Wax seal like maker's

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OldManP
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Wax seal like maker's

Post by OldManP »

I'm looking to put a seal on some bottles that looks exactly like the Maker's Mark seal.

Will the wax seal used for homemade wine bottling work to make the dripping style?

I like how Maker's has the wax with the dripping sensation--is there wax that will work or something i can add to the wax to give it that sensation of flowing/dripping?

Figured red would look cool and resemble Maker's bottles, but other colors would be neat to differentiate the different contents of all the bottles--

OMP
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wineo
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by wineo »

Makers mark uses some kind of plastic for theirs.I would think you could do it with bottle wax with a little practice.
blanikdog
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by blanikdog »

OldManP wrote:... I like how Maker's has the wax with the dripping sensation--is there wax that will work or something i can add to the wax to give it that sensation of flowing/dripping? ...
They still use that wax to seal postal parcels in India. OMP, or they did in 2004. It will surely be available in US somewhere.

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Dnderhead
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by Dnderhead »

hears one place look for wine -bottles- corks http://www.eckraus.com/index.php?action=searchrs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
hears another http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/1140" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
goose eye
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by goose eye »

ole doc said they used wax on wine jugs along while back to keep rats from chewin at the cork.
dont no how true that be but he was a purty smart man when it come to such stuff.

they sale them wax beads at them wine makein shops. thought bout getin bees wax an food colerin
but aint never found the time

so im tole
wineo
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by wineo »

I dont know where your at,but heres a few links to bottle wax.
http://www.homebrewheaven.com/bottle-sealing-wax.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://www.finevinewines.com/Home-Wine- ... ng-Wax.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://www.homebrewit.com/aisle/1051" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Dnderhead
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by Dnderhead »

I would think if you dipped in bottle wax then terned it right side up it would run down but mite take some practice to get it right
and most of the bottle wax iv seen is some kind of plastic
Hawke
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by Hawke »

Craft stores will have sealing wax. (Used to seal envelopes)
Don't know if it would be less or more expensive than bottle wax.
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The Chemist
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by The Chemist »

Check with a craft store in the candle making section. I think they use stearic acid, or some sort of stearate to control such things.
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OldManP
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by OldManP »

Thanks everybody! I've been reading a lot about in the past few days. I'll prolly go with some wine bottle beads. THanks for the tip about stearate...i've been looking online for hours trying to find stuff to add to the wax to make it thinner and thicker. We'll see in the future if this comes out.

Prolly gonna make a batch of wine soon too so this will be good practice for that endeavor as well.

OMP
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Dnderhead
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by Dnderhead »

this mite help
http://www.northernbrewer.com/documenta ... le-wax.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
dyerwolf
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by dyerwolf »

My wife is an aesthetician. She got me a wax pot from the beauty supply place for cheap. I think you can control the drips by controling the temperature.
Djurmz
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by Djurmz »

I sealed a few bottles of mead that I gave away as a wedding present. I learned a few things that might be helpful here...

I bought some wax bottle sealing beads and the result was quite different than Maker's Mark. The wax I used(http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products ... rodID=4671) was easily broken and any Maker's Mark style drips would have easily broken off. Maker's Mark wax is much more sturdy if I remember correctly and has more plasticity to it.

The biggest tip I got though...rather than melting your wax in a pot and having a big mess to clean up later, dedicate a soup can to the same purpose. It's a tall and narrow container perfect for coating bottlenecks with a minimal amount of wax. I put mine in a saucepan and a small amount of water. When you're done throw away the can or save it for your next batch.
Horse_Shoe
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by Horse_Shoe »

I've tried this using "tool dip" from lowes or home depot. You'll find it in the paint section. Its for replacing the insulation handles on tools or coating things with plastic. There is a spray version and a dipping version. I believe the brand name is "plastikote." Use in well ventilated areas. Dries thin, so multiple applications may be necessary for thick looking effect. It works well, though. There are different colors available.
myles
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by myles »

I have a glass jam jar full of beeswax that I use for this. Just stand it in a pan full of boiling water untill it melts and dip the bottle in it. 2 or 3 dips will build up a nice layer over the cork.

When finnished let the jar cool, put the lid back on, and put it back on the shelf untill you need it again.
Horse_Shoe
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by Horse_Shoe »

Myles,

Does the beeswax get too hard, with the potential to be brittle. And, obviously, was is the highest temperature that the bottles can be exposed to without the wax melting?

Excellent suggestion
NineInchNails

Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by NineInchNails »

Search the term 'Plastisol'. You will find different formulations for soft squishy stuff like what fishing lures (like rubber worms) to a more rigid version that is like a tough vinyl.

Very cool stuff!
Horse_Shoe
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Plastisol

Post by Horse_Shoe »

I looked at a website for that Plastisol liquid vinyl. It's pretty nice stuff, but a little pricey at $53.00/gallon. It might be the solution for doing large numbers of bottles though.
myles
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by myles »

Horse_Shoe wrote:Myles,

Does the beeswax get too hard, with the potential to be brittle. And, obviously, was is the highest temperature that the bottles can be exposed to without the wax melting?

Excellent suggestion
I have been using beeswax to seal wine and liquer bottles for years. IMO it stays intact but soft for a very long time. As for the melting issue - if your bottles get hot enough to melt it you have other problems.

For a bit more technical info, try this: http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/211/1/121
Horse_Shoe
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Re: Bees Wax

Post by Horse_Shoe »

Hey thanks. What an interesting article. I've always been fascinated by apiculture. Its neat to see where one of lifes devoted vocations meets another. :)
the pure drop
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by the pure drop »

I don't know if this is what they use...but I have some dark (almost blood color) red hot glue sticks. I've used it for sealing the bottom of homemade airlocks. It coats really evenly and will create that "natural" drip down the sides, and when it dries, it's hard, but still retains a plasticity/ flexibility to bend or flex without breaking. I have them in other colors. I read just a while ago that Maker's mark one case against cuervo who used the same seal/ wax color for one of their products, and maker's had trademarked the red wax seal. I think it's a bit ridiculous myself to allow that kind of trademark, but I guess it's a big part of their visual marketing. The trademark/ case stated that the red wax seal....blah blah...

Anyway, I know nobody here is selling their drink, so it's not important...but you can get those hot glue sticks in just about any color. I have ordered some mexican cream bottles from brewhaus which bare a striking resemblance to the maker's mark bottles...and to dewars and othe scotch bottles and old-time glass whiskey bottles. I have my label designed for both my wheat and corn/ barley whiskey and will be red "wax" sealing them until I run out of red wax, and may move on to black wax...not sure yet though lol. That red wax really looks flash, don't it?

And a note on dipping. Maker's bottles are turned upside down and dipped individually by hand into a pot of the melted "wax", or so they say. Makes sense. I plan on using a small metal can set into a larger pot that has some water in it (double-boiler style) to melt the wax and dip my bottles. Planning on having a small wax seal to empress a simple seal/ emblem on the top of the t-cork after it gets coated with "wax" and has had a moment to cool long enough to still take the empression but not stick to the "wax". Don't know if this helps, but it's what I'm planning on doing once my bottles get here.
The Pure Drop
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Re: Wax seal like maker's

Post by The Baker »

The stuff that was used in olden times to seal letters or legal documents was actually called 'sealing wax'.
Probably you can still get it; and it could well be what the manufacturers use.
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