Microcrystalline Wax

[rhubarb]

I ordered some of this last week to produce my own cue polish. It's made from paraffin wax but is much harder (the paraffin is removed) and with a much higher melting point - 71 deg C. It's quite important for me to have a very hard wearing finish on my cue as I suffer more then most with 'sweaty palm syndrome'. If anyone else is looking for a hard wearing waxing alternative I highly rate this stuff, shines up beautiful! I make a solution that's more or less 1:1 wax and white spirits, it does need heating though, you'll be waiting a heck of a long time for it to dissolve otherwise. To that base you can add whatever you like. Left alone it produces a hard, glass-like shine which can be knocked back with the addition of a little colour.

Steve.


P.S. I feel it prudent to note that you shouldn't be mucking about with solvents and stove-tops unless you've some idea of what you're doing - otherwise you could come unstuck In which case I take no responsibility.

[Jellibeen69]

Steve.
Whereabouts can you obtain this wax.
and can you explain in alittle more detail the method of applying and also the mixture?
many thanks

[rhubarb]

Hi Jellibean, I get mine from www.tiranti.co.uk - good service and prices. To prepare it grab yourself an old (clean) jam jar and pour in some wax pellets. Its best to do this in small amounts - a little goes a long way and it's safer. Pour in white sipirits, you're looking for roughly equal volumes. I wouldn't fill the jar any more than 1/3rd full, and even that's a large batch.

To produce a solution this needs to be heated until the wax melts. The vapours produced by white spirit are very nasty so care must be taken. Put a pan on the hob and pour in some water, the idea is to use water to heat the jar and it's contents gradually. Obviously before it can be heated it needs to be sealed. Stick five or six layers of cling-film over the top and down the sides and make sure it's secure and as close to air-tight as possible. If you can get a lid on the jar without tearing the cling-film then do so. Place the jar into the heating water and drape a cold wet cloth over the top. If you've performed the above steps with care you shouldn't encounter any problems but since heating the mixture will produce an increase in pressure inside the jar its better to be safe than sorry and remember the cloth. Once the wax has melted, ( the mixture turn gin clear ) carefully remove the jar and leave to cool slowly somewhere safe. DO NOT remove the lid until the jar and contents are back to around room temperature to ensure all nasty vapours have condensed inside the jar. Equally, don't try to cool it too quick, the glass may shatter and you could end up with a face full of fumes and near boiling wax all over your hands!

Once cool you should be left with a milky white paste, apply sparing to cue with lint free cloth and wait 10mins for solvents to evaporate and the wax to harden. Then buff it - takes some elbow grease because the wax is so tough. The result though is a cue finish that lasts and once played in is nice and smooth.

If anyone wishes to attempt this please take great care and every precaution possible to ensure your own safety. I take no responsibility for any accidents.

[Jellibeen69]

Many thanks for that quick reply, is this ideal to do indoors or is it better to do outside?
and does not heating the solution not create to much pressure in the jar especailly with a lid attached?
oh and whats the wet cloth for cloth for? is that to do with the condesing stage?
regards
Ellis

[Jellibeen69]

Renaissance Wax 200ml

is it this one that you use, if not which one.

cheers

[rhubarb]

Ellis, the wax I use is this stuff: http://www.tiranti.co.uk/subdivision...ubdivision=139 . The Renaissance Wax is based on the same stuff but works out far more expensive.

To be honest I usually dont bother with the lid, making sure that I've used plenty of clingfilm - it will bulge but providing you've used plenty should hold up a treat, it's tough stuff, espeacially used in layers. The larger your container in ratio to the amount of wax / white spirits you're heating the safer the process is. The damp cloth is there incase things go wrong to 'catch' any leakage etc. Not ideal but better than owt. If you could do it outside its probably the safest approach, but so long as you've good ventilation, ie not in a box room, it shouldnt be an issue. By the time you're done heating chances are that cloth will be pretty warm so be carefull. The condensation of vapours within the jar will happen once it's cool enough, by the time its back to room temp you'll have nothing to worry about.

Just bear in mind the GOLDEN RULE: pressure produced is proportional to the volume of white spirits used in ratio to the amount of free space inside your jar. So use a BIG jar and a small amount of white spirits / wax.
And in addition WAIT for it to cool - you can wait too short a period of time but you can't leave it too long!

[Jellibeen69]

just made some up this morning, took quite a while for the wax to melt but got there eventually, let it cool but the wax started to solidify at the bottom again, is this normal?
warmed it slightly this solved the problem.
when applying does the wax solution supposed to turn hard?
and how many applications do you apply?
many thanks

[rhubarb]

Hi Jellibean,

If the wax solidified the first time I can only guess that you didn't heat it enough or cooled it too quickly - it does take a while. Once you've applied it (remember thin coats) leave alone for 10/15mins - the white spirit will evaporate leaving just a layer of wax. Grab yourself some kitchen roll or cloth and buff like crazy until your cue is smooth and shiny. I wouldn't apply more than one more coat, two in total, buffing in between. Your cue should sort of give the same feel as a varnished cue once applied, with a little extra friction between it and your bridge / grip, but the wax shouldn't be soft. Once you've played it in for a while the finish will improve as excess wax rubs off and it 'beds in'. Usually this also means the shiny finish will have matted - just rebuff again.