Beeswax & Tallow

[TC_Blades]

Please forgive my ignorance. I found a number of references regarding beeswax and tallow. What is beeswax & tallow used for? come to think of it, what is tallow? how are they used and to what end? is it a mixture? and if so, in what proportions are they mixed?

 

[Charlie]

Processed pig fat is called Lard, beef fat is Tallow.
The Old Timers used to make candles from Tallow.
That's all I know.

 

[John B.]

A mixture of bee's wax and tallow, a fat rendered from lamb, mutton or beef in about a 50-50 mix makes the best transfer wax going.
I made a pot of it 40 yeas ago and still use it today.
Mine is bee's wax and lamb fat mixed and never smells bad because the bee's wax acts as a preservative,
Lynton Mc Kenzie and many others used this same type mix.
Sam Alfano makes a fine transfer wax and due to his long friendship with Lynton it may be based on this.

Best, John.

 

[TC_Blades]

Thank you John. Could you (or anyone else) elaborate a bit on the actual method for preparation of the mix? and, perhaps, on the transfer technique it is used for? Thanks again, this is most helpful.

 

[JJ Roberts]

TC...I have a different recipe...bacon fat and beeswax..50/50..heat & mix in a tuna tin. It produces a very nice tacky surface. I tap it on the metal, and then with a soft flat watercolor brush I take baby powder or talc and stipple it on. As far as transfer my drawings are on vellum..I turn the drawing over & go over it with a #2 pencil which leaves the imprint on the metal after I go over the drawing with a hard pencil..this transfers the image onto the metal, and then I go in with a scribe very lightly so's not to lose my image. I started off with Chinese White but had a bad experience, by leaving it on too long after I removed it I found a coating of rust. I hope it is understandable.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Tallow is rendered beef or mutton fat.

There's still a huge world wide trade in tallow and it's used in just about every industry around. It's used in steel rolling, cosmetics and all sorts of things. Provided it's kept from oxidising it will last for a very long time without going off.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[fegarex]

Sam sells a transfer wax for about 10 bucks. Saves finding tallow and beeswax and the fun of mixing.

 

[TC_Blades]

I'm pretty sure I can get a hold of some beeswax (bee keeper friend) and some processed mutton fat. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the talcum powder's role in the process.

As far as I can make it out, I draw a design using a pencil, on paper, and press it down to the mixture of beeswax & Tallow so as to "capture" some of the graphite in the sticky surface - would it not be defeating to the purpose to apply any sort of powder? Or am I confusing things?

 

[John B.]

Hi TC,
Here is how I make mine.
Get some lamb fat trimmings from the butcher and put them on a wire rack in a baking pan in the oven a 350 degrees. Bake for an hour and a half.
Pour off the fat into a bowl of cold water to clean the fat. "Family joke time" don't try this, Abigail!!!!
Break the wax into small chunks. Melt the bee's wax in a double boiler or a Pyrex bowl on a pan of hot water over a low heat.
Collect the lamb fat from the top of the water. If it is solid, dry it on a paper towel, you don't want any water.
Add by eye about an equal amount of the fat to the melted wax and stir them well.
While the mix is still liquid pour it into a small tin or an empty cold cream jar, old blue jar Nivea is my favorite.
Let it set hard.

Transfer wax has many uses in engraving and metal work. Most old times can now take a nap from this but some newer folks may find it helpful.
I sorta suspect that Sam may have covered this on his iGraver tutorials or it may be in the Tips Archive link at the top of the main forum.
A simple one is to dab some on your finger and rub it on the metal to just create a slight film.
This alone will enable you to draw on the metal with a pencil. If you coat the waxy film with a little talcum powder or corn starch you will see the drawing more clearly.
Another great use for engraving is in reversing or duplicating an already cut scroll or pattern.
Rub a little t-wax into the design and background area and then add a little black powder such a bone black or epoxy black from Brownell's into the design with an artist paint brush.
If you don't have these handy the pencil lead from a pencil sharpener will work.
Blow off any excess powder from the engraving and wipe off the background a little taking care to leave the black in the cuts.
Cover the design with some Scotch or shipping tape.
Go over the design lines with a slightly dull scribe and the black will stick to the tape. Peel off the tape.
If you want to duplicate the design coat the area with a light film of t-wax, lay the tape over it, pattern down and burnish the back of the tape. Carefully remove the tape and you will have a good pattern transfer.
If you need your transfer to be more durable you can rib a little Damar varnish into the area you want to transfer to instead of the transfer wax. When the Damar is tacky lay the tape down and the rest is the same.

