Wax – tools of the trade – by AV

There are many different types of tools for carving wax so the lost wax process may be achieved. But different types do different things.  Some remove lots of wax, while other barely remove any wax – like chisels for wood. Also, some tools just do not work with the sculptor. Once the correct tool is found, you can get to work sculpting.  There are four types of wax: brittle, medium, soft and repair wax. Repair wax is self-explanatory. Repair wax is often used in conjunction with a wax pen.  A wax pen is somewhat like a soldering iron.  It is heated and used to sculpt using heat. Medium, soft and brittle wax is what is used to make jewelry that otherwise could not be hand carved. The hardest is brittle wax. It is often used to make vent tubes and comes in  blue. Soft which is what the actual piece is made of comes in green. And medium wax is red and is used for touch-up work around the piece.