Use of wa x for undisturbed samples (shelby tube/block sample)

[georam]

Anyone can suggest what kind of wax can be used for waxing the shelby tubes or block samples ?<br>
The drillers said that they use "bee's wax". I wonder if you can use "parowax" block, commercially available for canning, waxing, etc. The problem, I believe that this wax is rather brittle. Is there a mix (such as oil,etc), which can be used with parowax, so that it becames more plastic ?<br>
<br>
Regards

 

[bb29510]

I been using parafax wax for the last seventeen years with no problem. this is the wax you can buy in your local grocery store. Just heat in a crock pot style heating pot.<br>
<br>
It needs to be kinda brittle so you can dig it out of the tube.

 

[bmike]

We typically use the beeswax, which we have found tends to experience less shrinkage if the sample is stored for any length of time. In a pinch, we have also added vaseline to melted parawax which gives somewhat more satisfactory results than straight parawax. I think the mix is a tablespoon or two to one of those packages of wax they sell for home canning (1/2 or 1 pound).

 

[dirtman]

Mobil manufactuers a number of waxes with different melting points and characteristics. We have found the most flexible, low melting point to be their product number 2305, I think. AT any case, call them and get a low melting point wax - you will find it much better than paraffin.

Danny McCook, Natural Resources Conservation Service Laboratory, Fort Worth, TX

 

[toolpusher]

I have worked in offshore soil investgations for 20 years and we have determined that a 50-50 mix of refined beeswax and paraffin, works well at making sure that the wax doesn't shrink away from the inside of the shelby tube and that still allows it to be dub out by hand fairly readily.

If there is no paraffin available, I throw in a handful of vaseline (preferably the unscented kind unless you want to be the &quot;butt&quot; of some jokes by the drillers on how nice your work area smells.

 

[DRC1]

I second Toolpusher. I haven't drilled for a while, but when I did, our firm used a 50- 50 mix of beeswax & pariffin. Worked well