Re: [Harp-L] An Addition to "Beeswax Sealing and Customizing Marine Bands"

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 15:13:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: "D.A. Stewart" <das928@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] An Addition to "Beeswax Sealing and Customizing Marine
Bands"
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> It comes from the Wikipedia entry for beeswax: 
>"Beeswax has a high melting point range, of 62 to 64
>°C (144 to 147 °F). It does not boil in air, but
>continues to heat until it bursts into flame at around
>120 °C (250 °F). If beeswax is heated above 85 °C (185
>°F) discoloration occurs."
>
>Since beeswax melts at about 144 °F, discolors at 185
>°F, and bursts into flame at around 250 °F, we want to
>heat the beeswax to somewhere between 144 °F and 185
>°F. It might be a good idea to use a cooking
>thermometer, a metal one not a glass one, to know when
>the beeswax has reached the optimum and safe
>temperature and hold it there. 
8<
>Delmar

Hi,
 from someone who's experienced the dangers of heating beeswax first hand
(my right hand)
  I recommend using a double boiler, or failing that an electric frypan set
to less than 90degC with water in it, with the wax sitting in a metal bowl
in the middle of the electric frypan.  The water turns to steam at 100degC
should you let it get that high, and spreads the heat around the bottom of
the bowl with the wax in it. 
  Keep a large lid handy that can suffocate the fire, and if you need more
than that to put it out, use wet towels or blankets, or have a powder type
fire extinguisher handy.
  And after all that, I found non-toxic water based urethane is a far more
effective sealant than beeswax for marine band wood combs and chromatic
wood combs.
-- G.