FLYMPH FORUM

I have some of Jim's old wax beads. Some of you may remember them. They were about the size of tic-tac. Hard as a rock but softened nicely with a little work. I have a bag of shattered pieces.

Is there a way to soften these as a bunch and reform them into the small beads again?

I like them in the small beads because I hand them out to people who show an interest at the shows when I'm tying.

Can I heat them up in some water as bunch?

This might not work on your wax but the 721f wax I had that hardened softened up after I gave it some time in the microwave. It stayed easier to soften afterwards.

PS: pins came last week.

I've never used any of Jim's wax but what I would do is soften it in your hand and pull and stretch it like taffy. If it is still difficult to work you could add a little oil or fat; very little.

Old/New Hat, Howdy;

put them on a sheet of waxed paper and set them in front of a window
that that good ol' Florida sunshine is shining through.
Should only take a few minutes.

hank

Carl, I reconstituted some back into beads by putting the shards in hot water (hot from the faucet, not the stove) for a few minutes. Softened right up and could be remolded into beads. I keep the beads in a small jar of water now.

When I read Hank's email, I thought he was going to say use wax paper and an iron...

Although he didn't, I suspect that might be an idea: a cool iron and parchment paper (probably better for the iron than the wax paper).

Just a thought.

Surely wax hardens over time due to the VOC’s. Whilst you can soften it with heat it is unlikely to ever be the same. Wax is inexpensive, Bill Bailey’s is a excellent wax for flymphs. Storing wax in water is a good idea and will prolong the life of new wax.
There has been many threads about the “best” wax. I have ended up buying several. It’s actually fun to find the best ones that suit you.
B