sealing-wax-msg – 8/4/05
Sealing wax sources, how to make and use.
NOTE: See also the files: seals-bib, Med-Seals-lnks, candles-msg, parchment-msg, quills-msg, inks-msg, calligraphy-msg, woodcuts-msg, seals-msg.
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Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: mjc at cs.cmu.edu (Monica Cellio)
Date: 15 Apr 91 18:26:05 GMT
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Unto Siban and the other fishers here, greetings from Ellisif.
I'm sorry that I cannot help you in finding sealing wax. But to answer
the question you didn't ask...
Please don't apply wax seals directly to scrolls! This was done for one
reign in the East recently, ending only a year ago, and I know of only one
seal that has remained intact. (There probably are more, but I know of
many that have fallen off.) A scroll that I received that reign still
sits, unframed, because the ugly blotch left by the wax hasn't been dealt
with yet.
A better way to seal scrolls is to cut a small horizontal slit in the bottom
margin (I'd give it at least an inch below the slit for a large seal like the
Eastern one), run a ribbon through this slit, and apply the wax to that
ribbon, forming a sort of loop. (The wax will ooze around the edges of the
top piece of ribbon to bind the back piece, or you can lay the two ends
slightly off from each other.)
I believe that with this one reign's exception, all kingdoms that seal
scrolls use an ink stamp, not wax.
Ellisif Flakkingskvinne
From: dmb at inls1.ucsd.edu (Doug Brownell)
Date: 16 Apr 91 21:49:33 GMT
Organization: Institute for Nonlinear Science
Greetings unto the Rialto from Thomas Brownwell in Caid.
Milady Siban asks about sealing wax. This may be an unusual
suggestion, but someone once suggested that regular old glue-gun
glues now come in bright colors, including red (if you can't get
colored, you can make your own by melting the glue and adding your
own dyes), and they have a number of advantages over regular wax.
- They stick to the paper better over the long term without peeling off.
- They are almost impossible to crack. Many of the older scrolls I
have seen have chuncks missing from the seals, due to an accidental
bend in the paper sometime in its life (even dropping it can do it).
- They are infinitely easier to get, and with a small glue gun are
very easy to deal with. I've even seen cordless ones on the market
for under twenty dollars.
I know that this is not the best solution, especially if it's for a
scroll that's going to be given out, but for personal use it may be
much easier to manage.
As to where to find actual wax, my only suggestion is at art supply
stores (which Siban has probably already checked).
Douglas M. Brownell | Thomas Brownwell
Institute for Nonlinear Science, R-002 | Barony of Calafia
University of California, San Diego | Kingdom of Caid
La Jolla, CA 92093 |
| Anachronist (noun):
Internet: dmb at inls1.ucsd.edu | Out of time;
dbrownell at ucsd.edu | Gotta go!
From: dboyes at brazos.rice.edu (David Boyes)
Date: 16 Apr 91 23:18:44 GMT
Organization: Rice University, Houston, Texas
dmb at inls1.ucsd.edu (Doug Brownell) writes:
>Greetings unto the Rialto from Thomas Brownwell in Caid.
>As to where to find actual wax, my only suggestion is at art supply
>stores (which Siban has probably already checked).
>Douglas M. Brownell | Thomas Brownwell
I suggested to her ladyship in privy script that she investigate
local lapidary or jewelry-making shops for a substance known as
'dopping wax'. It is used mundanely to attach stone blanks to
backing sticks for grinding and is quite strong. It usually is
sold in boxes of 6 or 8 2 oz. tapers.
It is also fairly grease-free, adheres to paper or parchment reasonably
well, takes impression well, is reasonably hard, and requires
only ordinary open flame to melt to working consistency. (It also
has the mundane advantage of being difficult to set aflame.) It
comes in several colors, usually red, olive, or black.
Users of dopping wax may wish to slightly scarify the surface of the paper
or parchment with a knife or razor before affixing the seal; the
wax tends to adhere better to rougher surfaces.
