hi there. lately i have been researching how to make up some machinable wax to play with. i found a few sites with info but most of them have not been very detailed. basically, machinable wax in its simplest form is paraffin wax with low density polyethylene (LDPE) or anything with the number 4 inside the recycling symbol. i figured id give it a go, so i found some plain white candles, some plastic bags, and a can to melt it in.
first i just melted a bit of wax into liquid, then added a piece of plastic bag material just to see if it would dissolve. it shriveled up, but did not melt at all.:thinking: i realized that most shopping bags are HIGH density polyethylene, which has a higher melting point then the ldpe. supposedly HDPE works for machinable wax, but i dont recommend it. i found that most CLEAR bags are low density. if the bag is whitish and not clear, and is kinda stiff, it is likely high density. LDPE is usually more stretchy and malleable as well as being clear. again, find anything with the recycling number FOUR on it! i found a bread bag that was LDPE and it became goop right away. i let it sit and stirred it a little and i had some soupy wax that has a much higher melting point than before. i pored a bit and it seemed pretty tough and hard compared to standard candle wax.
) i decided to add some color because its hard to tell detail in plain wax. all i had was water based blue RIT dye. :thinking: i knew it would not mix properly, but i also knew the water would eventually evaporate out. :shush: i made sure the wax was BELOW 100 degrees C before adding the dye!! i let the water bubble off gently, and then kept it melted for a while after to get moisture out, so that when i go to remelt my wax, it doesn't go boom. :rofl:
it turned out great. nice dark blue/purple color, and nice and hard. i had some more candle wax so i added that and more bag material. i found that only adding a little bit of plastic made the wax very hard. the wax would crack on the edges sometimes when milling it. i added more plastic and the wax is very tough. it cuts very nice and does not melt or cause the cutter to heat up. the first time i cast it it had a few plastic chunks in it still. after milling it and remelting it, it is very well mixed. i think its a good idea to cast it, cut it up, and then melt and cast it again.
if you have never used this stuff, try it! its a fun project to make a bit, and its fun to machine. you can pretty much cut as fast as you want and it will cut right out great!
remember:
if wax is too brittle, add more plastic. dont worry if it seems gummy at first. it takes a while for it to cure into a hard state.anic:
try to get powder dye if you want color, and dont want to wait an hour for the moisture to go away lol.
clean your machine of aluminum and other swarf so you can sweep up the wax shavings and reuse it!:thumbsup:
so go rummage through your stuff and find some wax, and brew some machinist wax!
GO!
first i just melted a bit of wax into liquid, then added a piece of plastic bag material just to see if it would dissolve. it shriveled up, but did not melt at all.:thinking: i realized that most shopping bags are HIGH density polyethylene, which has a higher melting point then the ldpe. supposedly HDPE works for machinable wax, but i dont recommend it. i found that most CLEAR bags are low density. if the bag is whitish and not clear, and is kinda stiff, it is likely high density. LDPE is usually more stretchy and malleable as well as being clear. again, find anything with the recycling number FOUR on it! i found a bread bag that was LDPE and it became goop right away. i let it sit and stirred it a little and i had some soupy wax that has a much higher melting point than before. i pored a bit and it seemed pretty tough and hard compared to standard candle wax.
) i decided to add some color because its hard to tell detail in plain wax. all i had was water based blue RIT dye. :thinking: i knew it would not mix properly, but i also knew the water would eventually evaporate out. :shush: i made sure the wax was BELOW 100 degrees C before adding the dye!! i let the water bubble off gently, and then kept it melted for a while after to get moisture out, so that when i go to remelt my wax, it doesn't go boom. :rofl:it turned out great. nice dark blue/purple color, and nice and hard. i had some more candle wax so i added that and more bag material. i found that only adding a little bit of plastic made the wax very hard. the wax would crack on the edges sometimes when milling it. i added more plastic and the wax is very tough. it cuts very nice and does not melt or cause the cutter to heat up. the first time i cast it it had a few plastic chunks in it still. after milling it and remelting it, it is very well mixed. i think its a good idea to cast it, cut it up, and then melt and cast it again.
if you have never used this stuff, try it! its a fun project to make a bit, and its fun to machine. you can pretty much cut as fast as you want and it will cut right out great!
remember:
if wax is too brittle, add more plastic. dont worry if it seems gummy at first. it takes a while for it to cure into a hard state.
anic:try to get powder dye if you want color, and dont want to wait an hour for the moisture to go away lol.
clean your machine of aluminum and other swarf so you can sweep up the wax shavings and reuse it!:thumbsup:
so go rummage through your stuff and find some wax, and brew some machinist wax!
GO!
