Purchased some seals and wax at Michael's yesterday. This is the kind of wax that has the wick in it. I finally had the chance to use them tonight and I don't think I like them. How do I keep the pool from getting all sooty? I have gone through the other threads and could find no real defined way of preventing this.

My next step is to get some wax sticks without the wicks. I've also seen wax beads that can be melted in a spoon. Has anyone tried these beads? How do you keep the wax from sticking to the spoon?

Thanks in advance!

I've used both the wicked sealing wax and the sticks without the wick. And I get "soot" with both. I just learned to live with it. Never tried the beads.

One thing you can try to do, that works for me in eliminating soot, is to hold the flame as far away from the wax as you can, and still get it to melt.

That should be more effective for you.

I've seen sticks that go though a hot-melt glue gun. Nice regulated temperature, no flames.

I've never used them but one of snail mail friends has and says that the glue gun is the way to go. Much easier, quicker, and less messy than those other methods. Only reporting what I was told. Can't vouch for it myself but believe that's what I'm going to try.

Cedar

Edited to add that I believe glue gun wax is needed but any regular hot glue gun. I have this: letterseals.com website. Again, can't vouch for any of it, personally.

When I was a child, all registered parcels had to be tied up with string and every knot sealing-waxed...we just used to heat it to melting point with a match an then smear it on the knot. No problems, as I recall, with sootiness.

I use a lighter instead of a match, and wax without wicks. Torch-style cigar lighters work the best, and a creme-brule torch (larger version of the same thing, essentially) is also pretty good.

I once tried the heat gun I use when repairing pens. If I'd thought about it for a minute first I'd have realized that this was Not a Good Idea. (Moves too much air; small droplets of wax blown across the back of the envelope...)

However, personally I don't mind a little soot in the wax anyway.

I have used the melting spoon thing for sealing wax. I just twist up a chunk of paper towel to push into the spoon to clean out the wax that sticks, after the wax is poured & the seal set. Just be careful not to burn yourself. It usually takes couple of paper towel twists to "scrub" out the hot spoon.

No suggestions, but I kind of like the sootiness. It adds character. I would guess that the spoon way is not sooty (but i've never tried it). I would guess that either the wax doesn't stick very firmly to the spoon when cooled and you might be able to put veggi oil on the spoon before use. I have never tried this. Only guessing from oiling the seals themselves.

The "soot" is actualy carbon. If you use a heat source different than say a butane lighter or wick. I have read that an alcohol lamp is recomended for melting wax because when the alcohol burns there is less or no carbon output.

Hmmm. An alcohol lamp also burns at a lower temperature, potentially limiting the decomposition of the organics in the wax. Good call.

Thank you all for the suggestions. On some of the websites I've seen that sell sealing waxes they also sell or recommend an alcohol lamps.

I've bought the same wax from Michael's before, and I just had difficulty getting the wax to pool nicely. So I ended up cutting off pieces of it and melting it in a regular spoon over a flame, and pouring it. The wax, when cool, peels off if you have a thick enough layer (but then again, if you're planning on making more seals in the future, you can just keep the glob of wax in the spoon for next time).

Thanks. I think this is what I am going to do. I'll just designate a spoon for melting wax.

Oops. Double post.

Not directly related, but I swear I remember seeing something recently about sealing wax that was specifically made to have a better chance of making it through the postal system more or less intact, but now I can't find it.

Anyone?

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=58228

Posts 3 and 4 mentioned flexible/supple sealing wax that's designed to go through modern postal equipment.

This is bringing back terrible memories about the first time that I worked as a presiding officer at the elections.

It was about 20 years ago, when things were still done the old fashioned way and you had to seal the ballot box up using pink ribbon and sealing wax. Well I got distracted when I was applying the sealing wax and dropped the lit taper through the slot where you put the ballot papers in. Cue scenes of panic as I rushed to the kitchen for some water which was then poured into the box after the taper. Thankfully that put out the flames but I got a lot of strange looks when they opened up the ballot box at the count that night.

Since then I have avoided sealing wax as far as possible. In fact, even typing those words has me coming out in a cold sweat

Well, I can speak from experience on letterseals.com now. What a headache! I had nothing but grief trying to get the website to work with PayPal. Finally contacted them via e-mail so they could get paid using PayPal. Heard nothing. Contacted them, again. We didn't get your order. Asked if I should attach it to the e-mail. No response. Thought maybe they could just take it off their website as it still showed there. Nothing. Finally just attached the order to an e-mail and asked them to attend to getting it shipped out. Said they'd send it out Monday, the 23rd. Here it is July 1 and I still don't have my order.
Argh! I've finally just asked them to refund my money. Why do I have no faith?
Well, at least there seem to be better alternatives IF I get my money back.
I can not recommend that website.

Cedar

On what fragile threads the fate of nations hangs.

I use the sealing wax with a wick all the time. I find that if I'm careful about the angle I hold the wax and try not to hurry it, I don't get soot. Also, I believe it's the glue gun wax and the wax beads which are more flexible and thus more mailable. With the traditional wax (with wick in it), if I'm careful not to get it too thick, it mails fine. However, do be aware the post office may charge an additional 20 cents to mail an envelope that is either a non-uniform shape or has thicker wax on it. I get most of my supplies on ebay. There is a seller "sdwells" that I've found both informative and reliable.

I use it all the time, I just put wax-sealed envelopes inside a second envelope. My preference for sealing wax is the Colonial Williamsburg burgundy with no wick. I keep a curled-handle spoon and a votive candle exclusively for that purpose, and use brass seals also from C.W.

A little tip for a clean seal is to melt more wax than you need and never let the spoon touch the dropped wax. Also, after the initial pressure, leave the seal on the wax until it's totally cooled, the seal will pop right off and not pull up any of the imprint. For a large seal, 2" or so, I use a dedicated stainless creamer pitcher, it works like a charm.

To clean a seal that has gathered wax in the design, dip it in boiling water from a string or clothespin. Be sure to use a container you can pitch. Don't poor waxy water down your drain!

Hi! I don't know how sticky sealing wax is compared to other waxes such as the smelling wax chips that you put in a warmer to melt, but you could look into those, but again I don't know how well that would work

But the reason I say that is, when I need to clean my warmer, I stick the bowl in the freezer and the wax pops right out...sometimes with a little more force, but you could do that before the hot water to get most or all of it out of what you use to melt it in.

Hey, I have this stuff, too! Great to know that it works so well, and that the money goes to a great cause (preserving history, of course)!

Slightly OT, but I use tart warmers and this is what I do to get the wax tart out when the scent has gone away. I don't think regular scented tarts have a enough color in them to make a nice seal. Maybe the darker ones.

I've played around some more with my wax sticks and you definitely have to keep practicing and be patient.

I lick my seals before pressing them into the hot wax to keep them from sticking to the wax or pulling any off. Works like a charm. For those who don't want to lick the seal, you could just press onto a damp cloth or sponge I suppose. The moisture allows the metal seal to easily release from the wax. Works for me anyway.

Hm, I never thought of that, I'm going to try it next time. Thanks!

As has been mentioned here already,using a cigar torch lighter is the best.Gets it hot enough and leaves no sooty residue at all.I use Atelier Gargoyle's wax sticks as i have found the best colour range for the best price.I will be picking up some more this next weekend at the Portland Pen Show.
I use seals on all of my letters.

Jim