David Ballantiyne
(Wanderer in the wilderness)
--
David Boyes
dboyes at rice.edu
From: kevin%athens.dnet at isi.COM (Keradwc an Cai)
Date: 17 Apr 91 14:20:02 GMT
Organization: The Internet
Ellisif Flakkingskvinne stated:
> Please don't apply wax seals directly to scrolls! This was done for one
> reign in the East recently, ending only a year ago, and I know of only one
> seal that has remained intact. (There probably are more, but I know of
> many that have fallen off.) A scroll that I received that reign still
> sits, unframed, because the ugly blotch left by the wax hasn't been dealt
> with yet.
> [...]
> I believe that with this one reign's exception, all kingdoms that seal
> scrolls use an ink stamp, not wax.
One correction at least; Caid has used on-scroll wax seals for as far back as I
can recall; one of the scribes picked up a large collection of sealing wax on
one of her trips to England.
They generally don't apply the seal directly to the scroll, however; the melted
wax is dripped onto a wax-paper (?) page, and the signet applied there - this
way, poor impressions don't show up on the final scroll. Then, whenever a new
scroll needs to be sealed, the existing seals (Heralds office and Kingdom) are
peeled from the wax-paper, a few drops of wax are dropped onto the scroll
itself, and the seals applied to that.
Some few exceptions do exist, for the "seals on a ribbon" scrolls. Both appear
to have been fairly common in period.
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| Keradwc an Cai | | In the Mists of the West |
|--------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------|
| Kevin Connery | Quality must be designed | Speaking FROM, not FOR: |
| | into software; it cannot | Integrated Systems, Inc |
| kconnery at isi.com | be patched on afterwards | Santa Clara, CA |
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From: aiden at NCoast.ORG (Steven Otlowski)
Date: 16 Apr 91 18:46:06 GMT
Organization: North Coast Public Access Un*x (ncoast)
One other word about Wax seals. Not only do they break easily they are a
bloody pain to deal with afterward. I recently did a pair of scrolls for
a husband and wife. I took into account ahead of time, and made them a size
that would be convenient to frame. They the royalty put pendant seals
on them. So much for framing them for less than $100.
The ink seals may not be quite as "showy" but they are a lot easier to
maintain and frame.
Master Aiden Elfeadur -
Irritated scribe.
aiden at ncoast.org
From: cat at fgssu1.sinet.slb.COM (Who Knows?!?)
Date: 19 Apr 91 22:51:14 GMT
Organization: The Internet
Siban, Demetrios, other interested parties:
1) The West kingdom has sealed its own scrolls for as long as
anyone can remember (I asked a number of people whose membership
dates back to the paleozoic, or at least to 1968).
2) The opinion of Vesper is that technique is a controlling factor
on whether seals fall off. Also, a heavy size on paper will help
a seal not to stick; gently scratching the spot to be sealed will
give the seal a better chance.
3) The Sable Swan Herald and I conducted an experiment last year
with pre-fab seals. We made Cynaguan seals on wax paper, and pealed
them off. We then afixed them to bristol board (Strathmore, series
500, 3 ply, vellum finish) with various kinds of glue. Contact cement
(Duro and Barge both) did the best. The paper ripped when we tried
to remove the seals afixed with contact cement (the bond was aged
one week). If regular sealing isn't working, consider cheating with
glue. Glued seals are also a way to replace seals which have fallen
off.
4) Real honest-to-god old fashioned document quality sealing wax
can be purchased in the Bay area at Patrick's Office Supplies. It
is a special order item; they don't keep it in stock. The College
of Heralds of the West orders it several boxes at a time.
Patrick's has two San Francisco stores, one on Market and
one on Mission between 1st and 2nd. (This is probably some help
to Siban, and vastly less helpful for Demetrios since he just can't
hop in his car and drive to San Francisco). Patrick's has a
catalog - they might do mail order but I'm not sure.
