I recently purchased a Brown Mallee Burl cap. It has a protective coating of what looks like wax over the points. What is the proper proceedure for cleaning this off and leaving the wood clean enough to cast? Any and all help appreciated!
Cleaning Burl Cap
- Thread starter joefyffe
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Just guessing here Joe ( I've never done it though ) :wink:
I would weigh it down and put it in a pot of boiling water. I think the wax would float. When it's cold scoop off the wax. Then let the burl dry again?
I would weigh it down and put it in a pot of boiling water. I think the wax would float. When it's cold scoop off the wax. Then let the burl dry again?
Just guessing here Joe ( I've never done it though ) :wink:
I would weigh it down and put it in a pot of boiling water. I think the wax would float. When it's cold scoop off the wax. Then let the burl dry again?
Thanks Skip! I had thought about toaster oven, where I bought it suggested a blow torch, but the tone of their voice, to me, indicated unsureness. I've got a sand blaster, and I've even thought about giving it a light hit with that. ??? I think I'd like to avoid heat and moisture if I can.
I'd wait till a pro answers before you use the sandblaster.
Surely that would just force wax deeper into the surface and then make it impossible to remove?
I thought I read somewhere here that boiling is often used to 'dry' wood.
Surely that would just force wax deeper into the surface and then make it impossible to remove?
I thought I read somewhere here that boiling is often used to 'dry' wood.
ElMostro
Member
Just guessing here Joe ( I've never done it though ) :wink:
I would weigh it down and put it in a pot of boiling water. I think the wax would float. When it's cold scoop off the wax. Then let the burl dry again?
What Skip said, for the first round you can pour out the water while hot and that will get most of the wax. I use a strainer I made from chicken wire to keep the burl from falling out of the pot, pour it out as fast and safely as you can...oh and the hot watter splatters when it hits the ground so don't do it wearing shorts. DO NOT pour this stuff down the drain bec it will clog it pronto, do it outside (recommended) and where nobody walks and not on the grass bec the hot water will leave a nice brown patch of dead grass DAMHIKT. Depending on how much wax it has you may have to do it more than once, after the first round if you want to speed up the cool down you can put the pot in the fridge, whatever you do do not pull the burl out through the water or the wax will get right back on it. Use a pot you do not care for bec some of these waxes stink and they stick to the pot pretty bad. Good luck, Eugene.
Well! two to one on boiling, sooooooooooooooooo! I guess boiling it is. Thanks guys!
Haynie
Member
Blow torch? Really?
I'd wait till a pro answers before you use the sandblaster.
Surely that would just force wax deeper into the surface and then make it impossible to remove?
I thought I read somewhere here that boiling is often used to 'dry' wood.
I think you're right on that drying method, boils the sap out of the wood? Seems as though I read that also, but had forgotten about it. What is considered ideal moisture content before turning?
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Yeh, the person I contacted didn't know so he asked someone else, and I think they gave him a guess which he relayed to me:question:, an answer which I didn't trust so, then I came here. Should have done that first. When will I learn
? I wasn't about to hit it with a blow torch.
:tongue::laugh:
philb
Member
After boiling how long would you need to leave for the moisture content to equalise to where it had been when previous dry? Don't wanna boil it then need 6 months!!