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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Ellen Anglin <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 5 Jul 2001 06:07:54 -0700
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 I see a couple possibilities here...
You can buy plain, unembossed sheets of beeswax for rolled candle making- the unembossed sheets make a much more solid candle when rolled.  These could be cut into slices using a pasta machine- I mean the kind of pasta machine that is used to roll the dough into flat sheets and with different blades cuts the rolled sheets into slices- works like a hand cranked version of a paper shredder.  You would end up with ribbons tho, not tubes.
A pasta machine that mixes dough and extrudes pasta would probably be gummed up by beeswax- it would probably cool off before it could be extruded.  Unless you can find a way to keep the mixing chamber etc. at the right temperature.... But the ones I have seen are plastic, and would probably be damaged by heat.
Putting the wax through a cookie press might work, but you would have to have the temperature of the wax, the press, and everything else just right or it would go solid on you and make quite a mess- you'd have to dunk everything in hot water to free things up if they got stuck. The temperature would have to be pretty warm too.  Keeping everything under a heat lamp, or working in a heated box might help.  Sounds like sweaty work tho!  Look into the equipment used by people working with Fimo and other plastic art mediums- they are always looking for good ways to make ribbons and rods of this clay-like medium.  Maybe one of their tools will work for you.
My local Butchers supply store has an all metal tool used for stuffing sausage meat into casings.  It is designed to handle very thick substances (Ground meat.) it is all metal, so it could be kept warm with a heating tape or hot air.  The tube it is designed to fill is larger than you mention (Breakfast links to Kielbasa, depending on the tube put on the end.) But you might be able to get or make an appropriate end for your use. This is a professional butchers too, and it is expensive, but if you have a large enough market for your wax straws, maybe it would be worthwhile.
Do the tubes have to be pure beeswax?  Can they have a string core?   Could you dip strings in wax untill the desired thickness is reached- like starting a candle, or making very thin candles.
What about dipping a wire or brazing rod in mold release compound, or spraying it with non-stick cooking spray, and then dipping it in the wax till you have the size you want.  Zap a bit of electricity into it using wire embedding equipment, to warm the rod, and slip off the wax straw.
How much of this do you have to make?  Most of these are probably rather labor intensive.
Good luck!
Ellen in Michigan
  Les Roberts <[log in to unmask]> wrote: I have a requirement to form beeswax into strings or narrow tube shapes,
perhaps 1/4 or less in diameter, and perhaps 6" long. This is for use in
crafts.

Anybody have an idea on making wax spaghetti?

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