Show us your wax seals

[ethernautrix]

Wow! What a way cool thread, with beautiful seals! Rena, your photos are gorgeous, what with the lighting and rich colors.

 

I have a a few seals, but I seldom use them. I'll have to locate the box that the box is in and take pictures. Hooray!

 

I've been stymied by sloppy seal wax dripping. What's the secret? I'm intrigued by His Nibs's use of a glue gun.

 

Atelier Gargoyle has some really cool seals (saw them a year ago at the Center for the Book). But I like Kiavonne's commissioning of a special seal from Dexter of Kent. Gorgeous seal, Kimy!

 

Hmm...

[ZeissIkon]

I've been stymied by sloppy seal wax dripping. What's the secret? I'm intrigued by His Nibs's use of a glue gun.

 

His Nibs is using "faux" wax; it's actually hot melt glue (or a slightly modified formula to stay soft a little longer after application), colored to resemble traditional sealing wax. It's shot from a glue gun, impressed with a seal, and because of the material it's made from, both adheres strongly to paper and other porous materials, and is flexible enough not to crack with handling.

 

For traditional wax, the simplest way to get an "all at once" seal pour is to use a melting spoon over an alcohol lamp. Melt the amount of wax you need, and then you can put it all on the paper at once, instead of delivering it drop by drop as the wax melts in a lighter flame or from a candle type wax stick. If you use a torch type lighter to melt the wax, however, you can (with a little practice -- a mistake could set your letter on fire!) use the same heat source to remelt the wax after it lands on the paper, to ensure it's evenly melted.

[pmorin]

I've been stymied by sloppy seal wax dripping. What's the secret? I'm intrigued by His Nibs's use of a glue gun.

 

Hmm...

 

I generally use a lighter, and the J Herbin (or Stuart Houghton) malleable was designed for posting, and the instructions on Atelier Gargoyle's website. I drip about 15-18 drops of wax, and then use the stick to mix and shape it, then hit it with the seal (after exhaling on the seal to form a moisture barrier). Occasionally sloppy dripping happens to me when I am not paying attention - something probably not very good when holding hot wax and live fire.

 

I HAVE set fire to correspondence or at least caused scorching. That's why I moved back from a torch to a lighter (also more portable - a stick of wax, a lighter, and a seal don't take much room).

[ethernautrix]

I've been stymied by sloppy seal wax dripping. What's the secret? I'm intrigued by His Nibs's use of a glue gun.

 

His Nibs is using "faux" wax; it's actually hot melt glue (or a slightly modified formula to stay soft a little longer after application), colored to resemble traditional sealing wax. It's shot from a glue gun, impressed with a seal, and because of the material it's made from, both adheres strongly to paper and other porous materials, and is flexible enough not to crack with handling.

 

For traditional wax, the simplest way to get an "all at once" seal pour is to use a melting spoon over an alcohol lamp. Melt the amount of wax you need, and then you can put it all on the paper at once, instead of delivering it drop by drop as the wax melts in a lighter flame or from a candle type wax stick. If you use a torch type lighter to melt the wax, however, you can (with a little practice -- a mistake could set your letter on fire!) use the same heat source to remelt the wax after it lands on the paper, to ensure it's evenly melted.

 

Thank you for the explanation, ZeissIkon. The faux wax sounds like a good method of using my seals. The melting spoon, too. Is the melting spoon a special spoon? Or can I grab one from the drawer and use it?

 

My wax drippings tend to have smoke veins in them, and while I accepted them as inevitable, if I could melt the wax without making those smoke veins, I would prefer it. So... a melting spoon and an alcohol lamp (not a candle?) (cos I have plenty of candles).

[ethernautrix]

I generally use a lighter, and the J Herbin (or Stuart Houghton) malleable was designed for posting, and the instructions on Atelier Gargoyle's website. I drip about 15-18 drops of wax, and then use the stick to mix and shape it, then hit it with the seal (after exhaling on the seal to form a moisture barrier). Occasionally sloppy dripping happens to me when I am not paying attention - something probably not very good when holding hot wax and live fire.

 

I HAVE set fire to correspondence or at least caused scorching. That's why I moved back from a torch to a lighter (also more portable - a stick of wax, a lighter, and a seal don't take much room).

