Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: stringstretcher on May 09, 2013, 07:50:56 pm
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I had an old crock pot that was laying around and decided to use it to melt down and refine the bees wax that Pearl Drums gave me at the classic. I put some in the pot, melted it low, strained out the big stuff, then put a piece of tee shirt over my strainer and stained out 12, 2oz cups of pure bees wax. Now ain't these a thing of beauty?
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax002_zps28809e88.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax002_zps28809e88.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax001_zpsae9b6332.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax001_zpsae9b6332.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax003_zpsb540bbf6.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax003_zpsb540bbf6.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax004_zpscbe7533f.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/Beeswax004_zpscbe7533f.jpg.html)
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Very cool Charlie! I bet it smelled good ;)
Tracy
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We were joking about Charlie being the best smelling guy at the Classic ;D
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good deal Charles.it turned out fine.
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Only thing that smells as good as honey...beeswax! Such useful stuff, Charlie.
Measure out half an ounce of beeswax and add an ounce of high quality olive oil. Makes a good lip balm in the winter. Rub it on rough hands or heels to keep 'em soft. Also makes a good patch lube for muzzleloading!
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I use 2/3rd wax and 1/3 toilet bowl ring, (new one, if you use an old one you have to strain the wax again, lol)
This makes the wax a little softer to use when making bow strings.
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OK! so now I have it figured out who this Pearl Drums guy is! Have some wax and Hawk got a bunch! Thanks much! Joe
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he was the goofy looking guy from up north. ;D
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Pat thats what they said about me when I relocated from Ohio to NC. So that tells me PD must be one helluva of a swell guy. ;D
Matt
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Did a second melting this morning, and got 16 more 2 oz cups of the good stuff. Still have at least two more meltings to go.
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Joe, Pearl Drums was the guy with the beard and skinny arms running around telling everybody that he got a Pappy bow ;)
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Boy oh boy look at the bunch of tough guys jibbering now that Im 500 miles north again! There will be another Classic fella's and I will be there, gunships and all. Brennan and Anders are #1 and #2 on my "list".
Glad you got a positive ID on me Joe! We spoke several times in passing.
I was hoping Mike (Hawk) would know what that wax was for. I never got a chance to introduce myself or explain what I left him. Clint told me what it was for and I flopped a box down on his table.
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Got some more filtered today, but found some still trash in some of the small containers. I am sure some of yours do to Pearl, as I had nothing but the metal strainer with me when I did yours. So here is my yield so far, and still have two meltings to do.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s001_zps8ba8ec80.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s001_zps8ba8ec80.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s003_zps212311e4.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s003_zps212311e4.jpg.html)
I noticed so trash in some of the containers, so what I did is just run the raw melted wax through the metal strainer to get the big stuff and other junk out. See the big squares?
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s004_zpsa50e436f.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s004_zpsa50e436f.jpg.html)
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When I removed the squares and looked at the bottoms....trash. This will not be acceptable for me and bow wax. So I am melting it all, running it through the metal strainer, then it will all get melted again, and run through a cloth and metal staining to get every piece of trash out. See the trash on the bottoms.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s005_zps5da5148a.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s005_zps5da5148a.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s006_zpsc6a05691.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s006_zpsc6a05691.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s007_zpsfbce7008.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/s007_zpsfbce7008.jpg.html)
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I use it just like that Charlie. Works fine for me. I bet cheese clothe would work good, but would strain slowly.
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I am using up my old tee shirts, cut and put in the metal strainer and then add the melted wax. It takes a little while to sift through, but it will be 100 per clean. I just got four more big squares poured out, and got the last melting in the pot now. Should get another 3 squares. I will let every thing rest this evening and night, and the put it all back in the pot, melt it down again, and then do a final straining. Might pick up some cheese cloth in the morning and see if it works better than the tee shirt. What I need is some old panty hose. But no ladies around here to get them from....lol.
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You might wanna take a second to re-think your harsh comment about "trash". In all likelihood any part of that dark stuff that is not bee legs, antennae, body parts is likely to be propolis.
Propolis is now believed to:
1.reinforce the structural stability of the hive
2.reduce vibration
3.make the hive more defensible by sealing alternate entrances
4.prevent diseases and parasites from entering the hive, and to inhibit bacterial growth[3]
5.prevent putrefaction within the hive. Bees usually carry waste out of and away from the hive. However if a small lizard or mouse, for example, finds its way into the hive and dies there, bees may be unable to carry it out through the hive entrance. In that case, they would attempt instead to seal the carcass in propolis, essentially mummifying it and making it odorless and harmless.
