Wax Experimentation

[chase creek]

This is one of those posts that takes on a life of its own. Great reading.
I find the use of Crisco really interesting.

This whole subject does make my wife more than a bit nervous, though.

[cassady]

Aw, shucks, y'all. I didn't do anything that a mildly curious tyer, with a little time on his hands and an unusually understanding significant other, wouldn't do. I've personally seen and learned from Ray and Tim's many experiments, and have learned more than I could ever repay from many, many others' sharing their fun on this and other fora.

This one is Leisenring's, and although he says it is from Keene, Keene's proportions are different. Is that on your list to try?

Although I had previously read your comment on a previous thread:

The original wax recipe appeared in Keene’s Fly-Fishing and Fly-Making for Trout, Etc., (O. Judd Co., New York, 1887). Leisenring switched Keene’s proportions for the lard and wax. Keene used one ounce of lard, where Leisenring used only a half ounce. Keene used a half ounce of wax, to Leisenring’s one ounce. Others on the forum have said that the proportions of wax and lard can be adjusted to achieve different amounts of tack and pliability. The reason that Jim Slattery's wax is so hard may be that it contains less lard and more wax than the Keene recipe calls for. Presumably that is the way Leisenring liked it—unless he made a mistake when drafting the text for the wax chapter. I think Leisenring did make a mistake here—otherwise he wouldn't have stated so plainly that it is Keene's recipe. But others will surely disagree with my opinion.

I must admit that it slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder -- it is certainly on the list now, and I will surely share the findings.

c

[Mataura mayfly]

Another "recipe" for you all to try. This one from "Fly Dressing and some tackle making" W.E. Davies.
To make a solid wax, a quarter pound of resin (white or amber) is put into a saucepan together with a dessert spoonful of Neatsfoot oil. Heat over a gas-stove and when melted pour into another pan containing warm water. As soon as the wax is cool enough to handle, start kneading it with both hands until it takes on the consistency of sticky toffee. Rolled into balls it can be kept in a glass jar that has been half filled with water. After use the wax should be returned to the water to keep it pliable.

Interesting, a wax recipe that contains no wax! Basically a softened resin.

This will be much the same as the 50% resin 50% turpentine McClelland's "wax" mentioned earlier and the same kind of resin mix cane rod makers use to tie in small sections of thread for internediate thread wraps or length indication marks.