i thought it wouldn't work as it seemed very hard. much harder than any of the waxes i cooked up. hmmmm it worked very nicely. and a plus-- not as "greasy" or messy as what i.ve made. try it, you'll like it !
 

Doc Mark

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I've been working on a project recently that necessitated the use of Sam's Transfer Wax several times. It works great and like you said Monk, it is not messy at all.

Mike, I agree, printer toner is some of the finest grain, blackest powder you can find. What's left in a worn out toner cartridge will probably last you a lifetime.
 

Southern Custom

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Printer Toner! Now that's brilliant. Funny how you sometimes miss perfect solutions when they are staring you in the face. What would I do without y'all.
Layne
 

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