Waterproofing a Leather Tankard

[OwenoWent]

Hi everybody. I'm new to all of this and stumbled on this website thanks to the marvels of google.

Basically, I have recently acquired a leather tankard - however it doesn't quite hold water. It will for a while before it slowly starts seeping out through the seams at the bottom of the vessel.

Through doing a bit of research (and smelling inside the tankard) I've discovered beeswax to be the solution. However, I haven't done anything like this before, and I'm scared of ruining the looks and/or function of my tankard.

I've bought a block of pure beeswax - but any advice that you could give on the correct way to apply it would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Owen.

 

[John Fenna]

Melt the wax in a double pan (bain Marie) - ie a glass bowl in a pan of boiling water and then pour a bit into the (warmed) tankard and swirl it around to cover the seams. If you only have a small amount of wax you can use a cheap paintbrush to apply the wax more accurately....
Things to careful of - do not have the wax too hot or it will "cook" the leather and it will shrink and crinkle and wreck everything! Do not over-warm the leather either - same result!
Oh - and welcome to the site Say hello in the "welcomes" area if you like.
Where in SW Wales are you - I am up near Cardigan

 

[OwenoWent]

Fantastic. Diolch, John. I won't give it a go for a few days - but I will report back when I've had the time to do it.

Just a few other queries. How would you suggest warming the leather? Low low heat in the oven? Also, when you say swirl the wax around, do you disgard any excess, or leave it to harden inside the vessel?

I'm not quite as far West as you. Llanelli.

Thanks again for quick solution and a warm welcome.

Owen.

 

[durulz]

Before you start using hot wax, have a go with a hot air gun first!
Using either a hot air gun, or a hair-dryer, give the tankard a blast of heat in the area of where it leaks from - you may be lucky and the hot air will be enough to melt some of the wax and seal any leaks.
If that doesn't work then it's time for dipping it in hot wax. This is a real trick - you need the leather and wax hot enough so they penetrate each other, but not so hot that you end up with a pork (or, rather, cow) scratching at the end of it.
When I dip leather in wax I let it stand in the boiler cupboard over night, to ensure the leather warms up.
Then melt your wax (do it in the shed - splashes are pretty much inevitable and will make you extremely unpopular) and dip the tankard in it. To ensure the wax isn't so hot that you end up deep-frying the leather I melt the wax, then turn off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes before dipping.
Give the item a quick dunk and swill it all around - don't let the wax sit in the tankard like a pint of scolding beer! Pour out any excess. Then let it stand for a few seconds. Then give it another go. And then rest. Do that about four or five times.

Before you start dipping, though, give the hot air gun treatment a go first - less chance of things going wrong and it may just be enough to get the vessel water-tight once more!

 

[John Fenna]

Before you start using hot wax, have a go with a hot air gun first!
Using either a hot air gun, or a hair-dryer, give the tankard a blast of heat in the area of where it leaks from - you may be lucky and the hot air will be enough to melt some of the wax and seal any leaks.
If that doesn't work then it's time for dipping it in hot wax. This is a real trick - you need the leather and wax hot enough so they penetrate each other, but not so hot that you end up with a pork (or, rather, cow) scratching at the end of it.
When I dip leather in wax I let it stand in the boiler cupboard over night, to ensure the leather warms up.
Then melt your wax (do it in the shed - splashes are pretty much inevitable and will make you extremely unpopular) and dip the tankard in it. To ensure the wax isn't so hot that you end up deep-frying the leather I melt the wax, then turn off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes before dipping.
Give the item a quick dunk and swill it all around - don't let the wax sit in the tankard like a pint of scolding beer! Pour out any excess. Then let it stand for a few seconds. Then give it another go. And then rest. Do that about four or five times.

Before you start dipping, though, give the hot air gun treatment a go first - less chance of things going wrong and it may just be enough to get the vessel water-tight once more!

Now that is a good idea - I had not thought that there might still be viable wax still in there!

 

[OwenoWent]

Thanks Durulz. I tried the hairdryer treatment. Seems to have shored it up a bit - but still leaks in one or two areas. Will try again in a bit.

Something else I've noticed - rather worryingly is that when I disgard the water after it's been in the tankard - it has picked up a bit of a brown colouration. Nothing too aggressive, but enough to be noticeable. Is this a normal thing to expect from leather vessels? Or is that a sure fire way of knowing it needs a new coat of wax? Sorry for all these questions.

I have no idea on the history of the tankard, so I couldn't say if it has been misused or treated in the past. Although there is a faint smell of beeswax inside it.

 

[Black Sheep]

As the folks above have already said.........

I put my tankards in the oven on the lowest setting for about 30 mins to warm before dipping them into my wax bath (slow cooker full of wax), pour out the excess wax and place back in the oven. I usually do this 4 or 5 times and any problem spots get the hot air gun treatment.

I then switch off the oven and put them back in to cool slowly (stops the wax cracking as it cools).

Last of all then their cool I leak test them by filling with water and standing on a peice of paper towel, any leaks and its hot air gun time.

Richard

 

[OwenoWent]

Wow guys. Thanks for all the brilliant advice.

I will let you know how I get on, and will post pictures when it's done.

 

[OwenoWent]

Done - and seems to be working. Thanks for all of your advice guys.

Will raise an ale to you all tonight during the rugby.

 

[John Fenna]

Drowned your sorrows yet?