The brand of sealing wax is Dennison. Specify the "Bankers'
Sealing Wax" - the current Vesper thinks this is the best variety
and has the best color (red as in cadmium red deep...).
Since this stuff is document-quality, it doesn't come in little
sticks with wicks. It comes in long tapers which you have to
melt on the stove in a little saucepan and then dribble on what
you want to seal. The temperature of the melted wax is a crucial
factor in getting a good seal: too cool and it will pop, too hot
and it will burn the paper.
5) Denisson's was bought out at the beginning of the year by one
of the big stationery companies (which one I forget), so the folks
at Patrick's are unsure if the sealing wax line will be discon-
tinued. Watch this space for updates...
That's all for now.
respectfully,
Banner H.
From: lawbkwn at BUACCA.BITNET (Yaakov HaMizrachi)
Date: 19 Apr 91 18:09:08 GMT
There has also been some discussion of
sealing practices. While I don't remember
who originally posted about the sealing
on a ribbon method, this is the only type
of seals I have seen that survived from
period times to the present.
(Jewish Seals of the Middle Ages, read
the review in Arba Confote. plug. plug.:))
In Service,
Yaakov HaMizrachi
From: CANNING at intellicorp.COM (Janet Canning)
Date: 22 Apr 91 16:51:41 GMT
Organization: The Internet
Greetings unto the Rialto...
Many thanks to all on the subject of Sealing Wax, but I've a few specifics:
If I opt for the serious huge wax sticks that must be melted on the stove, is
the method similar to that of candle wax, i.e. double pots? Or can one get a
small sauce pot, like the kind for melting butter or cheeze and apply direct
heat.
Yes, if I follow the above, the pot will only be used for wax...mmmm, chewy
stuff.
If I continue to have difficulties in locating wax(I finally found a place
that has Italian wax, but they are no longer ordering it. Since I am
a merchant, I'm seroiusly thinking of buying from their supplier and
selling as the store will not be buying more*sigh*) Is there a difference
in the Wax that comes from overseas? Which country carries the best?
I will contact my friend in Britain and see if he can locate some.
I'm excited about this as a friend is helping me to create a seal of sorts
with my device, or portion of it, and playing with the wax...
Awaiting more stiring of the melting pot....
Siban
-------
From: kuijt at alv (David Kuijt)
Date: 22 Apr 91 20:23:06 GMT
Organization: Center for Automation Research, Univ. of Md., College Park, MD 20742
Siban writes about wax:
>...
>
>If I opt for the serious huge wax sticks that must be melted on the stove, is
>the method similar to that of candle wax, i.e. double pots? Or can one get a
>small sauce pot, like the kind for melting butter or cheeze and apply direct
>heat.
>
>...
Please, Please use a double boiler. Different waxes may function differently,
but a good friend of mine caused 1,500 dollars damage to his (rented) kitchen
by melting paraffin in a pot on an electric element. The wax overheated on
the bottom of the pot and exploded. He was not in the room at the time,
luckily, but he managed to melt the top of his range. This could have been
avoided if he had used a double boiler and watched his wax carefully. I
he had been less lucky, my friend could have been blind or dead.
Wax is fun, but it is highly flammable. Please be careful.
Dafydd ap Gwystl David Kuijt
Barony of Storvik kuijt at alv.umd.edu
Kingdom of Atlantia (MD,DC,VA,NC,SC)
Waxing on sealing....
3 Feb 92
From: bill at psych.toronto.edu (Bill Pusztai)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: Dept. of Psychology, University of Toronto
Ceridwen ferch Dafydd ap Cradog writes:
/I am interested in making some sealing wax and would like to
/know, if in fact it is a special sort of wax, and if so how one
/goes about making it.
I know it's not very romantic, but I have found that melted
crayons make the best sealing wax: good texture, solid colour,
takes a good impression. Beeswax is my second choice. It can be
softened by body heat - work it into the palm of your hand.
