Which melting point of wax do you prefer for your tubes?

[mabuse00]

I made some experiments waxing some tubes today and I wonder if this makes any difference.

 

The paraffine I have here must be somewhere around 50°C.

On a warm day of maybe 25°C it already tends to smear when you touch it, it has this waxy feeling.

If your rammers are very tight, it becomes sticky...

(Yes, the layer was too thick )

 

I wonder if it has any benefits of using something with a higher MP, that will be less smeary and more plastik-like at room temperature?

 

 

Most likely not an important issue, I just wonder how you feel about this.

Edited July 30, 2017 by mabuse00

[OldMarine]

I use Gulf Canning Wax and heat it to the point of just starting to smoke before applying. It leaves a very thin coating and doesn't scrape off or jam my rammers. This wax is very solid at room temp and as I also use it to wax my spindle I have to warm it up a bit sometimes.

[dagabu]

same thing, as hot as I can get it.

I use Gulf Canning Wax and heat it to the point of just starting to smoke before applying. It leaves a very thin coating and doesn't scrape off or jam my rammers. This wax is very solid at room temp and as I also use it to wax my spindle I have to warm it up a bit sometimes.

[mabuse00]

 

Gulf Canning Wax

I cannot find MP values for that wax. But the way you desribe it, it seems to be highter than my stuff's.

 

Does it become sticky when you grab it with your hands?

 

 

 

as hot as I can get it.

Until it takes fire

Getting it really hot is beneficial, no doubt. I even think of pre-heating the tubes in the oven before.

Edited July 31, 2017 by mabuse00

[dagabu]

I'm sure there is a separation of temperatures between the start of wax smoking and it bursting into Flame. I try to get the wax as hot as I can but yet turn it down so it's not smoking. No, canning wax is not sticky. It does feel soft to the touch when in summer temperatures though.

Edited July 31, 2017 by dagabu

[Maserface]

The wax I use has a melting point of 140 deg. F, most canning waxes seem to be in the 130-145F range.

[dagabu]

The paraffin I use says 140-150 melting. Its candle wax, came in a 100 pound box.

[DavidF]

I use regular canning wax. The hotter the better IMO too. I don't think pre-heating the tubes is a good way to go. The objective is to form a thin coating, with a minimal amount of wax soaking into the tube.

[mabuse00]

A thin coating is sufficient to do the job, thats a fact.

 

But - would more wax than necessary soaking into the tube be detrimental in any way? As long as the tube isn't swelling - so what?

[DavidF]

mabuse00, I don't like the idea of pre-heating the tubes because when the wax soaks into the tube too much, the likelihood of having the desired film on the surface becomes less. One time, when I over-waxed the tubes (using the pour method), I melted out the excess wax with a heat gun. This caused the wax closest to the heat gun to disappear into the tube, and created an uneven coating. I don't know that the wax absorbing into the tube is a problem in itself, but I suspect it may weaken the tube. NEPT tubes absorb the least amount of wax.

 

Using the pour method caused me to do much extra work to achieve a simple task. But now I have a heat gun, in case I ever need it for anything else

 

Using the dauber method is fast, easy, cheap, and effective. It is not 'guru-recommended' though, so therefore it is less popular In my opinion, the originator's method is still the best method. Ned swears by the pour method, but he hasn't (and won't) try the dauber method. I've done variations of both methods at different temperatures to arrive at my position on the issue.

[OldMarine]

mabuse00, I don't like the idea of pre-heating the tubes because when the wax soaks into the tube too much, the likelihood of having the desired film on the surface becomes less. One time, when I over-waxed the tubes (using the pour method), I melted out the excess wax with a heat gun. This caused the wax closest to the heat gun to disappear into the tube, and created an uneven coating. I don't know that the wax absorbing into the tube is a problem in itself, but I suspect it may weaken the tube. NEPT tubes absorb the least amount of wax.

 

Using the pour method caused me to do much extra work to achieve a simple task. But now I have a heat gun, in case I ever need it for anything else

 

Using the dauber method is fast, easy, cheap, and effective. It is not 'guru-recommended' though, so therefore it is less popular In my opinion, the originator's method is still the best method. Ned swears by the pour method, but he hasn't (and won't) try the dauber method. I've done variations of both methods at different temperatures to arrive at my position on the issue.

Uhhh... Dave I believe you are the guru of tube waxing.

[dagabu]

I find the dauber method to leave a mess on the tubes ends, I do the fill and dump method and it allows me to keep a dry portion of the tube for the nozzle.

[OldMarine]

I punch any excess out with a nylon bore brush after they cool.

[MrB]

I find the dauber method to leave a mess on the tubes ends, I do the fill and dump method and it allows me to keep a dry portion of the tube for the nozzle.

 

Mess on the ends? I don't have any mess on the ends, and i leave the top cm untouched. Using the cone. (after reading again... That IS what you are saying.)

Admittedly, i still don't make much rockets, and i use leftover "tealight" paraffin wax from IKEA. (I also recycle the aluminum cups, in to my magnalium melts. To bad the paraffin residue burns of, or i could have had pre-treated magnalium...)

Edited August 3, 2017 by MrB

[Maserface]

My dauber is so ghetto, and it works so good. Threaded rod, some nuts, and a winding of whatever string I can reach.

 

Let the gurus spend hundreds of dollars on fancy, convoluted "solutions", I'll save my dollars for the good stuff

[mabuse00]

Heat gun is a good thing by the way. I tried this last weekend after a fellow pyro mentioned this.

 

I think the point is to use not the cheapest hardware store gun but one that has a temperature regulation and pumps a large amount of air, so the excess wax is blown away rather than being vaporised.

 

I havent compared the surfaces very carefully with the non-hot-blown tube - I should do this next...

[sigjak]

Has anyone tried teflon spray?

[OldMarine]

Doesn't provide the fire blocking effect wax does.