Beeswax on clicker dies

[Scriptkrewe]

I was watching a YT video and noticed the guy put something on his clicker die real quick and throw it back in the tray. It looked like a bar of beeswax. So I tried it on some leather that I couldn’t cut with my 1 ton arbor press and it cut it slicker than butter. My question is does anyone else do this?

[fredk]

Yes. I have a large block of wax that I can push the whole die into, at the start and about every 4 or 5 cuts 

[chuck123wapati]

it also works on wood screws, tap and die sets, your awls and needles. Just about anything that needs some help against friction, weird, isn't it?

[Scriptkrewe]

I used Parkin on all of those before. So should have only natural.

[bruce johnson]

I wax my dies sometimes but with paraffin. Much as I like beeswax for some things, I like paraffin better as a lubricant and also as a rust preventative - especially after clicking a bunch of chrome tan. I do the same with punches that don't see much use. 

The nice thing about beeswax is that it melts with a little friction but then solidifies and gets sticky and hard again as it cools. That's what makes it great for screws and handled tool treatments. Also why it was and is traditionally used in mixes for handsewing thread wax. 

[Cumberland Highpower]

I've done that a time or 2 in the past.   More often than not if it's a die or a punch in a cartridge that might stick I use a tiny bit of ballistol.   It absorbs into most leathers without a residue or whatnot.  

[TonyV]

I use beeswax on my thread to help reduce fraying, needle tips and awls to ease the stitching, on my hole punches and corner punches. I don't use clicker dies, but if I did, I'd use it on them.   In addition to being a lubricant, a small bit of beeswax on the fingertips aids in keeping my grip on the sewing needles, too. 

I also sometimes use it on my edges, or to slick the flesh side when it's needed.  I have seen it used as a finishing coat, as well, but I haven't tried that myself, yet. 

[chuck123wapati]

I'm always amazed and saddened at the same time. Knowledge that was commonplace and common sense for literally centuries has been lost in just a few generations. Higher learning they call it. We are smarter now or so they say and they actually have people believing it. Simple wax and paraffin were household staples and used for hundreds of common things we are led to believe need specialized products today.

[bruce johnson]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

I'm always amazed and saddened at the same time. Knowledge that was commonplace and common sense for literally centuries has been lost in just a few generations. Higher learning they call it. We are smarter now or so they say and they actually have people believing it. Simple wax and paraffin were household staples and used for hundreds of common things we are led to believe need specialized products today.

That's a fact! I like playing with some of the old formulas. When I was handsewing a bunch, I made up coad (handsewing thread wax) with pine pitch and beeswax. Cook it all together and knead it underwater when hot and shape into balls. Fun stuff to use. The old timers had summer and winter formulas that varied the ingredients to make a softer wax for winter and harder wax for summer, since those old shop temperatures varied with the season.

My leather edge wax for years was 50:50 beeswax/paraffin. Melt  it together and pour into muffin wrappers. I cooked down dark brown spirit dye to make a thick concentrated dye-pigment additive for some cakes to color it.

My handle treatment for hammers and tool handles is an old time boiled linseed oil/beeswax/mineral spirits mix to make a paste. It is also good for a rust preventative on knife blades that aren't used much or before storage for the season (filet and hunting knives).  In the last couple years I have made a turpentine mix that substitutes for the mineral spirits also. That smells amazing while it cooks and good for handles. The big shop smells great for days. I also make a "finishing wax" with BLO/carnauba wax/turpentine for the final treatment on tight grain exotic wood handles. I pour those pastes into 4 oz balm tins to set up and store. 

The old guy that taught me a bunch about tools had the saying "Beeswax to stick/paraffin to slide". Old men are generally wise and I follow that advice.