This hobby has turned me into a greeny. :-)

[Majorstrain]

Silly Newbie question alert....
What do you use machinable wax for?

Not a silly question at all.

To tell the truth, I haven't used it at all yet. Although I have been collecting bottle tops.
I was planning to make molds for stamps (the kind my wife uses in card making and scrap booking, ink pad stamps) but I haven't got around to setting up a small cnc mill to machine the wax.
I imagine it could be used for lost wax casting, just turn or mill up the part and then cast it in the material of choice. But I have no experience in that area so it's only a guess.

You can cast it into blocks or bar and then have at it as you would any other material on the lathe or mill. I'm told it doesn't stick to the tool or cutter like wax does. When your finished just melt it down and go again.

It was just a cool idea I was going to try some time.

Cheers,
Phil

 

[tmuir]

I was wondering if it would be good for lost wax casting.
I have two young kids in my house at the moment and we go thorugh nearly 9 litres of milk a week at the moment.
I might start saving the caps too.
I've also got about 3kg of parifin wax too.

 

[Majorstrain]

Cool 8) , shouldn't take you long to get a batch together. My wife only buys the long life milk . let me know how it goes if you do.

Look forward to hearing what other uses there are for it when our friends north of the line (equator) log on tonight, I sure some of them will have used it.

Cheers
Phil

p.s. the silver steel was 14mm.

 

[vlmarshall]

Thank you, Phil! :bow: I've cut up a lot of machinable wax at work, and there are times I'd like to have it at home as well.
Now I'll have it. ;D

 

[Tin Falcon]

beeings my recent attempts at cnc machining has resulted as oops. Machinable wax is creeping higher on the things to buy list I figure a small centrifugal separator as s a prefilter to the shop vac would save most of the chips for recycling.
Jewelers wax for investment casting comes in two flavors carveable aka (machinable) and injection. The former being for a one of a kind piece and the later injected into a rubber mold for multiple copies.
Tin

 

[chillybilly]

Wow a hole new angle on "wombelling ",never thought of melting down the bits of plastic,she will be so pleased !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :big:

 

[Majorstrain]

Wow a hole new angle on "wombelling ",never thought of melting down the bits of plastic,she will be so pleased !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :big:

Especially when you use her slow cooker. :hDe:

Phil

The wifes point of view :big:

 

[vlmarshall]

The wifes point of view

Rof} :big: Rof} :big: :bow:

 

[Majorstrain]

We had a curb side collection going the last couple of weeks.

I picked up a few multi-function ink jet printers. (the ones with the scanners on top)
Apart from the S/S bar in the printer and scanner, the scanner head has some first surface mirrors in them. The biggest was 8" x 3/4" and the other two were a bit thinner.
Not that I have any projects for them, but they are in the bit box anyway.

Cheers,
Phil

 

[tel]

Pack them mirrors away carefully and treat 'em like gold Phil. When I built my (crude) optical comparitor I sent me 'air grey looking for some of that - ended up using an ordinary shaving mirror, works, but no real fine focus. Got hold of a few small bits since and they are going nowhere!

 

[Majorstrain]

WILCO Tel,
Optical comparator hey Thm:, now there's something to research for a future project.
I think my wife has finally given up on me. scratch.gif
I picked up 3 printers and then a mate dropped in another printer and a scanner, not a discouraging word was heard from my lovely wife.
I do have to be seen to be doing something with them though *knuppel2* ,so four are stripped down and there is only one left to do.

Cheers
Phil

 

[tel]

There was one decribed in Model Engineer quite a few years back, which is what I based mine on.

Starts here and runns to about 12 parts I think

 

[tmuir]

Pack them mirrors away carefully and treat 'em like gold Phil. When I built my (crude) optical comparitor I sent me 'air grey looking for some of that - ended up using an ordinary shaving mirror, works, but no real fine focus. Got hold of a few small bits since and they are going nowhere!

Go to a swap meet and buy one of those old Polaroid cameras.
I used to pick them up for £2 in the UK.
They have a nice front surface mirror in them.
I used to use them to replace corroded mirrors in old cameras.

I've spent the last 2 weeks driving up and down the streets looking for old printers as we have a kerb side collection happening tomorrow and this time I've found nothing.
It really is just rubbish people have been throwing out.

 

[Majorstrain]

Thanks for the pointer Tel.

Go to a swap meet and buy one of those old Polaroid cameras.
I used to pick them up for £2 in the UK.
They have a nice front surface mirror in them.

Now there is a gem of information,
Thanks Timur.

I've spent the last 2 weeks driving up and down the streets looking for old printers as we have a kerb side collection happening tomorrow and this time I've found nothing.
It really is just rubbish people have been throwing out.

Condolences on that one, I'll keep a weather eye for you. They have a skip at the university for I.T. trash, but even that's dry at the moment

Cheers,
Phil

 

[tel]

Old Polaroids eh? Now that tip has to be worth a karma point!

 

[tmuir]

Old Polaroids eh? Now that tip has to be worth a karma point!

Now I'm going to have to dig out my camera repair books as some Polaroids are better than others and I can't remember which models are the best.
Will try and find the info.

 

[tel]

That would be much appreciated

 

[tmuir]

Found my book.
Basically any reflex Polaroid will have a front surface mirror in them and the cheap ones with rigid bodies such as Pronto and One Step are best.
Just do a Google image search on Polaroid Pronto or One Step to see what these ones look like.

 

[polepenhollow]

I Brake for bedframes.
Great source of angle iron.
Printers, yes.
All water heaters spotted at the curbside get the brass fitting removed.
A few weeks ago, a Twin cylinder cast iron Dayton Compressor, 3/4 HP motor , runs well.
KL

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Welcome to the forum KL. Introduce yourself in the Welcome thread and tell us about yourself and your hobby. I see you're in Palantine IL. I lived for 13 years down in Champagne - our kids were born there.