Wax sticks

[Dave Boyle]

I scored a few free applicators of soft wax and after trying realise they suck in terms of being sticky and messy vs solid wax. I rub them on the ~2” of thread and then apply the dubbing. It typically leaves very uneven chunks of crap on the thread that I have to pick off. Do others experience this. Wondering if they are really old and have decayed or something. I’m off to get some good old fashioned resin to take care of things but wondering if it’s me misusing it or the material being past it’s sell by date

Dave

 

[Tim Cottage]

Probably either old or not well made to begin with.

 

[Tom Butler]

I have a tube of loon low tack swak that works as you describe. Using fingers to apply is a little better. I like the rumpf extra tacky wax I've been using recently. I have several rounds of harder waxes that sit.

 

[Otter]

I'm happy with Superfly Super Tac Wax. It's soft and sticky enough for me, although I have to be careful to use just a little, or else it goes on a bit clumpy. If that happens, it's quick and easy to smooth it down onto the thread.
I just checked an old container of Loon Low Tack Swax. It's rock hard. It has sat for years, because it wasn't sticky enough. Thanks for the motivation to turf it. One small step forward in my perpetual decluttering efforts.

 

[Dave Boyle]

The stuff I have is from Wapsi in a white applicator and an orange one. It’s tacky but annoying as noted re ease of application.

Dave

 

[RCF]

Ear wax works great. Always have it available and it is room temp too......

 

[Zak]

I have a green tube of the Overton's wax and it works well, but I really only use it for dubbing loops and really hard to dub materials like chopped deer hair or chopped crinkly synthetics.

When I just want more grip on the thread (like to tie in slippery squirrel tail), I use straight bees wax.

I have fancy waxes like cobbler's wax (for waxing the silk thread on Greenwells Glory flies) but never use them and they have gotten hard like resin.

 

[Old406Kid]

Like @Zak mentioned.

 

[Norm Frechette]

try scraping off the dried crusty layer to get fresh wax

 

[CDone]

I bought a toilet wax ring about 10 years ago and still have about 3/4 of it left, not a bad $5 investment. I just melt a chunk of it and pour it into my old Overtons dispenser.

 

[Zak]

Chopped crinkly synthetic fly where the Overton's Wonder Wax really helps:

 

[_WW_]

I scored a few free applicators of soft wax and after trying realise they suck in terms of being sticky and messy vs solid wax. I rub them on the ~2” of thread and then apply the dubbing. It typically leaves very uneven chunks of crap on the thread that I have to pick off. Do others experience this. Wondering if they are really old and have decayed or something. I’m off to get some good old fashioned resin to take care of things but wondering if it’s me misusing it or the material being past it’s sell by date

Dave

There's a guy out there somewhere with some squeaky oar locks...

 

[Dave Boyle]

Good call WW but so now I use water. I have a new boat to pick up soon and so less fussed about squats fro now.

Dave