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[waltzman]

For those of you who use the wax spoon method for waxing reeds I have found a source for inexpensive wax melting pots (at least in the states).  Beauty supply stores sell small electric wax melting pots used for the hair striping wax they use.  I got one for around $30 and it works great.

[Pete Dunk]

Brilliant! just what I've been looking for and not at all expensive. Thanks a lot for the idea.

Pete.

[Aaro]

Hi

I have this kind wax machine, Very easy use.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=412957560&albumID=677638&imageID=3061158

[Pete Dunk]

Now that looks like a very professional (and expensive!) piece of kit. 

[an bosca ceoil]

Makes you think though!
Wonder where you could source the needle valve?

[Bill the Farmer]

It seems to me that the average modelmaker with a small lathe could make something like that. It looks like three pieces of copper pipe brazed together with something like the pointy end of a draughtsman's 0.5mm pencil at the bottom with some 0.5mm wire in it attached to the sprung lever at the top. The whole thing is fitted to a soldering iron to heat it. I assume there's a controller of some sort to adjust the temperature.

[Waltham]

I've not used one but this might be useful, though it doesn't have the valve:

http://www.handprinted.co.uk/Batik/tabid/54/CategoryID/0/List/1/Level/a/ProductID/5/Default.aspx?SortField=EAN%2cEAN

[stillicidia]

The manual version of the tjanting works by using your finger to cover the large hole at the top thus stopping air from getting inside the tjanting when you raise your finger it allows the wax to pour so works as a valve - but it needs to be topped up in the hot wax pot to keep the wax molten, the nib can be as small as 0.5mm
Richard

I can't work out how to put a picture on here but this link should work -

http://i2.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/1b/29/99b0_1.JPG

[an bosca ceoil]

That electric Tjanting is certainly a lot cheaper than some you will see advertised but I am inclined to think that, heated or not, they would prove more trouble than they are worth.
If you were filling them from a wax pot you would have to be so careful to prevent drips from the bowl while over the reeds and I am convinced that controlling the flow would be difficult.
The "finger over the hole" might well work but you would forever be dewaxing yourself before you could touch the next plate?
I have seen something advertised, specifically for reedplate waxing, that fits onto a pistol soldering iron in place of the tip. Even though this would give you trigger control over the heat I still cannot see what you do with the part full pot of wax when you get to the end of the plate!
For what it is worth I think you are better off using a simple spoon or, for single plates "stick" wax and a fine thermostatic soldering iron.

[Rob2Hook]

Wouldn't it be great if you cold feed wax sticks through a hot glue gun?!

[an bosca ceoil]

Yes!

[Falseknight]

Any pressing reason why not.  You could even use a thyristor (lighting) dimmer to control the power if they get too hot.

[an bosca ceoil]

Would not dispute that you could melt wax this way but you would be relying on gravity for the flow and, even if you switched the normally constant, albeit controlled heat, there would be no precise control over that flow?
I can see that it might work round widely spaced bass plates but not on the treble side of something like a Liliput. (Even those reeds Aaro is mounting are pretty wide apart and he has got absolute control over the flow)

[Falseknight]

Glue guns are trigger controlled - pressure on the trigger forces the glue stick into the melting chamber.  If the temperature control was correct,  I would anticipate it would be capable of very close control.

[Pete Dunk]

If the temperature control was correct,  I would anticipate it would be capable of very close control.

I wouldn't use a domestic lighting dimmer for this, far too crude and inaccurate. A rheostat is the way to go but you're getting back into money again; then there's the question of casting the sticks ...

[an bosca ceoil]

I envisaged that Falseknight was advocating just popping some wax down the hole!
 It would not be that difficult to cast rods but, unless you could impart a "slip" surface like glue sticks have, I doubt that the gripper would return without sticking to the rod and bringing it back.
That might work in your favour by removing the rod from the hot place but, as you well know, molten wax would not solidify instantaneously when you stopped pushing -  so how would you cope with the surplus?
That said, I would not assume to rubbish the idea without trying it - made that mistake turning down computer training fifty years ago thinking punchcards were there to stay!

[Falseknight]

Falseknight is an aerospace engineer by profession  merely popping wax down a hole is simply not elegant.

The dimmers I was envisaging are the plug-in thyristors for portable lighting.  The load required by a glue gun is trivial - a few watts only, and these give very fine control.

[Rob2Hook]

I hear the bit about rejecting computer training...  I also suggested (perhaps unwisely) to an engineer from Xerox that the photocopier should also be able to scan, print, etc.  Now I guess I'll also see one of you marketing a wax glue gun!  Still, I never hoped to get rich from anything free reed!

Rob.

[an bosca ceoil]

Falseknight is an aerospace engineer by profession 

Glad I did not read this while sat in Departures!
Personally I cannot see the concept getting off the ground but it would be interesting to hear from anyone who did pursue the idea.
Bruce