string makers wax

[PeteC]

Hey y'all , I have a question about making string makers wax. I got some raw bees wax from my neighbor, rendered the wax in a double boiler. I took this wax ,plus some pine pitch to make it sticky , got it melted down,but the pine pitch just stuck to my stirring stick, Is there a way to get the 2 melted fluids to mix properly? Thanks ,and God Bless.

[sleek]

Id experiment with adding a solvent to the pitch, like a turpentine, then add the wax until its the consistency you want, and evaporate off the solvent, stirring until its thickened up. But, i just use bees wax and a little deer tallow mixed in to soften it up a little.

[Chumash]

I use some Sunfloweroil (5%) some sort of hardend pine pitch (Kolophonium) (5-10%) and heat it and mix it. Then I add the wax (85-90%) to melt and mix with oil- resin stuff.

[Pat B]

Are you using hard, brittle pine pitch? That might be the secret. Blending it with the bees wax will soften the pitch but it won't be sticky.

[Eric Krewson]

I am lazy, I mix one wax toilet seal with a pound of beeswax and call it done, I pour it up in little dixie drinking cups, one batch makes about a lifetime supply and is the best bow string makers wax that I have ever used. I have made over a thousand bow strings and used my homemade wax on every one of them.

[Pat B]

Eric, I have some that Chad Weaver gave me made the same as what you make. For those that don't know Chad he is a commercial string maker and sells string materials of all kinds.

[JW_Halverson]

I just use straight beeswax. Am I missing out on something here?

[sleek]

I just use straight beeswax. Am I missing out on something here?

Cutting it with something else makes it not a crumbly in colder weather.

[PeteC]

Thanks everyone for the info. Sleek ,I will try turpentine. Chumash, I guess the sunflower oil would work like turpentine ? Pat, yes ,I'm using hardened pine pitch right off the tree. Eric,if I can't make this work, I'll try the toilet wax ring. JW, the straight wax just isn't sticky enough for me.