 

Heh. I've burned my thumb on the wheel of a lighter when the flame went out too quickly. Exhaling on the seal is a good idea! I use a stamp pad to prevent the seal's sticking to the wax.

 

Yeah, ah... I've made the wax boil and scorched the paper, too. I put the seals and wax away, probably because using them made me feel clumsy (*she laughs*).

[GouletPens]

I'm a complete novice and have recently become obsessed with wax seals. I haven't been able to get the hang of it. I used a laser engraver to make my own seal and I'm using the candle-type wax, but not getting anything but a hot mess (literally!). Do all stamps have to be metal, or can you use other materials like wood or cast acrylic?

 

Edit: Okay, I finally got the hang of the seals, but for some reason the site is freezing when I try to upload my pictures. I think it's a sign I need to go to bed (2am). I'll post them tomorrow.

Edited October 19, 2009 by GouletPens

[pmorin]

My wax drippings tend to have smoke veins in them, and while I accepted them as inevitable, if I could melt the wax without making those smoke veins, I would prefer it. So... a melting spoon and an alcohol lamp (not a candle?) (cos I have plenty of candles).

 

That's part of why I stir... blends in any carbon residue, removes air bubbles, allows you to pre-shape (circle, square, oval) for the seal, and gives you an indication of where the liquidity is at.

 

Not sure about the lamp/candle question... I believe the alcohol lamp probably burns at a lower temp, and cleaner. Just a guess though.

[Rena]

I made a little video of how I apply sealing wax. There are various techniques, but this is the one I prefer. Enjoy

 

[ZeissIkon]

Thank you for the explanation, ZeissIkon. The faux wax sounds like a good method of using my seals. The melting spoon, too. Is the melting spoon a special spoon? Or can I grab one from the drawer and use it?

 

My wax drippings tend to have smoke veins in them, and while I accepted them as inevitable, if I could melt the wax without making those smoke veins, I would prefer it. So... a melting spoon and an alcohol lamp (not a candle?) (cos I have plenty of candles).

 

The faux wax in a dedicated glue gun is far and away the easiest way to do seals at a fixed location, but isn't very portable (unless you routinely have 120V available to you when out and about).

 

A melting spoon could be a simple silver spoon (silver, preferably solid silver, is better than stainless because stainless is a relatively poor conductor of heat, for a metal, and silver is the best there is, with copper close behind). Ideally, you'd want a spoon with an insulated handle (good conduction is a two-edged sword), and one with a deep enough bowl to hold the wax needed for a seal. Given the difficulty of thoroughly cleaning a waxy utensil, I wouldn't recommend taking one from the kitchen, but at the bottom end of the cost line, you can typically find old flatware at thrift stores for a dime or so per piece; you can sometimes find even good silver in stray pieces for reasonable prices (tarnish tells you it's silver, but only the maker's imprint will tell if it's solid or plate). If you're a DIY type, you could make a neat little melting spoon from a 1/2" copper pipe cap, a piece of brass rod bent and soldered on the side, and a length of wood dowel bored to accept the brass (tight press fit, please, or solder a washer on the rod, thread the end, and apply an acorn nut to hold the wood handle). The dowel could be turned in a lathe or poor man's lathe (power drill), shaped with files or rasps even if you don't have proper lathe tools, polished with sandpaper and stained, depending on your esthetics and DIY level.

 

An alcohol lamp works better than a candle, mainly because a candle will deposit waxy soot on the spoon that's ugly, insulative, and hard to clean off. An alcohol lamp is almost soot free, and any soot it does produce will be oil-free and typically will just wipe away. A butane lighter is actually almost as good as a spirit lamp (and a lot easier to find); the butane isn't quite as clean as alcohol, but the soot it produces is oil-free and there's less of it than from a candle. That said, a candle will work, and for that matter, top-notch conductivity isn't that big a deal (unless an extra five seconds for the wax to melt is a big deal to you).

[penhorse87]

Rena, thanks for the video. It was great!

 

Penhorse87

[GreenVelvet]

I made a little video of how I apply sealing wax. There are various techniques, but this is the one I prefer. Enjoy

 

Wow! This is lovely, fun to watch - and I don't even use sealing wax! Thanks for sharing this excellent video.

