WAX Melting Apparatus

[Titivillus]

As some know I have a bunch of seals and a larger amount of wax. Up to this point I have used an open flame to melt the wax which means that I have to be careful about soot that can spoil the seal ( don't use wicked wax for this reason). Well somewhere that I can't remember suggested using a little glue skillet to melt wax. Now I know that there were wax rods that would fit glue guns so I thought what the heck. At Michael s it was $7.99. Once home I loaded up the pan with the odds and ends of wax rods that I had used. A few minutes later they had melted into a rather nice pool, which I was able to transfer to a piece of test paper. Now I have a quarter size Irish not seal that I have not been able to get a really good seal because of the size- well it made a perfect one. Now I think I can even do my 1-1/2" square and compasses!

 

So if you are going to be doing seals I would suggest this hand tool.

 

 

[someonesdad]

My sister just got in an order from Norman at hisnibs.com and he hand-wrote a thank you note and sealed it with sealing "wax" (classy way of doing business). He also sells this stuff, which is actually a meltable plastic "glue": http://hisnibs.com/sealing_wax.htm

 

Pendemonium also sells similar stuff.

 

It sounds like you may have been using a candle for melting your wax. Something to try instead is an alcohol lamp, which burns without soot. Of course, I'm guessing you've found that the glue gun approach is easier and better. The glue is more flexible than the wax, making it less likely to break in automated postal equipment.

[Titivillus]

It sounds like you may have been using a candle for melting your wax. Something to try instead is an alcohol lamp, which burns without soot. Of course, I'm guessing you've found that the glue gun approach is easier and better. The glue is more flexible than the wax, making it less likely to break in automated postal equipment.

 

I don't use a candle but rather a butane torch so the soot comes from the wax not the burning of a candle.

 

I've seen the wax sticks and they don't have the same look as real wax, for me I don't often seal cards but rather packages inside of boxes. I don't really like the look of it so have never purchased any.

 

I am using authentic sealing wax but melting it in a skillet so that I can use the odds and end pieces that I have created over the years of using the wax stick.