Cheese wax; uses thereof ?

[Toddy]

I've just tidied up the polybagful of wax from cheese truckles and blocks. I've got just shy of 200g of the stuff. Red and black, and it's clean, smells only of 'wax'.
What to do with it though ?

I don't want to re-use it for cheese. I keep cheese in the fridge these days so I don't need to wax blocks and keep it in the pantry. I have used it in the past to make 'essential oil' candle things for outside (it's inclined to burn very smokily) and I have dipped string wrapped pinecones into it to make fire starters.
Both worked well, and cost me nothing to make (I used bog myrtle to make the candles, or added pine resin)
and satisfied my little bit of frugal 'waste not want not' self.
I have another bag of the stuff in one of the sheds too, so it's time to do something with it all.

Any other practical ideas ?



M

 

[John Fenna]

I mix mine with sawdust to make fire lighters - just pour molten wax into old eggboxes of sawdust and break them up!

 

[Broch]

Because it's relatively soft (low melting point) it's easy to shape. So, I've used it in the past to make shapes I want to cast in metal. If it's a full 3D object I use it to create a plaster of Paris two-part mould; if it's a simple object (such as a brooch with a flat back) it can be a single part mould. Note, I'm not talking about 'lost wax' casting; just using the wax to make an imitation of the final product.

I'm about to experiment with copper and silver clay in my furnace. Again, I will make a wax model of the object, create a female mould from it, push the clay into it and fire it - I don't know if this will work well enough but I'm going to give it a go.

This whole process does not help you reduce your stock of wax however as it's re-usable

 

[Stew]

Because it's relatively soft (low melting point) it's easy to shape. So, I've used it in the past to make shapes I want to cast in metal. If it's a full 3D object I use it to create a plaster of Paris two-part mould; if it's a simple object (such as a brooch with a flat back) it can be a single part mould. Note, I'm not talking about 'lost wax' casting; just using the wax to make an imitation of the final product.

I'm about to experiment with copper and silver clay in my furnace. Again, I will make a wax model of the object, create a female mould from it, push the clay into it and fire it - I don't know if this will work well enough but I'm going to give it a go.

This whole process does not help you reduce your stock of wax however as it's re-usable

I like this! I have plans to do some casting so could use it. How is it for holding detail?

 

[Tengu]

Some clever ideas here.

I just re use mine on cheese...boring

 

[shaggystu]

You could polish your mousetraps?

 

[daveO]

I mix mine with sawdust to make fire lighters - just pour molten wax into old eggboxes of sawdust and break them up!

If you added a bit of parrafin would these make good fuel for a ghilly kettle or would it just get wax everywhere?

 

[Janne]

Refill tealights.

 

[John Fenna]

If you added a bit of parrafin would these make good fuel for a ghilly kettle or would it just get wax everywhere?

No need for parrafin - the wax and sawdust work fine as a fuel block - in a Hobo at least

 

[Toddy]

Refill tealights.

Way too smokey except for outside or up a chimney.

 

[Janne]

I just guessed....

I use cheese wax to improve the start of the fire in our wood burning stove.
I am to lazy to make much kindling, and the wax helps igniting the logs.
I place it on top of the little kindling I have, paper under kindling, flat piece of wood at the bottom. I do not want it dripping and messing up the ash container, as I spread the ash under the bushes in the garden.

 

[Broch]

I like this! I have plans to do some casting so could use it. How is it for holding detail?

All things being relative but, yes, it can hold quite fine detail. It is prone to holding finger prints if you're not careful so, on the larger flat areas, I wipe with cotton buds or similar dipped in a solvent if I've been careless.

 

[Robson Valley]

Lost wax casting. Chill it to carve it to get detail. Set into Plaster of Paris. . . . .. .
Just carve pieces as ornaments.

Paint wooden dishes to waterproof them at 90C
Most waxes melt at 60C or lower so you should have an easy time of spreading it like paint.

 

[Toddy]

This stuff is incredibly soft, but it's heavily dyed. I have red and black, and in the bag outside there's some green and some gold coloured stuff.
It's food safe, but I'm pretty sure it's paraffin wax.

I wouldn't use it on my wooden dishes. I use beeswax on those, sometimes thinned down with some good oil.
This stuff melts with the heat of your hand. It's meant to wrap cheeses that are kept refrigerated, to cut cleanly and easily and peel off.
At Christmas it's ubiquitous to find a huge range of small truckles and blocks of cheese sealed in the coloured waxes.

M

 

[snappingturtle]

Toddy, I smoosh that kind of wax in a cardboard roll then roll an twist and you have a fine fire lighter, its about as imaginative as I have got with it

 

[Toddy]

I was kind of thinking of bushcrafty elvish/ hallowe'en/Pratchett type wizzards dribbly candles or some such. Maybe add in some of the salts that burn with different colours.

Just for the fun of things

 

[Broch]

I was kind of thinking of bushcrafty elvish/ hallowe'en/Pratchett type wizzards' dribbly candles or some such. Maybe add in some of the salts that burn with different colours.

Just for the fun of things

Pratchett candles have to be made from the ear wax of trolls I believe; but you could make some imitation ones

 

[snappingturtle]

I was kind of thinking of bushcrafty elvish/ hallowe'en/Pratchett type wizzards' dribbly candles or some such. Maybe add in some of the salts that burn with different colours.

Just for the fun of things

Y'know that sounds like a plan! maybe red centre with a black outer? I had one like it for halloween and it looked like it dripped blood

 

[snappingturtle]

Pratchett candles have to be made from the ear wax of trolls I believe; but you could make some imitation ones

Bet Hellize could get some.

 

[Laurentius]

I posted a long time back, must be in the archive somewhere that my brother used the wax from cheese to waterproof a coat.