Hot waxing sheath question?

flatgrinder

flatgrinder

Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
2,045
Hi,

I recently made a sheath and dipped it in a 50/50 mix of neatsfoot oil and beeswax.

How do you get rid of the excess wax inside afterwards as there isn't enough room for a rag?

Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks! :thumbup:
 
You should have posted this in the sheath section in General but....

If you preheat your leather before dipping it will just run out and not give much problem. I would lean back on the oil too... even a 10/90 mix or lower. For now you can heat the sheath up to around 130F (you should be able to pick it up in your bare hand but have it uncomfortable enough to want to put it down soon) and the wax should get absorbed inside.... use an oven. Test it first by grabbing the oven rack. If it burns you it will burn leather.

Between 160-180F leather will cook, burn, shrivel and become brittle..... been there.


Rick
 
Find an old deep fryer or roaster at a thrift store. You can set it for the temp you want. Take some wire mesh and build platform above the mix that you can rest the sheath on.

Let the sheath preheat once the mix has melted, then dip it for maybe a 10 count, no more. Drain it and put it back on the platform for a few minutes. It will absorb the excess and generally come out clean.

A rag on a piece of rod, or even wrapped around a kitchen knife, will often get those hard to places.

Gene
 
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