[ethernautrix]

Thank you for the comprehensive information, ZeissIkon. I'll confess that your DIY suggestion made me laugh a little. I am so not crafty! I'll go look for a nice silver spoon, though. That'll be fun all by itself!

 

Rena, wow! That is a lovely demonstration video! Thank you for making and sharing it!

[Rena]

Thanks, everyone. I had fun making the video. Actually, I had started a reply to Ethernautrix on technique, but got caught up in wordiness. Then a little light went on in my head and I decided to do a video.

 

GouletPens, I've tried using various objects other than seals to press into the wax — sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Wood and certain plastics will stick, and then you can have a difficult time getting the implement up off the wax, and then getting the wax out of the implement itself. Try it though, but just on a scrap piece of paper, and not using an item you're afraid to damage.)

[CraigR]

Thanks, everyone. I had fun making the video. Actually, I had started a reply to Ethernautrix on technique, but got caught up in wordiness. Then a little light went on in my head and I decided to do a video.

 

GouletPens, I've tried using various objects other than seals to press into the wax — sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Wood and certain plastics will stick, and then you can have a difficult time getting the implement up off the wax, and then getting the wax out of the implement itself. Try it though, but just on a scrap piece of paper, and not using an item you're afraid to damage.)

 

What an informative and entertaining video. Thanks so much, Rena! /Craig

[pmorin]

Rena,

Great video - Atelier Gargoyle are great to deal with. Out of curiosity, what are you using as a moisture barrier on your seal to prevent sticking? I know that the AG wax doesn't require a barrier with metal seals, but I was curious if you'd found anything outside of some of their suggestions.

 

Must order some wax soon. Love the Dragons & Crowns seal.

[His Nibs]

A very nice video Rena! You're inspiring me to shoot a video soon showing the use of the faux wax and glue gun (although I know it won't be so artistically done or with great music!).

[dashreeve]

I've been stymied by sloppy seal wax dripping. What's the secret? I'm intrigued by His Nibs's use of a glue gun.

 

His Nibs is using "faux" wax; it's actually hot melt glue (or a slightly modified formula to stay soft a little longer after application), colored to resemble traditional sealing wax. It's shot from a glue gun, impressed with a seal, and because of the material it's made from, both adheres strongly to paper and other porous materials, and is flexible enough not to crack with handling.

 

For traditional wax, the simplest way to get an "all at once" seal pour is to use a melting spoon over an alcohol lamp. Melt the amount of wax you need, and then you can put it all on the paper at once, instead of delivering it drop by drop as the wax melts in a lighter flame or from a candle type wax stick. If you use a torch type lighter to melt the wax, however, you can (with a little practice -- a mistake could set your letter on fire!) use the same heat source to remelt the wax after it lands on the paper, to ensure it's evenly melted.

 

Thank you for the explanation, ZeissIkon. The faux wax sounds like a good method of using my seals. The melting spoon, too. Is the melting spoon a special spoon? Or can I grab one from the drawer and use it?

 

My wax drippings tend to have smoke veins in them, and while I accepted them as inevitable, if I could melt the wax without making those smoke veins, I would prefer it. So... a melting spoon and an alcohol lamp (not a candle?) (cos I have plenty of candles).

 

The spoon I use is "special", it is nice and deep with pouring grooves on each side. This is the spoon and lamp.

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z185/dashreeve/DSC_0001.jpg

 

I use a torch with my Atelier Gargoyle wax, the spoon is for the J Herbin wax

[Pepin]

Is there a more permanent form of wax available? Like something with more adhesiveness? Also, does anyone know how the lacquering is applied over the stamped seal? On some French wine bottles, I've noticed a form of plastic sealant/lacquer applied over the provincial logo, which is a red wax stamp.

[Pepin]

Are these antiques? Where do I find these items?

 

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z185/dashreeve/DSC_0001.jpg

 

I use a torch with my Atelier Gargoyle wax, the spoon is for the J Herbin wax

[Defacto]

What liqued fuel do you use in the lamp?

I have the same one but I can't find any alcohol fuel for it.

 

Thanks.