Beeswax is period.
Fra. Capricornus
From: corliss at hal.PHysics.wayne.EDU (David J. Corliss)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Sealing wax
Date: 1 Feb 1994 16:41:26 -0500
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know that the gentleman asked for an email reply, and I have sent one. As
a teacher, I realize that, where one asks, many may have wondered.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parafin and parafin/beeswax may be thinned to to almost any desired consistency
by the addition of vegetable oil. I generally use seed oil, such as sunflower
seed oil. I have not made sealing wax by this method, rather, I have made
lotions and salves. Less oil should give the right consistency. Combine the
wax and oil in a double boiler and melt together. As it cools, it will try
to separate, so it must be whisked vigorously as long as possible. For a lotion
or salve, this means room temperature; for sealing wax, do this as long as you can. If you can no longer beat it, then it should not be able to separate.
......this has been a public service message from the Middle Kingdom
College of Sciences........
Beorthwine
From: martini at bashful.cc.utexas.edu (Sheilagh M.B.E. O'Hare)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Sealing wax
Date: 2 Feb 1994 17:11:32 -0600
Organization: The University of Texas - Austin
David J. Corliss <corliss at hal.PHysics.wayne.EDU> wrote:
>Parafin and parafin/beeswax may be thinned to to almost any desired consistency
>by the addition of vegetable oil. I generally use seed oil, such as sunflower
>seed oil. I have not made sealing wax by this method, rather, I have made
Over on the miscellaneous crafts board, someone mentioned shellac as the
ingredient that turns sealing wax from the mushy beeswax into the glossy
plastic-like stuff.
From: hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Wax Seals (was Re: Site Tokens)
Date: 13 Jul 1994 16:11:12 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Chris Robertson (chris at griffon) wrote:
: Well, I don't know what kind of sealing wax you folks were trying, but the
: stuff the West uses doesn't even come _near_ melting at any human-endurable
: temperature. You have to heat it in a pan over flame to even soften it.
It's a mixture of wax and resin (you can smell the pine resin rather
clearly when heating it). I imagine you could mix your own up at home if
you knew the proportions. Just for the record: has anyone come across any
period recipies for sealing wax? It would be fun to mix some up from
scratch, but somewhat pointless unless I were using a period recipie.
Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn
From: tip at lead.aichem.arizona.edu (Tom Perigrin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Wax Seals (was Re: Site Tokens)
Date: 13 Jul 1994 19:58:24 GMT
Organization: AI in Chem Lab
hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones) wrote:
> It's a mixture of wax and resin (you can smell the pine resin rather
> clearly when heating it). I imagine you could mix your own up at home if
> you knew the proportions. Just for the record: has anyone come across any
> period recipies for sealing wax? It would be fun to mix some up from
> scratch, but somewhat pointless unless I were using a period recipie.
>
> Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn
Good My Lady,
an a humble cleric may speak, I have the following reciept for seling wax;
The manufacture of a good and faithful sealing wax.
The purposes of a sealing wax are threefold; imprimus - to seal a missive
so as to protect it against unwonted investigation, secundus - to seal a
missive so as to invigilate against falsification, et tertius - to give
witness that the missive comes from the hand from which it purports to
arise, by carrying the imprint of a greater or lesser seal.
To accomplish these purposes, the wax must have certain and diverse
qualities. It must adhere to the paper or parchement so tenaciously that
it may not be prised off with impunity. It must be of such a nature so
that when any attempt is made to prise or cut it from it's paper that it
shall fly into a thousand shards. Yet it must also be so durable so that
the passage of time or the thousand little insults that might ensue unto
its normal life, shall not break or mar it.
A simple seal of beeswax can ne'r be pressed to serve, for that it is but
childs play to cut it along the seam, whereby then to read the contents of
the missive, and then to press the seal back together again with a heated
spatula so