question about waxing thread

[ford34tom@comcast.net]

I'm building the Model Shipways Constitution Cross section and am building the lower shrouds using the materials included in the kit.

Do I first; wax the thread, treat the thread with a white glue/water mixture, or leave the thread untreated?

Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Tom

[Knocklouder]

Hello Tom, since you are doing a cross section,  they don't  have a lot of thread, I would buy good rigging thread . It makes the world  of difference . Some very good sponsors for rope right here on MSW. Or you can serve the lines with fuzz free lines. 

Knocklouder 😁 

Edited October 26 by Knocklouder
Guessing typos lol

[barkeater]

Wax before using and use white glue to secure knots or stiffen after. Depending on your thread you may or may not need to wax, Cheaper thread tends to be fuzzy in my experience while well-made thread does not.

Rich

[GrandpaPhil]

And use beeswax!  Paraffin wax is kerosene based and does horrible things to your rigging.  I got my chunk of beeswax from the hardware store.

[ccoyle]

Hi, Tom.

 

It is really not a good idea to include your email address as part of your user name, as this will attract the unwanted attention of bots. Contact @James Habout changing it.

 

Cheers!

[druxey]

Wax used to be recommended years ago to lay 'fuzz' on rigging line. Unless you are using really cheap and fuzzy stuff, forget about using wax. Also, beeswax is slightly acidic and will rot the line in time. (A lot of old timers' advice was not the best!) If you absolutely have to use wax, use conservator's pH neutral wax instead.

 

Ideally, use good quality commercial line such as from Ropes of Scale. This has no fuzz and does not require 'treatment'. If you need to use adhesive, pH neutral white glue is best. Avoid CA (superglue) as it will eventually make the line brittle and break.

 

Alternatively , spin your own rope!

[palmerit]

I use Renaissance (conservator's) Wax because a bunch of people recommended it over beeswax. I'm no expert, but the posts say that beeswax is acidic and attracts dust, whereas the conservator's wax dries clear, is neutral pH, and does not attract dust. It's expensive but you use only a tiny bit of it. I have no expertise on this. Just passing along what I've read.

 

 

Edited October 27 by palmerit

[Capt. Kelso]

Have been using beeswax for rigging the past 40 years with no problems, it hasn't rotted and fallen apart. It was recommended to help preserve the rigging. As for it being acidic, I'm no chemist but I just did a search:

Bee's wax is not acidic; it is primarily composed of esters of fatty acids and various long-chain alcohols. This composition means that bee's wax does not contain significantly acidic compounds, making it pH neutral and suitable for various applications, including cosmetics and preservation of artifacts. 

 

Wikipedia+2

 

 

 

[RossR]

I did quite a bit of online research on bee’s wax and came to the same conclusion about its Ph.  Technically it is slightly acidic, but so is wood.    I have used it and my only concerns is the attraction of dust over time.    
 

Chuck uses it in his rope making tutorials.   That gives me some comfort on its long term effects on the rope.   

[Chuck]

I dont use wax ever.  My rope

doesnt need it at all.  It just obscures the detail of the rope and attracts dust which sticks to it like a magnet.  Unless your rope is a fuzzy mess.  Dont use it.  Instead,  run your rope through a alcohol flame rather than a candle flame because it wont leave soot.  That gets rid of the fuzzies.  But never wax.

 

Best thing to do is buy better rope. No stretching, wetting or waxing needed.  Just use it out of the package.   
 

 

Rope of Scale or Syren makes perfect rope.  You just have to pick the one that you like better because the color tan and brown is slightly different from both sources.

 

 

Chuck

[RolandR]

Looking at picture of HMS Victory and Constitution, ropes are not only come in many different sizes but colors. Mix and match the different companies mention above, increases the more prototypical look in my eyes. There must have been a huge color variation among the lines that have been handled by dirty hands and exposed to the weather compared to the ones still in storage.