If you want to use Damar or t-wax to make a reverse just pick up the pattern the same way as above.
Then tape this tape down to your bench with the black powder side UP.
Now take another piece of the same type of tape and wipe your T-wax finger over the glue side just enough to weaken its sticky power a little.
Now put this tape, sticky side to sticky side over the black pattern and lightly burnish.
Carefully seperate the tapes and you will have a reverse image.
Apply it to the t-waxed or Damar varnish area and you have a reversed printed image.

If you need the design on a dark surface or blued gun use white powder instead of black.

Sermon over. Hope this helps some folks and didn't send all the old timers to sleep.
Thanks for your question TC
Best wishes, John B.

 

[TC_Blades]

Thank you all for all the information and kind help. It is all quiet clear now, and I suspect that with some practice, I will be able to use these techniques in a reasonable span of time.

 

[Ken Hurst]

John B. is 100% right. I am still using a small container of the stuff I made up about 30 years ago & haven't used half of it yet.

 

[Marrinan]

TC,
SAM offers an excellent DVD on Transfer Methods-on this DVD you will find excellent tutorial informaion and demonstration not only on transfer but also on LA fly control, Fred

 

[Peter E]

A while back, before I met Sam and before this forum was created, I found Sams wax and DVD on Masterengraver.com. I purchased it and would highly recommend it.

As was mentioned, it lasts a LONNNNNGGGG time. Will probably never need another...unless I lose it!

Peter

 

[M. J. Atkinson]

You can also use a 50/50 mixture of beeswax and the wax used in a toilet bowl ring. Don't remember who gave me that recipe but it works pretty well. Lasts a looong time too, probably won't ever need to make up some more. Anyone need a large chunk of toilet bowl ring?

 

[mdengraver]

This is the brand of tallow I bought a number of years ago based on an old engravers recommendation. I don't know if it's still made. But here is a link to some for sale. This was the original stuff used as transfers wax.

McQueen's Pure Mutton Tallow Tin & Contents
This tin contains McQueen's Pure Mutton Tallow made by GF Baker in Nunnelly, Tennessee in the 1940's or 1950's. It is in very good condition with no dents ...
www.goantiques.com/detail,mcqueens-pure-mutton,1379961.html - 27k - Cached - Similar pages

 

[Karl Stubenvoll]

You can also try Dixie Gun Works. My tub will last longer than I ever will.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/advanc...e5d8dd1bb2cfda0f837d8&keywords=tallow&x=3&y=7

 

[ddushane]

I think when I get ready to use transfer wax, as thick headed as I am , I'll just order Sam's wax & DVD. Dwayne

 

[Roger Bleile]

For ten bucks I wouldn't waste my time making the stuff. Just get Sam's wax. If that is too expensive you can use Thompson Center's Bore Butter which is a bee's wax based product intended to lubricate bullet patches in muzzle loading rifles. Jeff Flannery told me about it years ago and my jar is still 90% full. It costs about five bucks at any gun shop that sells TC products. For the extra five bucks I'd still get Sam's wax, because it's purpose made, if I didn't already have a 100 year supply of the Bore Butter.

CRB

 

[mdengraver]

Another mutton tallow site.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Eko-Mutton-Tallow-1-Oz_W0QQitemZ280188420105QQcategoryZ67589QQcmdZViewItem

 

[pilkguns]

Or as an alternative for transfers, you can use Prussian Blue as recomended by Frank Hendricks, now marketed by Dykem as Hi-Spot Blue, it comes in a handy 1 oz tube, which is about a 20 year supply
http://www.dymon.com/Product.cfm?productID=7027ddb1-362a-4489-851c-9068f7d295f4

This stuff is way eaiser to use, way easier to see, transfers on tape way easier for duplicates, or tape to tape for mirror images.

The downside is if you don't clean it off your finger immediately after using it, you will get it everYWHERE, and that blue ink is not coming out of your clothes.