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I got a buddy that has bees, brings me in big balls of raw wax and I use it just like that, still has a little honey mixed in, works great just like that and when your done waxing a string you get to lick the honey off your fingers
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JW, you got me on that one. So let's just put it as unwanted materials in the wax that I do not use :)
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Dang it all, Charlie, you brought all that cane to the Classic and I didn't even get to look at it, much less sit down and pick your brain about making arrows from it.
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Man you was spread out so thin, I think I seen you flying a couple of times...lol. Wished we had more time, just so little time and so much going on. Hard to get it all in within a few days.
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The last of it. Now to remelt it all and do a final straining.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/wax001_zps6d7cf5cd.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/wax001_zps6d7cf5cd.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/wax005_zps47a4e2a6.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/wax005_zps47a4e2a6.jpg.html)
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Charlie,when you get ready to do some trading let me know.i need some of that.
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I got it all melted down, strained twice through double cheese cloth. I finished up with 84, 1.60z containers which is right at 8.4lbs. I also poured out 7 special blend containers for me to try and have about 5 or 6 more in the crock pot of the special blend until I see if my blend is what I want as I know what mixture and ratio is in it. Enjoy the pictures, this is the last of the bees wax melting.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/001_zps98492d82.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/001_zps98492d82.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/002_zps1a9e04c7.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/002_zps1a9e04c7.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/003_zps93e4e0a3.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/003_zps93e4e0a3.jpg.html)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/004_zps8931bf80.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/004_zps8931bf80.jpg.html)
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And my 7 special blend to try. ;)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/STRINGSTRETCHER/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/005_zps7b4f58ac.jpg) (http://s43.photobucket.com/user/STRINGSTRETCHER/media/2013%20Tenn%20Classic/005_zps7b4f58ac.jpg.html)
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I'm assuming you have bees? I've been looking all over Lansing for some wax...
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WOW.....
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No I don't have bees, but good friends that supply me with some to melt down and clean.
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I took and mixed some pine pitch with some bees wax after finding a recipe for it on the net, and it is some great string making wax. The wax is still hard but has a stickiness that is just perfect for string making. I am loving this stuff.
Pearl, get all you can my friend.
And for anyone out there that can get bees wax, if you will get it, ship it to me, I will refine and clean it up and send half back to you for you self. So go looking for bees everyone.
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Someone just gave me an entire beehive, two bottom boxes with 9" frames, two hive supers with frames, queen excluder, bottom board, top board, etc.
I have to remember to call Animal Control, 911 Dispatch, and all the pest control companies and tell them I am prepared to run out and scoop up a bee swarm if they get a call. Nothing like a free hive and finding free bees to put in it. If the swarm proves to be some ornery bees, I can order a good Minnesota Hygenic queen, Italian queen, or Russian queen and squash the mean queen. Nothing like toppling a bad monarchy and replacing it with a hand picked sweetheart.
Bees are cool. Waaaay cool.
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So when should I expect my first shipment of wax JW?....lol
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You can raise bees for wax or honey. I happen to like honey in my tea of a morning.
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It smells and looks better when others raise it and give it to me... >:D ;D
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Even more so for me as I am allergic to them. But grats on all that string wax.
Paul F.
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Now that's a haul of beeswax.Proves what a little effort can get ya.
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Just traded my Amish buddy for a feed sack of raw beeswax. Now to talk the wife out of a crock pot!
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You will get a lot from it Wildman. Let me know how it works up for you.
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Just traded my Amish buddy for a feed sack of raw beeswax.
Hope he was ok with that, slavery is becoming a little frowned on around here. ::)
Ok, bad joke, but I couldn't help myself! ;D
Scott
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Im laughing up here Scott! Myself? I would have kept the Amish buddy to peel and seal my osage and just looked elsewhere for wax.
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;D ;D ;D
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Might try a pair of panty hose, or nylon stockings. ;)
Wayne
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Might try a pair of panty hose, or nylon stockings. ;)
Wayne
....if you can find some that fit and are not too uncomfortable to wear.
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Never work ,ya ever try to get an Amish guy in panty hose???? ;D >:D
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Tell him to do it or else he'll get traded away!!!
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Laughed so hard spit beer on my computer!!
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Laughed so hard spit beer on my computer!!
Wait until your wife tells you to get your own pantyhose to strain your beeswax.