Cleaning A Wax Seal

[Cerbeos]

Can anyone provide some suggestions for getting wax out of a new seal?

 

I got a custom seal done for my wedding in August and while the first two 'practice' seals went fine, the third resulted in all of the letters in our names dry and stick in the seal.

 

I've tried getting it out via a variety of different methods of heating the seal/paper/wax/etc to no avail.

 

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

Thanks!

[Clydesdave]

Wax is a difficult substance to get rid of. Did you know, a skunk's scent is a wax substance? Put it in boiling water, assuming the stamp material is metal or something that will survive the boiling water.

Edited May 5, 2012 by Clydesdave

[Cerbeos]

It's a brass seal with what appears to be a metal screw coming out of the back of it to screw into the handle.

[SamCapote]

What kind of wax did you use? When in doubt, look at the tips at http://ateliergargoyle.com/pages/waxes/howto.html who make the finest quality wax of any I have tried, with J. Herbin second choice, but their sticks are too short.

 

Nail polish remover or acetone will remove sealing wax of any sort from the seal, as long as the seal is not made of plastic. Acetone can destroy plastic seals.

Edited May 5, 2012 by SamCapote

[Cerbeos]

What kind of wax did you use? When in doubt, look at the tips at http://ateliergargoyle.com/pages/waxes/howto.html who make the finest quality wax of any I have tried, with J. Herbin second choice, but their sticks are too short.

 

Nail polish remover or acetone will remove sealing wax of any sort from the seal, as long as the seal is not made of plastic. Acetone can destroy plastic seals.

 

 

 

It's some J. Herbin from the Goulets

[inky]

You probably know this, but try a little moisture on the seal before setting to the hot wax. A wet towel that you tap just before sealing will help keep the wax from adhering too tightly. And knowing when to remove a seal is an art that I am still working on mastering.

[Cerbeos]

Yeah I actually had the seal on an ice pack and everything so the stamp was cold and moist. Still have the issue of getting the wax out of the letters.

 

I tried to do one anyways with the wax still in it but it just seemed to partially fuse with that wax and stuck to the paper. Was hoping that would get that wax to pull out of the stamp. Ill have to try the boiling water when I get home.

[SamCapote]

Yeah I actually had the seal on an ice pack and everything so the stamp was cold and moist. Still have the issue of getting the wax out of the letters.

 

I tried to do one anyways with the wax still in it but it just seemed to partially fuse with that wax and stuck to the paper. Was hoping that would get that wax to pull out of the stamp. Ill have to try the boiling water when I get home.

 

Ummmm....did you even read my post above which gave the authoritative answer?

[Cerbeos]

Ummmm....did you even read my post above which gave the authoritative answer?

 

I did but I must've missed the note about acetone/nail polish remover. I re-read it again when you posted that - Sorry!

 

I'm going shopping today and will have to pick some up to give it a shot. I'll keep everyone posted on how it works.

[SamCapote]

Ummmm....did you even read my post above which gave the authoritative answer?

 

I did but I must've missed the note about acetone/nail polish remover. I re-read it again when you posted that - Sorry!

 

I'm going shopping today and will have to pick some up to give it a shot. I'll keep everyone posted on how it works.

 

Ok, cool. It is worth keeping that website bookmarked, as they not only have the best quality wax, but the best tips for making seal impressions. Their wax comes in longer 6" (x.5" x .5") sticks, very easy to work with, doesn't stick to metal seals like other brands, and has never been a problem going through automated US Mail processors. I have tried 8 different brands, including some Ebay hot melt mini gun sticks. With a culinary "creme brulee" torch, you can drizzle your puddle in 15 seconds, ready to be shaped and stirred by the stick before seal impression made.

[Cerbeos]

Wonderful! Got it cleaned up more and its working great now.

 

Thanks Sam for getting me to reread that. I think the Polish remover helped clean the surface off so it would work again.

 

Here's a picture of the result!

[Cerbeos]

Trying to attach from my phone lol sorry.

 

EDIT:

 

Okay, here it is uploaded from my computer. Sorry for the bad quality - my real camera is at my desk at work

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2012 by Cerbeos

[Cerbeos]

Sam, have you had any problems with J. Herbin in the mail? I know everyone says it's fine, but just another thought would be great!

[SamCapote]

Sam, have you had any problems with J. Herbin in the mail? I know everyone says it's fine, but just another thought would be great!

 

No, it also works great in the mail. My biggest thing with them is their short sticks. I didn't work it out to # impressions/dollar, but running through the stick so fast is a hassle.

