Dental Wax for gas checks

[oscarflytyer]

Has anyone ever used the sheets of dental wax for gas checks?

I recall years ago (15 or so) when I was very actively loading cast for my 44s and 45 Colts that some were experimenting with the dental wax sheets and pressing it over the case mouth after filling with powder and before seating the bullet.

As I recall, the wax is supposed to have a high enough melting temp as to not melt in the case as long as you don't leave the ammo on the truck dash in the summer sun. I had some sheets of it, but as I was moving about every cpl years (military) I think I tossed them since I wasn't actively loading.

If it is viable for gas checks, can you even still get it? Also recall different thicknesses and colors (pink and blue?), and maybe even hardness of the wax...

[onondaga]

"Baseplate Wax", it is called. I have been a Dental Lab manager and owner. It comes in hard , soft, winter, summer types. Unfortunately, Dental Lab supplies are legally regulated, so lab supply companies do not legally sell to the public. I bet your Dentist could easily sell you a few sheets or order some for you. Hard or Winter Base Plate Wax would have a higher melt temperature and likely be better. Some of the expensive brands have a high beeswax content for tackiness and flexibility. I have the most experience with the more flexible wax used in the fabrication try-in setups with wax and denture teeth for full and partial denture try-in cases. These waxes are not cheap and usually sold in 5 pound boxes for $50.00- $100.00 and up a box.

A really old timer showed me how to make sheet-wax with a glass milk bottle filled with ice and water. Melt a pot of wax and lower temperature to the lowest temp that the wax will stay fluid. Dip the bottle in the wax, Immediately pull it and cut around the top and bottom and down one side with a knife. Then peel the sheet off. Dental labs did this during WW2 when supplies were short and they recycled their wax this way instead of buying fresh inventory.

Dentsply Tru-bite is a popular modern brand of Dental waxes, but many suppliers have their own house brand. The best waxes state on the container that they are made to ADA standards for flexibility and tackiness for the setup of Denture Teeth. In use, the sheet is brush flamed over a Bunsen burner to soften and knife cut into smaller strips to set teeth with.

Half a pound of beeswax, half a pound of paraffin and a tablespoon of Vaseline gives about the right texture for Baseplate Wax.

Gary

[Maven]

The jewelry trade also uses various waxes, which come in sheets and are unregulated by law. A trip to your local jeweler may be worthwhile or perhaps a Google search will turn up something useful.

[oscarflytyer]

"Baseplate Wax", it is called. I have been a Dental Lab manager and owner. It comes in hard , soft, winter, summer types. Unfortunately, Dental Lab supplies are legally regulated, so lab supply companies do not legally sell to the public. I bet your Dentist could easily sell you a few sheets or order some for you. Hard or Winter Base Plate Wax would have a higher melt temperature and likely be better. Some of the expensive brands have a high beeswax content for tackiness and flexibility. I have the most experience with the more flexible wax used in the fabrication try-in setups with wax and denture teeth for full and partial denture try-in cases. These waxes are not cheap and usually sold in 5 pound boxes for $50.00- $100.00 and up a box.

A really old timer showed me how to make sheet-wax with a glass milk bottle filled with ice and water. Melt a pot of wax and lower temperature to the lowest temp that the wax will stay fluid. Dip the bottle in the wax, Immediately pull it and cut around the top and bottom and down one side with a knife. Then peel the sheet off. Dental labs did this during WW2 when supplies were short and they recycled their wax this way instead of buying fresh inventory.

Dentsply Tru-bite is a popular modern brand of Dental waxes, but many suppliers have their own house brand. The best waxes state on the container that they are made to ADA standards for flexibility and tackiness for the setup of Denture Teeth. In use, the sheet is brush flamed over a Bunsen burner to soften and knife cut into smaller strips to set teeth with.

Half a pound of beeswax, half a pound of paraffin and a tablespoon of Vaseline gives about the right texture for Baseplate Wax.

Gary

WOW Gary - Not sure what to say here! What a wealth of information! And sounds like the wax sheets could be made. Not sure you could even FIND an old glass milk bottle! But sure a wine bottle or the like would work just as well.

Two questions. 1) With the bottle filled with ice water, would expect some condensation on the outside. Assume you either need to dip it quick before condensation forms, or dry the bottle very well; and 2) Do you think a wine bottle, or the likes - maybe a Champagne bottle (thicker and heavier to withstand pressures) will withstand breaking as it goes from real cold to fairly warm in a real hurry! As I recall, old glass milk bottles were made to heat/pasturize, then cool.

Thanx again for the wealth of information!

Steve

[oscarflytyer]

The jewelry trade also uses various waxes, which come in sheets and are unregulated by law. A trip to your local jeweler may be worthwhile or perhaps a Google search will turn up something useful.

Thanx! Have a very good friend who designs jewelry. Bet she could help me out.

[onondaga]

Steve, The water condensation on the bottle is very necessary It keeps the wax from sticking to the glass!!!

I'm sure that the milk bottles were used because of the wide mouth making it easier to get the ice in.

I have actually tried this once and did it in the lab one day. There was an unusually large amount of waste wax floating in a boilout unit at the end of the day. Boil out units are basically a pot with boiling water and detergent for cleaning off wax with a pump faucet getting clean water from the bottom. On a busy day they can collect a lot of wax on top... I turned the water heat down . there was about over 1 inch of wax on the top. When the wax began to solidify, I turned the heat up just a little. I took a large parallel sided beaker and filled it with ice and water. I dipped it into the warm wax and pulled it out. I made the cuts around the top and bottom and one down the side. The sheet easily peeled right off. The old Technician that told me how to do it totally cracked up laughing, But he used the sheet of wax the next day in his work. This was back about 1976.

Gary

[HARRYMPOPE]

CF ventures still in business making "soft GC's"Is this what you are looking for?I believe is was about $50 for enough to last a long time.

HMP

[Plinkster]

Wow I was gonna ask if these actually worked but if someone sells them commercially and is out of stock (I just checked) one would assume they do. This seems way easier than stamping beer cans into checks with the freechex I just got. Seems as though seating the boolit too deep could be a real problem using bottle-neck cases though. Anyone have experience with the soft checks?