Wax for Potting PUPS
- Thread starter Bludave
- Start date
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
A good hardware store should carry Gulf brand wax for canning and preserving. That's what I use. Lew
A good hardware store should carry Gulf brand wax for canning and preserving. That's what I use. Lew
S
Skarekrough
Guest
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
If you go to a hobby shop look for the kind that they use to make candles or for canning with.
Also, keep in mind that you want 20% to be Beeswax.
There's a great tutorial off of guitarnuts.com about doing this. I did it myself a few months ago. Let me know if you have any questions.
If you go to a hobby shop look for the kind that they use to make candles or for canning with.
Also, keep in mind that you want 20% to be Beeswax.
There's a great tutorial off of guitarnuts.com about doing this. I did it myself a few months ago. Let me know if you have any questions.
psychodave
New member
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
You can go to a grocery store and get parafin wax. Then goto a hardware store and get a toilet bowl wax sealing ring....99% of them are made out of bees wax. I mix both of them together to get my potting wax. Total cost....$5
You can go to a grocery store and get parafin wax. Then goto a hardware store and get a toilet bowl wax sealing ring....99% of them are made out of bees wax. I mix both of them together to get my potting wax. Total cost....$5
psychodave
New member
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
It "depends" :laugh2: ...
ArtieToo said:
It "depends" :laugh2: ...
rspst14
Tone Cat
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
I use a Conair parrafin spa to wax pot pickups. I got it on Ebay for $10, much easier than trying to do it on the stove. It comes with a bunch of parrafin wax, and I mix in some beeswax as well. I can't remember the reasoning behind it, but I remember reading that using 20% beeswax is a good idea.
Ryan
I use a Conair parrafin spa to wax pot pickups. I got it on Ebay for $10, much easier than trying to do it on the stove. It comes with a bunch of parrafin wax, and I mix in some beeswax as well. I can't remember the reasoning behind it, but I remember reading that using 20% beeswax is a good idea.
Ryan
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
What's the point of using beeswax? I just use Gulf brand parafin like Grandma used for canning...works perfectly. What's the advantage to mixing in beeswax? Seems like a hassle, as the parafin used straight up and all by itself seems to work just fine.
Lew
What's the point of using beeswax? I just use Gulf brand parafin like Grandma used for canning...works perfectly. What's the advantage to mixing in beeswax? Seems like a hassle, as the parafin used straight up and all by itself seems to work just fine.
Lew
psychodave
New member
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
The bee's wax is softer. Parafin wax gets hard and can crack ...which could possibly re-introduce microphonics. By mixing the two, you will prevent the parafin from cracking and the bee's wax from melting or wiping away. I use somewhere around 60-70% parafin and 30-40% bee's wax.
Lewguitar said:
The bee's wax is softer. Parafin wax gets hard and can crack ...which could possibly re-introduce microphonics. By mixing the two, you will prevent the parafin from cracking and the bee's wax from melting or wiping away. I use somewhere around 60-70% parafin and 30-40% bee's wax.
S
Skarekrough
Guest
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
The reason they typically state that you should use a double-boiler is that the temperatures stay more consistent. Since you don't want to "cook" the pickup and you don't want to burn the wax either anything that will act as a decent buffer for temperature increases (water) or a device that will do this is preferred.
The 20% beeswax came from Stew-Mac. They had a tutorial on it. I believe the reason they stated was that stadard Parafin wax can be a little brittle. The beeswax adds a bit of elasticity to it.
Again.... projectguitar.com has an exceptional resource on potting pickups from beginning to end.
rspst14 said:
The reason they typically state that you should use a double-boiler is that the temperatures stay more consistent. Since you don't want to "cook" the pickup and you don't want to burn the wax either anything that will act as a decent buffer for temperature increases (water) or a device that will do this is preferred.
The 20% beeswax came from Stew-Mac. They had a tutorial on it. I believe the reason they stated was that stadard Parafin wax can be a little brittle. The beeswax adds a bit of elasticity to it.
Again.... projectguitar.com has an exceptional resource on potting pickups from beginning to end.
L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
Hmmm...OK. Thanks!
