[charper]

Looking for a cheap supplier of Machining Wax. I would like to find it in sheets, not blocks so I do not have to remelt. I thought I read in one of the posts here that as you remelt and form the wax you lose come of the machinability. I know there was also a recipe somewhere to make your own. OK experienced ones, what is your cheap solution for finding vs. making say 6" X 6" X 1/2" sheets of machineable wax?

[DR-Motion]

try this thread
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...threadid=26351

[HayTay]

And this thread http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23207.

Note the link I provided in post #2

I hope this helps!

[charper]

That was what I was looking for.
Was I hallucinating when I read somewhere though that repeated remeltings affected the machineability? What do you suggest I do with the 2" cube blocks of blue wax that I inherited? Remelt? or figure out some small wierd shape project to use them up?

[HayTay]

That was what I was looking for.
Was I hallucinating when I read somewhere though that repeated remeltings affected the machineability? What do you suggest I do with the 2" cube blocks of blue wax that I inherited? Remelt? or figure out some small wierd shape project to use them up?

Here's a few links from what seems to be the Premiere Machinable Wax manufacturer/supplier, Freeman Manufacturing & Supply Co. Note the second link!

Machineable Wax

Machinable Wax Reclaiming Procedure

Check out Freeman's other nifty (but not necessarily inexpensive) products, too.

[charper]

I love you guys!
Thanks for helping a gal out! I have lots to try out tomorrow at school. Keep the ideas flowin

[charper]

Thank you for all the machineable wax links. I am in class right now making it, or at least trying to make it. The PE film is bought and cut the Parrafin wax was bought and broken up. Now to melt it. The instructions say not to use a double boiler. Can I use a crock pot? I have a rotational molding oven? How and in what do you suggest I melt this down in and with?????

[beone]

Hi,
I wrote the instructions on making the wax. the reason for no double boiler is temperature. You need to get up above boiling point to make the wax. after that it will melt with a double boiler. I guess you could yse oil instead of water. I make my wax in an old big tin can-cheap and can be disposed of when dirty. I use a cheap hotplate from Wal-mart.

[Geof]

Thank you for all the machineable wax links. I am in class right now making it, or at least trying to make it. The PE film is bought and cut the Parrafin wax was bought and broken up. Now to melt it. The instructions say not to use a double boiler. Can I use a crock pot? I have a rotational molding oven? How and in what do you suggest I melt this down in and with?????

"I have a rotational molding oven". Do you have any rotational molds?

If I had this equipment and if it could go up to a high enough temperature I would be tempted to put the wax and film in the mold, stick it in the oven, bring it up to temperature and just leave it rotating for several hours. It would be important to have a tight seal around the mold joint so the molten wax did not leak but if that was the case it would sure beat standing and stirring a hot container of wax for several hours.

[charper]

Stuck that PE film in a pyrex from the chem department, took it to 400F, and it worked like a charm. Melted the parrafin in a crockpot, then mixed the two. I will try to machine on Monday. WIsh me luck.

[HayTay]

Melted the parrafin in a crockpot, then mixed the two. I will try to machine on Monday. WIsh me luck.

The suspense is killing me... aaaaaaaaah!

And the results are?

What recipe or mix ratio did you finally decide on? Also what source did you use for the PE (soft drink bottles, PE sheet, sandwich bags, milk jugs, plastic wrap)??? Did you try adding any colorant to the mixture? Any PICs of the resultant block of potentially machineable wax?

I figured I'd ask since I was curious (and nobody else has, so far).

Thanks

[charper]

OK. HAven't been lucky. I teach 2 hour blocks, and just can't seem to get it done with the kids. I decided on PE from the blue underflooring at Home Depot. Parrafin..no problem, have a pearl Paint in town (my home away from home)
Measured everything out...but there is just too much damn PE to melt. Melted down only a fraction so far. Then...what do I mold it in. Can I just make one big wooden box? Or what? I have gummed out so many beakers from the Chem dept trying to do this

I think it might just be easier to buy the damn wax from Thompson although not as fun.

I'll take some pics of what I've got so far.

[beone]

I guess my question is why you are melting the PE first. if you melt the wax first and overheat it to about 275 F and add the PE slowly and it will disolve in the wax without much mess. then cast into anything you want. I cast in thin sheets, if you do thicker you need to control the cooling to get it to cool very slowly or you wull get a big shrink hole in the middle.

[charper]

OK. I feel like an idiot for not making sure my kid followed the directions to a T . That was my fault. I just relooked at the isntructions and assumed an "A" chemistry student could follow them! THANK YOU .

[beone]

I cast onto a piece of plywood with a piece of paper on it as a release. I then put a 'dam' of wood strips arond the paper. I generally cast about 3/16-1/4 thick and then plane on the cnc to finished thk. I use it to machine patterns for medals and medalians, mostly about 3/16 thick. i machine them while still stuck to the ply and when I have them cut thru they pop off the paper pretty easily. I then super glue them to a match plate for use in the foundry. If you control the cooling rate and cool very slowly you can control the shrink. At the thk I use the shrink is not a big factor(except that is why I haveto plane it off) Casting a block say 2-3 inches by however high you will get a huge shrink hole in the middle. Very sloow cooling (days) will help this.

[cbass]

Just to chime in here,

I spoke with Freeman supply recently and the guy suggetsed for thicker castings (>1") I make a bok out of aluminum plate. The plate should be relatively thick, so as to hold onto heat duiring the cooling process. The idea is to pour the wax into the aluminum box, then cover the box with a second plywood box that fits tightly around the first. This will insulate and alow the wax to cool S-L-O-W-L-Y. Supposedly you will minimize the sink-hole effect in the middle.

$.02

Carlo

[charper]

thank you...
I just received my freeman caalog so I am psyched!
Unfortunately, aluminum costs me more money.... and pywood is cheap
I will try the plywood first, if it doesn't work, I will try the aluminum before resorting to purchasing full price machining wax

[Harlow]

It seems to me that aluminum would draw heat off, causing the wax to cool too fast, especially on the outside surfaces in contact with the aluminum. I will be using MDF for a box when I get to this. Maybe have a hole in the center of the top to let heat out. Then it would cool from the center out. It also seems that you could layer your pours to help eliminate shrinkage. If you have a really level bench and make the last pour maybe 1/16” it might end up pretty flat.

later,
Harlow
http://cncbridges.com/

[cbass]

It seems to me that aluminum would draw heat off, causing the wax to cool too fast, especially on the outside surfaces in contact with the aluminum. I will be using MDF for a box when I get to this. Maybe have a hole in the center of the top to let heat out. Then it would cool from the center out. It also seems that you could layer your pours to help eliminate shrinkage. If you have a really level bench and make the last pour maybe 1/16” it might end up pretty flat.

later,
Harlow
http://cncbridges.com/

Harlow,

I had asked about doing it in several layers, and can't remember the reasoning against it. Perhaps it was that there can be memory between the layers (leading to delamination).

As for the aluminum robbing heat, especially from the outside, I think you want a bit of that so that as the wax cools, it shrinks and releases cleanly. The heat robbing quality of the aluminum shouldn't be such a problem as there is mass to the wax, so that there won't be too much of a heat gradient. I guess this depends on how thick you are casting...

I don't know how well the wax will release from MDF.

I guess there's only one way to find out!...

Carlo

[charper]

I'm still trying to melt the damn thing..wait up! I'm looking for a larger sacrafice pot than a beaker..need to go to good will and find old stew pot I guess that doesn't come from my kitchen.