bucksnort Report post Posted September 30, 2013 I stumbled on something I think is worth sharing. A while back in an attempt to mix up a good waterproofing treatment I mixed ivory soap, lard (I didn't have any tallow) & water. Kind of standard braiding soap. I melted beeswax into it in about the same amount as other ingredients. It doesn't water proof & if it gets kind of thick you can stir in more water to thin it. It works well as a braiding soap & you can re-dampen strings after they are treated. But the main thing I found with it is that I can braid an entire set of reins or a bosal without ever having to re-wet my strings. I will qualify that by saying that I very seldom braid for more than about a half hour at a time, then I'll put my piece back in my humidor for a while & work on other things (This is because my old friend Arthur Itis stops by to visit). I've never been able do this with anything else I've used, so thought I'd share it Buck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rcsaddles Report post Posted October 7, 2013 I wonder about the beeswax in your mixture. Usually the beeswax will make it kind of "sticky". I'll have to try this for a braiding soap. Thanks for the information. Sorry your friend Arthur shows up. I've not met him yet and don't want to . Hope he stays away for a long time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bucksnort Report post Posted October 8, 2013 Something about the soap changes it, but it does seem to really hold the moisture in the strands. I should have called Arthur an acquaintance rather than a friend, nobody really likes him much. Buck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rcsaddles Report post Posted October 8, 2013 I think I am going to experiment with this. I believe what you have told us here and I usually don't question things like this. I just want to try it myself so I can confirm what you have said and then pass it on to friends of mine. You may have "stumbled" on to something. I have some braiding I need to do in the near future so I will try this. Thanks for the information. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oltoot Report post Posted November 7, 2013 I thought, sounds intriguing I think I'll give it a try. I got ahold of some white beeswax beads used for candlemaking then decided what quantity to try. The size at which all my ingredients turned out to match in size was 16 oz of each. Newsflash, that times 4 is a lot. I 1st put water and lard into a little bucket on the stove. When the water was hot and the lard was liquid, i stirred in the thinly sliced soap. When these three were pretty well blended I stirred in the beeswax. Left on medium heat till it was bubbling lightly then stirred it well with a 3" plastic putty knife until the lumps were pretty much gone. Let it cool and then spoon it into three 8 oz coolwhip tubs. Should last a long time. Less would be plenty. I think 6 oz water and 4 oz of everything else would be a good build. That's what I'll try next time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZ Pete Report post Posted November 8, 2013 Not to derail this topic but I have a question regarding plaiting soap and Wyosheen. I have used plaiting soap when plaiting whips. I have also used leather dressing. When the whip is finished I put on a coat of Wyosheen (50/50 blend of Wyosheen and thinner). I have noticed that, on the whips I make with plaiting soap, the Wyosheen turns white after drying. Not so with the leather dressing. Do you think that the soap is reacting with the lacquer? I really have to buff it out to get rid of the white residue. I use the same plaiting soap formula as mentioned above (without the wax). Just curious if anyone else has run up against this issue before. Thanks, Pete Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bucksnort Report post Posted November 9, 2013 Oltoot, Let me know how it works for you, considering the amount, I hope you like it. I mixed a batch the other day & tried using yellow soap, glycerin & beeswax. It doesn't work nearly as well, I think from the glycerin instead of lard. AZ Pete, I don't use Wyosheen, so haven't had the problem. I would guess you are right about the reaction. Buck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oltoot Report post Posted December 2, 2013 I think that = part lard is too much. Though the mixture as is does hold the temper for a long time it builds up on everything and has to be cleaned off. Next time I think I will try everything else in = parts but use only 1/4 pound of lard. I think that will blend smoother and provide just as much benefit with much less mess. But I will continue to use the white beeswax beads as they blend so well and smoothly and, of course being white, add no color. From past experience with yellow and white saddle soap, it is easier to see distribution of white compounds than yellow. And just a note, adding ingredients one at a time to hot blend is much preferred to mixing them cold and the heating the whole thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bucksnort Report post Posted December 3, 2013 Oltoot, Thanks for the feedback. I'd say let me know how it works, but it may be a while before you mix again. I need to mix some up before long, I'll try about 1/2 as much lard & see how it works. It wouldn't be hard to add more later if it seems to need more. I'll have to check on the beeswax beads, I'm using regular old beeswax I got from a guy with bees. It works good, but is a lot of work to grate. Buck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oltoot Report post Posted December 3, 2013 http://www.bulkapothecary.com/product/raw-ingredients/waxes-and-butters/beeswax-white-and-yellow/#reviews source for white beads Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