I don't think I'll bother with adding beeswax tho.
Especially when it comes to potting humbuckers with covers, what I'm doing is filling any empty spaces inside the pickup with wax.
The biggest concern is making certain the space between the bobbins and the nickel cover is filled so the cover can't vibrate.
Same thing with wax potting a covered Tele neck pickup.
After I'm certain the pickup is filled with wax, I remove the pickup from the wax bath and set it with the cover down on my bench so the wax doesn't all run out of it again. It'll harden up in a few minutes.
I wonder tho, if the beeswax might shrink less when it hardens? That might be a possible advantage.
Lew
psychodave said:
Hmmm...OK. Thanks!
I don't think I'll bother with adding beeswax tho.
Especially when it comes to potting humbuckers with covers, what I'm doing is filling any empty spaces inside the pickup with wax.
The biggest concern is making certain the space between the bobbins and the nickel cover is filled so the cover can't vibrate.
Same thing with wax potting a covered Tele neck pickup.
After I'm certain the pickup is filled with wax, I remove the pickup from the wax bath and set it with the cover down on my bench so the wax doesn't all run out of it again. It'll harden up in a few minutes.
I wonder tho, if the beeswax might shrink less when it hardens? That might be a possible advantage.
Lew
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
I just buy parafin cooking wax at the grocery store on the baking isle.
The biggest issue is the mess. I lay out newspaper all around my countertop, use a ceramic pot that I line with corrugated cardboard on the bottom before dunking the pickups. This keeps the pickups from getting direct heat, melting the bobbins or pitting the nickel. After the bubbles stop coming up, I quickly put them on a few paper plates and toss them in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then wipe off all the excess wax and install.
I just buy parafin cooking wax at the grocery store on the baking isle.
The biggest issue is the mess. I lay out newspaper all around my countertop, use a ceramic pot that I line with corrugated cardboard on the bottom before dunking the pickups. This keeps the pickups from getting direct heat, melting the bobbins or pitting the nickel. After the bubbles stop coming up, I quickly put them on a few paper plates and toss them in the refrigerator for half an hour. Then wipe off all the excess wax and install.
Bludave
New member
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
Thanks guys..... I already potted the PUPS in my MIJ Tele. My friend gave it to me as a gift. The PUPS were microphonic. My buddy had done this a gazillion times before, so I asked him if he would help me which he did. I simply wanted to buy him some more wax as he was running a little low. It worked great. I removed the cover off the neck PUP, and potted both neck and bridge. I reinstalled the PUP cover and dipped it again. Allowed the PUPs to dry for about an hour put them back in. Once I got it home I was able to see how well it worked. It worked extremly well. Not once did the PUPS howl like the did before. Thanks for all your help. Dave
Thanks guys..... I already potted the PUPS in my MIJ Tele. My friend gave it to me as a gift. The PUPS were microphonic. My buddy had done this a gazillion times before, so I asked him if he would help me which he did. I simply wanted to buy him some more wax as he was running a little low. It worked great. I removed the cover off the neck PUP, and potted both neck and bridge. I reinstalled the PUP cover and dipped it again. Allowed the PUPs to dry for about an hour put them back in. Once I got it home I was able to see how well it worked. It worked extremly well. Not once did the PUPS howl like the did before. Thanks for all your help. Dave
bryvincent
New member
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
i use candles. already has beeswax in it and comes scented too
i use candles. already has beeswax in it and comes scented too
Re: Wax for Potting PUPS
GulfWax, it's still sold in large grocery stores, it used to be used for canning (think mason jars without the moonshine), most large stores sell it still. It's very clean, and made for melting and seeping into nooks and crannies.
It's for sealing ...which is waht you are doing anyway. It comes in a pack of four slabs, it cools firmly,not brittle, but pretty rigid, and won't melt in the sun.
GulfWax, it's still sold in large grocery stores, it used to be used for canning (think mason jars without the moonshine), most large stores sell it still. It's very clean, and made for melting and seeping into nooks and crannies.
It's for sealing ...which is waht you are doing anyway. It comes in a pack of four slabs, it cools firmly,not brittle, but pretty rigid, and won't melt in the sun.
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