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Shoutout to the dipped beeswax I ignored for 3 years
For about 8 years I waxed all my linen thread by dragging it across a dry block of beeswax, which always felt grippy and left little flakes in the spine. Last winter a bookbinder in Portland handed me a jar of wax I had to melt and dip the thread into, and I set it on a shelf because it looked like a hassle. Finally tried it in March on a 400 page rebind and the thread pulled so smooth I checked twice to make sure I had waxed it at all. Now I keep a $6 mini crock on the bench and dip 3 or 4 lengths at the start of each project, takes maybe 2 minutes for a whole book. Has anyone else switched to dipped wax, or are you all still rubbing the dry block and calling it good?
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andrewrobinson20d ago
Man, that smooth pull detail is what gets me. When you dip, does the wax coat the whole length even, or does it pool up and leave thicker spots you have to wipe? And how hot are you running that crock, because I tried dipping once years ago and got a stiff, gummy thread that fought me the whole way through the signatures.
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