Dip Waxing leather (slow cooker?)

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tim_n

Full Member
Feb 8, 2010
1,726
124
Essex
Don't want to keep bothering Eric on Facebook plus I already know his preferred method of waxing leather.

I've seen posts about people using cheap slow cookers to dip bottles/tankards in. Is this a clever thing to do? Ie is the wax likely to get hotter than it would in a bain marie and destroy my tankards or is it relatively safe? At £9 for a slow cooker and no need for a cooker seems like an ideal way of not destroying a pan.

Otherwise I've got to get myself a couple of pans (one for the wax, one for the water) that'll be a suitable size...

Thoughts?
 

Toadflax

Native
Mar 26, 2007
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Oxfordshire
Not sure about a slow cooker, I've always used a makeshift double boiler, but depends on the size of item you want to dip. I've just got myself a big chef's double boiler that will hold a few kilos of beeswax, for doing my tankards, but prior to this I've used old treacle tin, large instant coffee tin, and a big Zebra billy, sitting in a pan of barely simmering water.

You really don't want to get the wax too hot (melts around 60 degC) for fear of flash fire, and so you don't cook the leather too much, so I'd think that a slow cooker (which can keep a stew boiling at 100 degC may get it too warm).

But I do thoroughly recommend dipping rather than painting molten wax on hot leather. A tankard takes only a couple of minutes to dip.


Geoff :)
 

tim_n

Full Member
Feb 8, 2010
1,726
124
Essex
I've not got anything except the "proper" kitchen gear, so if I'm forced to buy something - either a simple cheap pan - about £9 or a slow cooker - £9 - it'll be pretty much in the same league so just looking to not waste cash.

Can't think of any tins I've got lying about at the moment either - the only thing I've got are mini casks (which have plastic taps at the bottom). Paint seems to only come in plastic these days...

I'll have to trawl the charity shops I guess - but I'll have a look down my scout hall and see if I can find some aluminium pot that's disused and damaged...
 

tim_n

Full Member
Feb 8, 2010
1,726
124
Essex
Pyrex is either too shallow or the bowls aren't steep sided enough (wasted wax) - needs to be a pot of some sort to accommodate a tankard. I have four to do at the moment and undoubtedly will be asked to do more...
 

tim_n

Full Member
Feb 8, 2010
1,726
124
Essex
Never seen tall pyrex, just casserole pots with flat bases.

Anyway, problem is now solved - Down the scout hall yesterday they mentioned that they're getting rid of a load of cheap stainless steel dixies which we got from the world Jamboree in 2007 (Basically anyone who turned up from abroad to Hylands park ended up with a patrol box filled with cheap gear. At the end of the camp, they sold the patrol boxes off to local scout troops for £10. It was mostly worth it for the wood boxes)

The Dixies were horrendous to cook with, but came in two sizes. The smaller of the two doesn't actually fit properly in the larger dixie (another pain for those camping!) so the handles keep the pan off the bottom. Really handy for a Bain Marie/Double Boiler.

How big is the smaller dixie? Exactly 4 litres and I have 4KG of wax, so all is well that ends well and I'll hopefully have a chance to fire it up tonight and dip one!
 

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