[CaptainGroovy]

When my sister got married I conned into helping her do her invitations specifically the doing the seals after it seemed like everybody who tried doing the seals either burned themselves or got the seal encased in wax. Instead of trying to drip wax off a wax batonnets (stick)onto the envelope. I used a knife and sliced the wax sticks into little shards and melted them in a small stainless steel measuring cup over a Alcohol Burner I used an old metal measuring spoon to ladle the melted wax from the measuring cup to the envelope. Recently I saw a web site nostalgicimpressions.com (no affiliations & no purchase made from)that sold little brass ladle\melting spoon and electric wax melting pot that look quite handy if I were to do invitations again. I also keep a wet sponge in a bowl and a bowl of ice on the table in my work space and a towel in my lap. I not sure if I used the ice more to cool my finger or the brass stamp. My cousin recently got married and she said she sprayed a cooking spay onto rag and every 3rd or 4th seal gave the seal a wipe with the oily rag. I have not tried this method so I have no idea how well it does or does not work.

[SamCapote]

When my sister got married I conned into helping her do her invitations specifically the doing the seals after it seemed like everybody who tried doing the seals either burned themselves or got the seal encased in wax. Instead of trying to drip wax off a wax batonnets (stick)onto the envelope. I used a knife and sliced the wax sticks into little shards and melted them in a small stainless steel measuring cup over a Alcohol Burner I used an old metal measuring spoon to ladle the melted wax from the measuring cup to the envelope. Recently I saw a web site nostalgicimpressions.com (no affiliations & no purchase made from)that sold little brass ladle\melting spoon and electric wax melting pot that look quite handy if I were to do invitations again. I also keep a wet sponge in a bowl and a bowl of ice on the table in my work space and a towel in my lap. I not sure if I used the ice more to cool my finger or the brass stamp. My cousin recently got married and she said she sprayed a cooking spay onto rag and every 3rd or 4th seal gave the seal a wipe with the oily rag. I have not tried this method so I have no idea how well it does or does not work.

 

Have not heard of the cooking spray idea, but all your other suggestions are excellent, and recommended--especially for doing a quantity of seals. I think kiavonne (and others) have posted some beautiful wax ladle/spoon setups.

[AfterMyNap]

To avoid trapping wax in your seal, make your impression firmly and then just let it sit there for a couple minutes. Once the wax is cooled it will simply let go of the seal. I learned that in Williamsburg, VA about 40 years ago.

[jjlax10]

Letting the seal rest on ice first may also help. Wetting the face of the seal is a traditional means of keeping the wax off and getting a nice imprint.

[Brien Crotty]

I have had the best luck with a combination of good wax (Atelier Gargoyle rocks, and their customer service is incredible (no affiliation other than being a satisfied customer)), and a quick breath of moist air on the seal before impressing it into a coin-sized dollop of wax, allowed to harden for just the right time (not an exact science, obviously).

 

As for wax, I've tried TONS of different kinds. The best I've used is AG, followed by some that I got at a local Hobby Lobby (labeled Gartner). I've tried a number of the traditional (i.e. non-flexible) waxes, and I can get good impressions with those, but they don't survive mailing well unless in a padded envelope. The best results I've had with the flexible wax (e.g. AG or Gartner) is to hold a steady flame on or near it, dripping the melting wax one drop at a time into a coin-sized dollop on the paper. It usually takes about ten to fifteen drops to make the right size puddle. Then I blow out the wick (if wicked) or put away the lighter, wait about three to five seconds, breathe on my seal, impress it and hold it there for about five seconds, then voila - perfect seal every time. No need for ice, oil, sprays, etc. I haven't even really had to mix the dollop with the end of the wax as many suggest, as by the time I have enough well-distributed drops of wax (I vary where I put them so that I'm revisiting the area of the dollop where I put the first drop with the last, so the heat is evenly distributed), it's almost the perfect temperature throughout. My seal stays clean, the impression is perfect, and I can move on to the next one right away with no cleanup, no sticking and no mess.

 

I have tried the method of using an alcohol lamp and a melting spoon. It was, compared to my normal method, quite a pain. It is challenging to get the melted wax to the right temperature, and therefore consistency (I usually get it too thin). I have been able to make it work by stirring it with a toothpick, but it seems to be more of a hassle than my normal method. I have tried using wax beads (bought a pound from Letterseals.com) but that stuff was useless. Made a decent enough impression once I got the temperature/consistency down, but did not stick well to the paper. Seems almost more like bottle sealing wax that relies on a mechanical seal around the geometry of a bottle neck than useful for paper-based wax seals, but your mileage may vary (If anyone is interested in a pound of wax beads to try it yourself for a very reasonable price, PM me!).

 

I have largely been using brass seal faces both with and without a lot of detail. I'm currently looking around for someone who can make a good customized brass seal for not an outrageous amount of money. Our club logo is fairly simple (simple crest in the middle, with arched words above and below), but a couple of the "custom" wax seal manufacturers wanted it to be drastically re-sized because they thought it would have too much small detail. Having seen the detail that Dexter was able to achieve in the Eagle seal another member has posted on here, I may just have to bite the proverbial bullet and get in touch with Dexter. I'm sure they're up to the task!

 

Have a great afternoon!

 

B

[SamCapote]

Thanks for your wisdom and experience Brien.