From: tip@lead.aichem.arizona.edu (Tom Perigrin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Sealing wax
Date: 19 Nov 92 21:56:48 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona UNIX Users Group


Unto the Rialto, doth Thomas Ignatius Perigrinus send his humble greetings,

Good Gentles all,
	Of late there was some small interest in the matter of sealing wax.
I have found this in my coffer of collected writings, and did think me that 
some here might find it of passing interest.


The manufacture of a good and faithful sealing wax.

The purposes of a sealing wax are threefold;   imprimus - to seal 
a missive so as to protect it against unwonted investigation,  
secundus - to seal a missive so as to invigilate against 
falsification,  et tertius - to give witness that the missive 
comes from the hand from which it purports to arise, by carrying 
the imprint of a greater or lesser seal.

To accomplish these purposes,  the wax must have certain and 
diverse qualities.  It must adhere to the paper or parchement so 
tenaciously that it may not be prised off with impunity.  It must 
be of such a nature so that when any attempt is made to prise or 
cut it from it's paper that it shall fly into a thousand shards.  
Yet it must also be so durable so that the passage of time or the 
thousand little insults that might ensue unto its normal life,  
shall not break or mar it.

A simple seal of beeswax can ne'r be pressed to serve, for that it 
is but childs play to cut it along the seam, whereby then to read 
the contents of the missive,  and then to press the seal back 
together again with a heated spatula so as to erase any indication 
that one has assayed to breach the security of the seal.

On the other hand,  a seal made of shellac shall also ne'r serve,  
for that it is too intemperate and hard and will too easily break 
upon the lightest blow.  And belike as not,  it will not adhere to 
a paper when attached thereto,  so that oftimes it would pop loose 
without any encouragement,  and bear false witness against the messager.

However, when two substances of opposite humours are married,  
then a union true unto it's purpose shall be obtained, suitable in 
all degrees and means.  Thus shellac can be tempered with rosin, 
or turpentine, or beeswax, to obtain a good and true sealing wax.


To make thy wax,  takest thou first 4 parts of shellac, and place 
it in a pan over a heat of the second degree.   Once it begins to 
melt, then add by degrees 2 parts of good turpentine, and 
thereafter add 1 part of rosin.  Now thou moucht cast thy colorant 
upon it;   for red thou shouldst add 2 parts of vermillion,  
whereas for blue thou shouldst stir in 1 part of Prussian blue.  
An thou wouldst have a green seal, then thou shouldst add to a 
blue wax the halve of one part of yellow chrome, and 1 part of 
magnesia.    Before thou dost cast in thy colorant stir it up 
first with a small measure of turpentine, so that a paste is 
formed.   And at all stages have thy servant stir this mixture so 
fast is they may, so that none doth stick and burn upon the floor 
of thy pan.  Once these matters have all been married,  then thou 
may form it into sticks by pouring it upon a marble plate in the 
same fashion as a candy maker doth, and rolling it back and forth 
with a smoothed wooden block! An thy wax be too hard, or not 
tenacious enough to thy paper,  thou mayest temper it by adding 
up to 2 parts of goodly beeswax.

-------------

Dry shellac may be obtained from woodworkers supply houses.   Use 
the least expensive orange flakes.   Rosin may be obtained from 
music stores, or sporting goods houses,  or by taking the gummy 
exudate from pine trees and letting it dry in the sun for a 
summer.   Vermillion is mercuric sulfide,  and you should be 
careful with it.   Nowadays I might be tempted to use an inorganic 
pigment obtained from a paint store instead.  Prussian Blue, 
Chrome Yellow and White Magnesia can all be obtained from paint 
stores or artist's supply houses.  When heating this mixture DON'T 
use an open flame,  use an electric burner (unless you like second 
and third degree burns).  If you don't have a marble plate,  then 
cast the sealing wax into molds.   If you add too much beeswax the 
sealing wax might stick to a seal.  But if you are only dropping 
wax on a seam without impressing it,  beeswax is a cheap filler (
compared to shellac).  The recipie is not perfectly reproduceable  
since each batch of shellac and rosin are a little different,  
so you should probably always start with a small batch and 
experiment before you make a large batch.

A heat of the second degree is warm enough to bring water to the
boil, ovre a longish period of time.
From: Beth.Appleton@f4229.n124.z1.fidonet.org (Beth Appleton)
Sender: FredGate@ocitor.fidonet