Wax Off

[Erin Burke]

This may be a stupid question, but how does a person go about removing wax from a set of knife scales. I bought several sets of red elm scales a year or so ago and they came with wax all over them. I am sending a batch of wood out to WSSI for stabilizing and I'd like to get rid of the wax before throwing these pieces in the box. I tried sanding it off, but it just seems to clog my sandpaper. Is there a better method?

Erin

 

[Keith_H]

Did you try a bench scraper? one of my favourite tools when it is nice and sharp.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Scrape as much as possible off with a scraper. Then, sand the wood to a clean surface. Frequently using a wire brush to clean the sandpaper will help prevent fatal clogging.
A scraper is a thin piece of tool steel with a 90 degree straight edge. It is burnished to create a tiny "wire' and will shave wood in dust size shavings when used properly. They are fairly cheap to buy, and can be made from sheet tool steel.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020021/18878/Straight-Scraper-Set-(3).aspx
Stacy

 

[Chris Meyer]

I'm lazy, so I just cut it off with my bandsaw.

 

[markv]

apiece of window pane glass will do fine a scraper.
buzz