After 7 or 8 years sitting in a shipping box my dubbing wax has hardened to a point where I can not use it. Seeing how there is no fly shop within 2 hours from here I have two questions. Is there any way to revive it? The the little turning thing on the bottom of the tube will not budge. Failing that, has anyone actually tried to use a wax sealing ring for dubbing wax?
Clint
Wise men still seek HIM…
Second question first. Try placing the tube in a pan of hot water. That should soften the wax enough that you can turn the ring.
You may find that after you have loosened the ring that only the end of the wax at the other end has oxidized. If this is the case, just cut it off and dispose of it.
I am not a fan of toilet ring wax for dubbing. There are several formulas for making your own dubbing wax. The one’s for a tacky wax contain a high precentage of resin and a bit of oil to keep them soft. On the other hand dubbing wax is cheap and you can easily order a tube through the mail.
I use toilet bowl seal wax and for me it works good. Bought a ring of it for a buck, cut off about 1/8th. of it, melted it in a cigar tin, it’ll probaly outlast me.
Bill
Why bother? Wax was originally used for two purposes:
Stop flies tied with silk thread rotting.
To help grip the snelled gut.
Neither of these apply today to any great extent. You certainly don’t need wax to dub. That is a fallacy. Dubbing should stick to itself around the thread. Not to the thread.
I haven’t used wax for at least a dozen years. It is one less operation and that helps keep it simple.
Alan.
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”
Well, I have tried to dub some bodies using both an artificial dubbing and some cat fur and the dried wax that I have and have had very poor results. the dubbing is very hard to get even on the thread and I end up with a lumpy uneven body. Perhaps not necessary, but certainly makes things much easier.
Clint
What tying thread are you using?? Synthetics do not need wax applied, but I do agree can sometimes to difficult to dub. In this case I make dubbing loops.
Most cotton or silk threads now come ready waxed anyway.
I haven’t used wax for years now either. I am told that pritt sticks (those glue sticks that children use!) are very good for dubbing, also a friend of mine uses vaseline which also makes his flies waterproof. (Not sure what the equivalent is in the US and would shudder to describe its real uses!!)
I am not a wax fan but you can melt the wax and reform it, many do this with some of the old wonder wax.
Get some gouda cheese at the market (preferable with the blond wax covering, not the red one) and you are in business. Just ball up the wax and shape to your needs. - and enjoy the cheese.
unless you’re touch dubbing Gary LaFontaine style then wax isn’t really needed.it ads too much bulk on smaller flies…
if a little help is needed, lick your thumb and first finger
bill